Think of all the important decisions you’ve had to make with your spouse, parent, or significant other.  You probably agree on many things.  You probably fight like cats & dogs over others.  I’ve worked through the custom building process with many couples.  And if you haven’t noticed, I ask a LOT of questions to arrive at the right answers.  Questions that perhaps the homeowners themselves haven’t thought to be an issue (see “where are you going to watch TV in your pajamas”).  Well, when you poke around with the questions, you’re bound to see a lot of loving agreement and a hear your fair share of cussing.  Sticky points warrant a “Cuss & Discuss” session between the decision makers.  Lay it all out on the table, go home, fight it out, and come back when you’re at the loving agreement stage – or maybe somewhere in the middle.  It makes for the best designs.

Have you ever had your home to the point of being so perfect – decorated, cleaned, orderly – that you didn’t want to use it?  OK, so maybe that perfection doesn’t happen every day but believe it or not, you’d be amazed at how many people are so afraid to mess things up that they end up hiding the way they really live.  Think overstuffed chairs and TV sets in the closet.  Think coffee makers and microwaves in secondary bathrooms.  All so that the main living space stays “perfect”.  Well folks, this is real life, and your home is YOUR home.  Well planned home designs eliminate the need to keep real life tucked away where no one can see it.  Stay tuned for stories of how I’ve brought clients out of the closet, so to speak.

Many of the beautiful, sought-after homes in the St. Louis area were built 40, 60, 100 years ago … and many of them are in need of renovation.  Renovation to bring them up to today’s way of living and to serve today’s families & lifestyles.  When I walk into these beautiful homes with clients, it’s hard for them to see past the green shag carpet and the huge flowers clinging to the printed wallpapers.  Together, we begin working through it all to get to the bones of the house and see its full potential.  When the design begins to take shape, and especially when the finished project is unveiled, clients overwhelmingly say “who’d have thunk it?”  Sometimes great, yet sometimes subtle, transformations can make a huge difference, with before and after pictures leaving viewers amazed.  “Who’d have thunk it?” you may ask.  Well together, we’d have thunk it.