Waldron Designs owner and designer, Rachel Waldron, recently became certified as a Living in Place Professional. It is important to note that this is not an “Aging in Place” certification, but LIVING in Place.

When we interview potential staff, we tell them about the importance of sustainable design and construction. Not only is it good for the environment, but it is also healthy for our staff (who we love and want to live long lives) and for the occupants! Check out the conversation we had in a recent interview:

One of the most challenging parts of my job is helping homeowners decide which items to splurge on and which should be skimped on. The suggestions below are only suggestions and based on a very generic plan or specific scenarios. Different designs and needs will always call for case-specific adjustments.

This phase is a little bit of getting to know you, and a lot of research. We will work to gather all the information for your project, which may include questionnaires, a site visit to measure and photograph, correspondence with any professionals who may have further information about the structure, and research as to whether the project can truly be built. This portion, included in the Owner’s Criteria can also be referred to as a feasibility study.

Waldron Designs is very fortunate to have a talented paint crew. We have three members of our paint crew, as well as three professional painters who do carpentry as well. Basically, the majority of our crew is skilled at painting.

Here are a few key things to keep in mind when hiring Waldron Designs for a paint project.

I have to admit, the first time I walked through this home, I saw the potential, but also was a little intimidated by the amount of work that was needed to get this space where it deserved to be. Thank goodness we all hung in there, despite it taking MUCH longer than initially anticipated. The homeowners were such troopers, and we’re thrilled to say that we made some amazing friends through this process.

I’ve seen a disconnect for years between the designer and the general contractor. Most homeowners would get a partial design, then run off with the general contractor and I would never see how things came together. I would hear stories about how things were changed on-site and sometimes return later to see changes that destroyed the integrity of the design. These changes had been made in haste or misunderstanding.

I am learning what expectations homeowners should have when working with a general contractor, and often learning the hard way. As I learn more, this post will be updated, so I highly recommend bookmarking this one now!

My mom sent me a story this morning that is every homeowner’s nightmare: https://www.kiro7.com/news/jesse-jones/tonight-11-suspended-contractors-wife-starts-her-own-contracting-business-gets-suspended-too/HFESSJQKZBE4JM2FV2T62EHIZY/ Contractor is suspended, so he starts a business under his wife’s name to keep going.

Unfortunately, this is much too easy to get away with and homeowners enter unknowingly into contractor relationships without doing sufficient research. So, how does one protect themselves from shady situations?

We started design where most designs start, some inspiration photos. At the time, they had a contractor who also specialized in cabinetry that they were eager to use. The photos we had shared held much of the farmhouse aesthetic, but the cabinet design style was more midcentury modern in styling.

Our next challenge was size. We had a tight space, possibly one of the smallest kitchens I have yet to work on, with no ability for structural change. This meant that we had to somehow create an illusion of space, and provide the necessity of storage.

Display is important to this family, with young blooming artists, but not so much display that it becomes a cluster of tchotchkes.

The last challenge was to provide flexibility for a dining space where a built in dining nook was desired, as well as the flexibility to move the table and extend with leaves for larger family gatherings.

2020 has been a rough year. Politics, riots, murders, anger, frustration, recession, COVID, an unstable bridge, a collapsing pier, and I’m pretty sure locusts happened at some point. It’s funny, I find my self-descriptions of being a pessimist, but I also know that I am and always have been an optimist.

Oh my goodness… I suppose it is time to tell my big secret. Some of you, who receive my newsletter know the big news, but for the most part, we’ve kept things on the down-low.

Three months ago, Waldron Designs was a two-person firm. A designer and a designer-in-training. Today, Waldron Designs totes a crew of six, and we anticipate adding 2-3 more in the short term.