New Construction and Renovation Design Review, Howard County, MD
Storage is decided on paper long before anyone moves in. By the time a closet is framed, the decision about how it will work has already been made, usually by someone who has never met your family.
If you are building in Clarksville or Glenelg, or renovating an older home in Ellicott City, we review your plans before construction begins. It is considerably less expensive to solve a storage problem on a drawing than after the drywall goes up.
What we review
Closet layouts. Hanging heights, double versus single hang, drawer placement, shoe storage. Whether the closet suits the wardrobe that is actually going into it.
Pantry configuration. Shelf depth is the detail most often gotten wrong. A deep shelf looks generous on a plan and swallows things in practice.
Mudroom and entry capacity. Hooks, benches, bins and cubbies sized for the number of people and the number of sports seasons in your household.
Laundry and utility. Sorting, folding surfaces, drying space and supply storage.
Garage and basement. Usually the last rooms considered and the first to become overflow.
Kitchen storage flow. Where things live relative to where they get used.
Working with your design team
We work as a liaison between you and your trades teams. Your architect, builder, designer and cabinetmaker each hold part of the picture, and storage tends to fall between them. We produce a customized design plan your trades teams can build from, then stay available through the process as decisions come up.
Then we organize it
When it is time to move in, our team organizes the finished home so you are set up for success from the first day rather than working it out over the following year.
What's included
Consultation to review your personal items, routines and priorities
Customized design plan for your trades teams
Work as liaison between client and trades teams as needed
Product research, planning, shopping, and returns
Customized ordering and unboxing of any necessary household essentials
Hands-on organizing and styling
Custom labeling
Follow up communication and support
Building or renovating in Howard County
We work with families building in Clarksville, Glenelg, Dayton, Highland, Glenwood, Fulton and West Friendship, and renovating throughout Columbia and Ellicott City.
Questions we get asked
How early should we bring you in?
As soon as you have plans to look at. Before cabinetry is ordered is ideal. We can still help later, but the earlier we see the drawings, the more we can influence.
Do you work directly with our builder?
Yes. We act as liaison between you and your trades teams so storage does not get lost between them.
We are renovating one room, not building a house. Is that too small?
No. A kitchen or primary closet renovation is exactly the kind of project where a review pays for itself.
Can you help while we are living through the renovation?
Yes. We can pack up what needs to be stored and set up temporary arrangements so your routine survives the building work.