Understanding your needs and desires

Is your kitchen outdated or just plain unattractive? Do you need counter space for two cooks, or a place for your kids to do homework while you make dinner?

I try to figure out what you like by spending time talking with you and looking at the photos you've pulled from books and magazines. You might not realize it yourself, but I can usually find a common thread that helps me understand what appeals to you, even if you can't describe it.

Planning your dream kitchen

The first step is getting accurate measurements of your existing kitchen. I'll come up with schematic designs, along with proposed materials and finishes. We'll discuss the options and I'll revise the plans accordingly. When we agree on a final plan, I will provide the documents and specifications to your contractor.

Building your new kitchen

Realistically, construction takes three months or more, depending on the scope of work and the lead-time of the materials. Your routine will be interrupted, but I can help you minimize the disruption. We can even create a temporary kitchen until construction is complete.

I'll follow-through with site inspections until your new kitchen is finished and perfect.

A kitchen story: The Chartreuse Kitchen

In her blog post, Karen Wistrom observes: "This kitchen is a perfect example of how a client's favorite color can be worked into the design to create an incredibly personal and unique look. Everyone that sees this kitchen says "WOW!"

"I hate to sound cliché, but Barbra was the bright part of renovating our house. My husband and I had many opinions of how we visualized our new kitchen: Some of them the same, and some very different. When we met Barbra we knew we'd found the right person to thread our ideas together."

"She worked with us tirelessly through the creation and revisions (and there were many as the job came to life for us). She kept her professionalism and wit, bending when she could but being firm when she had to. We couldn't have asked for a better working relationship."

-- Rachel Cane (co-host with husband David of "A Matter of Taste," a wine and food radio show).

Contact Barbra for a design consultation.