Hey Castle friends!

Only two weeks left in the month of August which means we are starting to wrap up this month’s Designer of the Month posts. Let’s not waste any time and let Cheri take the floor as she reveals which schematic was chosen for the beautiful home on the St. Croix river…

Since remodeling is a huge investment, both in terms of time and money, it’s rare that a client picks a schematic without any changes. For this project, there was quite a bit of design development.  In fact, we considered at least a couple of options for each schematic. If you’re doing the math, that’s six different plans we looked at.  It can take quite a while to land on the best design–that is, the one that best fits the clients’ needs and wants as well as what’s appropriate for the space. For this project, Schematic 3 Option 2 was the most promising plan.

Once the plan is finalized, other drawings like the lighting and electrical plan are necessary. This is the next layer of detail that is considered. It is here that I have clients figure out where things are going to get stored and accessories are added to customize their kitchen. Next, finish selection begins. For finish selection, it can be broken down into two major categories: general finish selection and specific finish selection.

General finish selection:  For general finish selection, I generate ideas on what will work with not just the finalized plan but the concept as well. For example, to create mass, I presented the idea of a darker stained island juxtaposed with a lighter perimeter; to keep with the concept of grand and graceful, the details on the cabinetry needed to be simple but elegant; to keep the space crisp and pure, the lighting should be transitional. Once again, I needed to follow my map and all design decisions needed to relate to the concept.

Specific finish selection:  At this point, the finish selection becomes more detailed. I have clients consider different sinks, for example, under mount vs. drop in, stainless steel vs. cast iron, knob or pull, and so on. All details must be considered, no matter how minute. For instance, it’s not enough to think about the color of the stain, we also have to consider the value of the stain. Moreover, every decision must relate to the concept.

It takes a lot of time to get to through this phase. It goes without saying that the more thought that is put in here, the smoother the implementation phase will be.

Sketch of Schematic 3 Option

Schematic 3 Option 2

Stay tuned as we reveal the final results next week!!

In the meantime if you have a question for our designers, project managers or field guys, email hannah@castlebri.com and she will post the answers on Facebook on Tuesdays!!