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Key Players By Mauri Elbel Some things in life are best left to the pros. Remodeling your home is one of them. Whether revamping a bathroom or renovating the whole place, recruiting professionals to help transform your design dreams into remodeled reality can make or break the entire project. But knowing exactly who to call, when to call them and what to expect might not be as clear. From designer and architect to builder and landscaper, a few key players in the industry weigh in on the remodeling process from start to finish. THE DESIGNER Sharon Radovich Panache Interiors, Owner www.panacheinteriors.com 512.452.7773
Q: What role does a designer play in a remodel? A: Visionary, organizer, executer, purchasing agent, supervisor, concierge, advocate, mediator and counselor.
designer Mood Montage is going Sensual to have a unique perspective based on their experience, so you’ll get different concepts to consider. Our initial consultation is with two designers and as the project progresses, our designers collaborate behind the scenes for the best possible outcome. Q: What are some key factors to look for when hiring a designer? A: Find a designer who is enthusiastic about your project. They are designing a personal space for you so they’ll be inquiring about your needs and desires. It becomes a very intimate relationship. You need to find someone that you can be comfortable with voicing your preferences, personal habits and talking about money. You should not be intimidated by them and you should feel you can trust them.
Q: What should one expect from a designer? A: Designers have different personalities and business models so find one that can meet your expectations. Some DIY clients just want guidance and others want the job turnkey. Determine your personal role in the project and discuss that with the designers you interview. A designer’s services vary with their education, experience and size of the firm. The design process takes time to discover, Q: What should you do first? conceptualize A: Do some research and have a collective vision with others involved in the process. Find and source all the elements that go into some images that convey the ambience and/ a space. A designer or elements you want. Projects tend to stall when couples have different visions. “I’ll know should be able to produce visual it when I see it” is understandable, but if you cannot express a viable direction, the designer product presentations such as a montage, will spend hours trying to guess what’s in a pictorial mock-up, your head. Both scenarios are unproductive, a sketch or even a frustrating and add costs. Pinterest board; more Q: When is the best time to hire a designer? detailed presentations are spatial renderings, A: Consult a designer at the conceptual scaled drawings and stage. Hire a designer or two for a consult and brainstorm the project with them. Every modeling. Q: Why is it worth including a designer in your remodeling project? A: Designers can streamline the process. They can organize the scope of work and create a realistic budget and timeline. Because they source continually, they know where to get products based on the budget and the style.
Renderings by Panache Interiors
Q: What’s the timeline? A: Timelines vary with the scope of work. We typically can have a concept/drawing/ budget back in seven to ten days. From there, we’ll finesse it based on the client’s feedback. The process can be quick or slow — it really depends on how well the designer and client communicate. Q: Any words of advice? A: You and the designer should communicate in a timely manner during the design phase. Long lags of communication often result in backtracking. Consider the snowball effect of rejecting individual elements of a design –– a single change often leads to more elements needing to be changed. Alternates should be reviewed with the replacement before you move forward. If a suitable alternate is not found in a timely manner, other selections can get backordered, discontinued or even have price increases. All of these scenarios result in project delays and additional costs.
Spatial Rendering