When "Okay" Isn't Good Enough

Basically, at our office, "okay" is never good enough.  Good design is all about details!  It's fun to watch the design challenge shows on HGTV where the contestants have an extremely limited amount of time to accomplish their designs.  (Or at least we're led to believe as much!)  But we believe that the best designs are carefully thought out, and extreme attention should be paid to getting the details right.

Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about from the job we've recently been following.

This doorway has an actual transom above it.

Due to a lower ceiling in the adjoining room, the transom above this door is a "false transom", with mirrors instead of glass.  Take a look at the closeup view below!

The ceiling over this breakfast nook could have been flat.  But look how much more intimacy this beam treatment will create over the table.  And by putting bead board into the beam area, it adds instant personality and character!

 

Yes, the clock is a Vogel Kitchen trademark.  But instead of just mounting a clock to the wall, a beautiful unit is created to house the clock, and the entire piece is trimmed to make it integral with the kitchen details.



Knobs on all of these drawers would have been appropriate, but mixing the beautiful, hefty handles with the knobs creates another interesting design element.



 

A single counter top material would have been "okay" in this kitchen, but mixing the two complementary elements (Silestone and Brushed Cambrian Black) is even more exciting.

When you're investing the kind of money that a renovation of this sort costs, taking advantage of every design "trick" available will definitely help to make you feel it is money well spent!