Initial Consultation

The initial consultation is the first step in any major interior design project.  Our initial consult has two phases, a one-hour meeting and a survey.   Here are some of our goals:

 

  1. Understanding your style preferences, your likes and dislikes.  Perhaps you like a mid-century modern design but your husband prefers Martha Stewart Park Avenue.  Knowing your preferences hones our thinking and lets us narrow the search so you have fewer choices to make.  We can learn how to assist you.  For many of our clients the process of design begins with helping our clients better understand what they like.  That is why we can come armed with magazines, photos and samples and encourage our clients to explore as we work together to determine their stylistic preferences.
  2. Understanding how you want to use your space.  Perhaps Sunday afternoon is your time to bake and you’ve dreamed of a befitting Baker’s Kitchen adorned with Hafele Hardware to lift your heavy mixer.   Just downstairs, your partner and ten friends raise the roof every third play and steel into your Zen-like kitchen to grab beers from the refrigerator.  A good interior design should offer solutions to this like a retractable kitchen door to dampen sound and a wet bar with ample room for beer and ice.  Understanding how you want to live is key to adapting your space to accommodate it.
  3. Understanding how you make your decisions.   If choice is paralyzing, you may prefer fewer choices and strong recommendation from us, on the other hand, you may love making choices and only want our help in a supportive role.  Either way, the key to successfully working together is to know how you like to work so we can tune into it.   It’s also important to understand the dynamics of decision making – do you like to make decisions quickly?  Are you and your partner joint decision makers?   Understanding your process helps us tailor our process to you.
  4. Understanding your budget and the relationship between cost and getting the perfect choice.   A dining room chandelier may cost $300 or $13,000.  Our goal is to create a design that you can implement which means the design has to fit your budget.   There may not be funds to accomplish everything you had hoped but proper planning gives us the best chance to optimize the use of funds.
  5. Understanding your priorities and schedules.   If you leave town every spring for two weeks of skiing that might be the perfect time to remodel the kitchen which means the time to start preparing is in the fall.   Knowing your specific needs helps us plan to meet them with the smallest impact on your lifestyle.
  6. Do we match?   Your home is a statement of who you are.  The better we can understand one another, the better we can interpret your vision.   Interior design requires a great deal of trust and the first meeting is your chance to determine whether the relationship feels right to you.

 

The initial interview costs $100.  It includes creating a proposal itemizing your specific goals and the cost of services to achieve your goals.

Space planning and furniture layout

Once we understand your goals, laying out furniture is the next step. Every room presents its own challenges (dimensions, window location, traffic flow) and every piece of furniture has its own demands. A television, for instance, requires seating for viewers. Marrying the demands of your space, furnishings and goals is what space planning is all about.

The process begins with measuring your space and drawing a plan either by hand or with computer assistance.   After this, we inventory your furniture, photo graphing and measuring it and evaluating the pieces with you regarding their future use.   Next we create one or more drawings showing furniture layouts in the room and review these with you.   With your feedback, we create a final furniture plan and create renderings as needed.   There renderings allow us to provide options for additional features such as accessories or built-ins.

 

     

 

This helps our clients decide what pieces they need and what pieces they should keep.

Floor plans and façade

  What can you do when the kitchen is too small or when the house you’re considering buying has too many bedrooms but lacks a family room?   This is where Habitar Design and Stratagem Construction provide unparalleled assistance.   With years in the development industry, we understand the structure behind the walls and the general costs of construction.  In addition, we understand what changes will add value at the time of resale.

  To create a floor plan, we begin by measuring your existing space accounting for mechanical and structural elements that may or may not be movable.  After discussing your goals, and aware of your budget and the structural and mechanical restraints of the space (plumbing, heating, electrical), we create exploratory room layouts.  While it’s not easy to discuss exact numbers we can provide guidance to the approximate costs and relative costs of different plans.  With your approval, we create final drawings and if you require, specify everything down to the electrical and plumbing locations.   The plans can serve for permitting by your contractor if the scope of work is limited or can be used as a basis to create architectural plans.  Habitar Design works closely with several architectural firms (Ateliar 7, Foster Dale Architects, Neri, James Kemper) in the Chicagoland area as necessary.   

  Similarly, it might be time for a facelift on your property.  We start by examining architectural plans or by conducting a site visit during which we measure and examine the structural and mechanical components of your existing front façade.  With these in mind, we create a preliminary study for your approval.  After modifications, we prepare drawings specifying the materials and details necessary for your contractor to complete your front façade.  These plans can used to guide your architect.  In addition, we can prepare renderings that can be used as marketing or informational tools.

Kitchen and bath design

Kitchens and baths are more than a sum of their parts, more than good fixtures, vanities, and countertops.  A good design balances concept and function and finds harmony between its parts.  Components don’t just match, they work together to create a whole.

hyde-bath-plan
hyde-bath-rendering
hyde-bath-photo

 

 

A complete bathroom includes a layout and specifications of all components such as tile, plumbing fixtures, flooring, vanities, cabinetry, counter tops, and hardware, right down to the grout color and access panel to the whirlpool.

Kitchen specifications are similarly detailed calling out appliances, electrical outlets, lighting locations and fixtures, plumbing fixtures, countertops, back splashes, flooring, cabinetry and hardware etc.

 

Renderings

Sometimes you just have to see it.   Our 3-D rendering system lets us take your space and build anything from bay windows to built-ins.

 

Fireplace 3D rendering by Habitar Design.
Completed fireplace by Habitar Design.
Kitchen rendering by Habitar Design.
Completed kitchen by Habitar Design.

Specifications of finishes and materials

Decisions, decisions, decisions…  Whether it’s for new construction or remodeling, when your contractor turns to you for answers, you can turn to us for flooring, paint colors, windows, cabinets and countertop specifications.   We can choose from a selection supplied to us or we can provide a broad range of materials from local suppliers that are available to you.

Selection of Furniture, Art, Lighting and Accessories

 

Whether it’s one piece or a whole household or whether it’s from West Elm or from the Merchandise Mart we can help.

Custom Cabinets, Built-in Designs, and Furniture Design

We can design and custom build cabinets. We also build custom bookshelves, custom kitchen benches and tables, and custom furniture of every variety. In addition, we can create Semi-Custom built-ins by modifying and adding to standard cabinets. We work closely with several local cabinetry manufacturers.

Custom Window Treatment Design

Weather its selecting curtains, shades, shutters or any other type of window treatment, we can assist you to make it right for your space.

Custom Closet Design

We can design closets using commercial available materials or can create fully custom closets to fit your exact needs.

Fireplace Design

Fireplaces are often the centerpiece of a room. We can design and build fireplaces in any style and meld them into built-ins to create unique custom looks. We work closely with local suppliers to provide the latest in fireplace technology.

Deck and Garden Design

Deck and Garden design meld trellises, brick patios, plant selections, and areas for seating, grilling and other activities. They can be one of the most comforting and pleasant areas of your space.

Complete Remodeling and Renovation Services

Habitar Design and Stratagem Construction can manage all aspects of home renovation and construction with extensive expertise in tile, custom cabinetry, stone work, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, roofing, water-resistant block coatings, drywall, cement foundations, sound proofing, and deck and garden construction.

Real Estate Services

Habitar Design has proven experience helping sellers increase their home value with strategic furniture staging, accessories, and touch up work. Our partners at Stratagem Home Builders bring valuable real estate experience when your goal is to sell.

For the new home buyer, or the real estate investor, Habitar can help you realize the potential of new a property. Purchase with confidence, knowing that your vision is achievable and affordable.

Fees

Our pricing is based on the following fee schedule.

Senior Interior Designer $100/hr
Principal Construction Designer $150/hr
Initial interview $100 (credited to design project)
Brief consultations
(four hours including preparation)		 $500
Full design services are available base on estimations of your fees or for a fixed free when possible. Fixed fees are applicable for projects with clearly defined scopes.