As of 2014, we were one of the top 10 dreamy places to retire according to Huffington Post. It’s not surprising, really. We have a lovely small community. A trip to the grocery store usually means a hug from a friend or a familiar smile and wave. The natural environment here is blissful.

Freestanding bathtubs are stunning. We see them on the covers of magazines and posted all over Instagram (with low-hanging pendants and chandeliers - another topic of concern), and we are seeing so many homes pull out those tried and true alcove tubs to replace them with the lovely freestanding tub for the experience of soaking.

Let’s be honest though, how much are we thinking about that bathing experience and what surrounds this experience? There are many reasons people get freestanding tubs, and many reasons why maybe it's just not worth it.

Style, Services, or Cost – which aspect is best to pay attention to when choosing a home designer? We are here to help.

These topics cover the questions we are most frequently asked during our introductory meeting and each one of them is important, though one may be more important or less important depending on the project.

There are so many options out there for amazing and wonderful countertops. How does one choose?! We have you covered. Take a look at the features and brief descriptions of many of the most commonly used counter materials to make your decision wisely.

Clients have come to us many times with comments like, “I’m not sure if this is something you’d even be interested in,” and others that boast about the multiple quick-flip properties they assume we would be thrilled to take on. In actuality, those assumptions are usually far from the truth.

As designers, we were taught how to do niche, trade-specific drawings, not only because we are expected to create them for technical understanding, but also to be able to coordinate all of them systematically and converse intelligently with the highly-trained specialists who develop the physical aspects of our projects.

Style is a particular way of doing things, a distinct appearance determined by design principles. It is a way of arranging your appearance and the appearance of the spaces around you. It may be influenced by environmental factors, cultural influences, and economic factors among others.

According to one of our favorite furniture retailers, Joybird, Washingtonians love Eclectic design. My favorite part about this is that we are the ONLY state that preferred this design style above all others. Ready for this to get even better? Eclectic design is described as “a type of interior design that blends different styles and motifs together to create a unique aesthetic” (Master Class). We chose a unique aesthetic, and we were the only ones to choose this.

Influence from cultural exposure is an inherent part of design that undoubtedly helps to make any design more unique and interesting. Without exposure to different cultures in design, we wouldn’t have Chinoiserie, the gorgeous influence of Chinese art on French design. We find that travel encourages a designer to see the unique characteristics of other designer’s (creators) work that then allows us to look at our own work from different perspectives with fresh influence.

You’ve made the decision to relocate or purchase a beautiful summer home on Vashon Island!!! Super exciting! Once the excitement dies down, the logical side of our brains kick in and the questions start piling up. We are happy to answer these questions and provide insight as to how working long-distance can actually reduce stress and be a wonderfully fun process.

The burning question is often, “how long will it take”, and understandably so! A home renovation can mean displacement or incredible discomfort. Most of our clients come to us hoping the design will take a week or two and we can jump right into construction. What we forget is that it takes time to work through all those details and thoroughly consider each goal and need to tailor your home specifically to you!

One of the most common misconceptions I face is that a designer shops retail. While this is true for some designers, it is not at all true for others. We almost never shop retail. That is not to say that we will not utilize our local hardware store for products that are local and yes, retail.