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The beginning stages of the design process can be a lot to wrap your head around. There are fabric swatches, paint chips, furniture placement – all of the things that you really need to be able to visualize before anything else. That’s why we use renderings to share with our clients to show exactly how their design plan will come together.

To really get a feel for the finished design plan we meet with you and bring you not only the fabric swatches, paint chips, and pictures of the furniture selections, but we also help you visualize your finished space with renderings. We can all see what your home will look like, simply and beautifully.

As we share the design plan and renderings with you to help you visualize the finished space, we want you to look closely at every detail. You can tweak the design to meet your needs and lifestyle. Take a look at the rendering of this basement kitchen showing bar stools with seat backs. In the finished photo you’ll see barstools without seat backs. We want you to tell us what works best for you. We can always adjust the design plan with beautiful selections to meet your needs.

We have featured this Family Room before, noting how much we love the gallery wall our client arranged. We wanted to keep this as a part of the new design plan and we just love how it turned out! Our clients are able to really see how their finished space will look like, how it will feel, and how it will be arranged. Renderings are integral part of the design process. It’s a beautiful way to truly visualize how your space will be transformed.

If you’re planning to build a new home or start a renovation project, there are those important, yet sometimes confusing decisions you’ll need to make. Especially when it comes to selecting what things are made of, like kitchen and bath plumbing fixtures – even the things you don’t see, like valves and cartridges.

You know you want everything to be beautiful, but the variety out there can be a bit overwhelming. Here are some helpful hints to take the guesswork out of the process. There are several different metals and options regarding just what your faucet or fixture is made of. There’s brass, steel, zinc, plastic…but which one should you choose?

Here’s a quick-glance list of the pros and cons of each:

BRASS
Long lasting
More expensive

STEEL
Tend to rust
Less expensive

ZINC
Least expensive of the metal options
Least durable of the metal options

PLASTIC
Very low cost
Very limited life-span

Valves are the next thing that you must ensure is of good quality. What you can’t see matters. Brass workings and valves are the best of the best, while plastic and steel are not known for their durability. Ceramic, being impervious to sand and sediment, is the best quality for cartridges.

VALVE TYPES:

COMPRESSION VALVES
Two-handle faucets
Washers wear out over time
Washers are easily replaced

BALL VALVES
Single-handle faucets
Reliable
Difficult to repair

SLEEVE-CARTRIDGE VALVES
Lift-and-Turn faucet
Wear well
Easily repaired

CERAMIC-DISK VALVES
Both single and double-handle models
Extremely durable
Rarely leaks
Easily repaired

Selecting the best materials will help your new construction or remodel project last in the most beautiful way.

The next step is to select the finishes. There’s a wide-range of options, which we’ll introduce in Series II of “Helpful Hints – Kitchen and Bath Fixtures.”