Design Matters Date:03/11/2010 - 23:36

Written by Executive Vice President, Bill Millholland

Have you ever driven by a house and marveled at the way a new addition blends in with the existing home?  Or been in a friend's kitchen and thought about how much easier it would to be to prepare a meal in their space?  Or stood on a neighbor's deck and thought how well integrated it is with the house and how it establishes a much more graceful connection to the outdoors? Well, the secret is pretty simple, the reason these projects stand out is thoughtful design.

You can immediately spot the difference between a well designed project and one that was not as carefully planned. There is a certain magic to carefully developed proportions, colors that harmonize with each other or the artful mixing of materials. Well designed doesn't have to mean expensive. Good design is a balance of function, aesthetics and budget issues of the client. It also doesn't always require professional design advice- I have met many attorneys, teachers, etc who are very creative designers. They just need someone to help them turn their vision into reality.  

Having a professional designer involved in a project may add a few more dollars in the short term but I will argue that over the long term it dramatically enhances the value of your project. Not just in a financial way, but also in an emotional way. Every time you prepare a meal in a new kitchen, host a barbeque on your new deck, or drive up to your home and see the new addition the experience is going to make you smile. That's success for me- as a designer I have done my job. 

If you have questions for Bill, you can email him by clicking here.