Behind the Scenes: Lessons in Collaboration From a New Kitchen
An architect and an interior designer who joined forces on an addition share advice on working as a team
Houzz recently profiled this Seattle kitchen, an addition that provided the homeowners with a bright and roomy space for entertaining a crowd. Working together, architect Lauren Crocco and interior designer Harmony Weihs balanced classic and modern style in the new space and created strong connections to the yard.
When two design pros join forces on a project, it doesn’t always go smoothly, but both Crocco and Weihs say this collaboration was a great experience. Here is what the project entailed, plus their top four tips on how to communicate and tackle challenges, such as tricky budgetary issues, as a team.
When two design pros join forces on a project, it doesn’t always go smoothly, but both Crocco and Weihs say this collaboration was a great experience. Here is what the project entailed, plus their top four tips on how to communicate and tackle challenges, such as tricky budgetary issues, as a team.
1. Prep for Client Meetings Together
“Both of us sat down with the clients together from the very first meeting, and this continued through the permitting process until about halfway through construction,” Crocco says. “Harmony had worked with these clients on other projects around the house, so she already had a good sense of their style and what they’d go for, which gave me a great jump-start.”
The biggest keys to success were communication and preparation. “We would always send each other our drawings before meeting with the clients so that if there were any tweaks we had to make, we could take care of it before our meetings with them, rather than doing it in front of them,” she says.
“Both of us sat down with the clients together from the very first meeting, and this continued through the permitting process until about halfway through construction,” Crocco says. “Harmony had worked with these clients on other projects around the house, so she already had a good sense of their style and what they’d go for, which gave me a great jump-start.”
The biggest keys to success were communication and preparation. “We would always send each other our drawings before meeting with the clients so that if there were any tweaks we had to make, we could take care of it before our meetings with them, rather than doing it in front of them,” she says.
2. Ask Questions and Listen
Another key aspect of communicating was asking each other questions and listening to the answers. “Check your ego at the door. This was about what the clients wanted and being a team while each of us voiced our perspectives in order to make the best end product,” Weihs says.
“Of course, each person is going to have their own ideas to bring to the design,” Crocco says. “When the other person presents theirs, ask them why doing things a certain way is best and listen to their answers so that you’ll fully understand. As an architect, I know sometimes I can be a bit on the rigid side, so I learn a lot and grow from working with others.”
Another key aspect of communicating was asking each other questions and listening to the answers. “Check your ego at the door. This was about what the clients wanted and being a team while each of us voiced our perspectives in order to make the best end product,” Weihs says.
“Of course, each person is going to have their own ideas to bring to the design,” Crocco says. “When the other person presents theirs, ask them why doing things a certain way is best and listen to their answers so that you’ll fully understand. As an architect, I know sometimes I can be a bit on the rigid side, so I learn a lot and grow from working with others.”
3. Agree on Priorities Before Trimming the Budget
Clear communication with the contractors from Lewis Construction Group was also essential. “Harmony often came armed with inspirational photos to help communicate with the contractor, while I provided a lot of the technical drawings,” Crocco says. As often happens when the ultimate design is presented and estimates are drawn up, the designers found that they needed to scale back a bit due to budget constraints, and they figured out the details together.
“It’s really important to keep the original design intent, and it’s certainly possible to do that while scaling back. But you both need to agree on what the priorities will be,” Crocco says. Although they made the addition a little smaller and held off on some outdoor features (which potentially could be constructed later when the budget allows), they retained the important parts of the design: a vaulted ceiling with skylights, a large square island, good-quality cabinetry and a stunning wall of windows that look out to the backyard.
“Be open to new and different ideas and be a part of the solution as you adjust the design due to budget and construction challenges,” Weihs says. By working together, she and Crocco were able to present budget-cutting ideas with the clients and help them make decisions.
To meet the budget, they agreed that they would use the more expensive windows in the kitchen while scaling back on window costs in other spaces. They worked with the engineer to see how they could maximize the number of windows along the backyard wall using shear wall construction. “If we’d had to use steel frame construction, it would have blown the budget,” Crocco says. They also saved by opting for high-quality paintable vinyl insulated windows and then painting them black to get the look of much more expensive steel windows.
Clear communication with the contractors from Lewis Construction Group was also essential. “Harmony often came armed with inspirational photos to help communicate with the contractor, while I provided a lot of the technical drawings,” Crocco says. As often happens when the ultimate design is presented and estimates are drawn up, the designers found that they needed to scale back a bit due to budget constraints, and they figured out the details together.
“It’s really important to keep the original design intent, and it’s certainly possible to do that while scaling back. But you both need to agree on what the priorities will be,” Crocco says. Although they made the addition a little smaller and held off on some outdoor features (which potentially could be constructed later when the budget allows), they retained the important parts of the design: a vaulted ceiling with skylights, a large square island, good-quality cabinetry and a stunning wall of windows that look out to the backyard.
“Be open to new and different ideas and be a part of the solution as you adjust the design due to budget and construction challenges,” Weihs says. By working together, she and Crocco were able to present budget-cutting ideas with the clients and help them make decisions.
To meet the budget, they agreed that they would use the more expensive windows in the kitchen while scaling back on window costs in other spaces. They worked with the engineer to see how they could maximize the number of windows along the backyard wall using shear wall construction. “If we’d had to use steel frame construction, it would have blown the budget,” Crocco says. They also saved by opting for high-quality paintable vinyl insulated windows and then painting them black to get the look of much more expensive steel windows.
“About halfway through construction, my part was mostly done, and Harmony really took over with the interiors,” Crocco says. One way Weihs saved money was by carefully planning out how many slabs of Luce di Luna quartzite she would need for the countertops. Although the island in the final design is a substantial 6¼ feet square, it was even larger in the original design. Working back and forth, Crocco adjusted the footprint and Weihs tweaked the layout so the island required only two instead of three of the expensive quartzite slabs and so it still had 48 inches of space around it to handle a crowd in the kitchen.
4. Smooth Out Bumps in the Road Together
When issues crop up, Weihs and Crocco advise switching to open-minded problem-solving mode immediately. “Whatever you do, don’t start with blaming,” Crocco says. “Instead, put your heads together to find the best solution.”
Share: What tips do you have for successful collaborations with other design professionals? Share them in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Designing a Business: How Do I Deal With Client Sticker Shock?
New Looks for Cabinets and Countertops Emerging in 2019
Read other stories about kitchen design
When issues crop up, Weihs and Crocco advise switching to open-minded problem-solving mode immediately. “Whatever you do, don’t start with blaming,” Crocco says. “Instead, put your heads together to find the best solution.”
Share: What tips do you have for successful collaborations with other design professionals? Share them in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Designing a Business: How Do I Deal With Client Sticker Shock?
New Looks for Cabinets and Countertops Emerging in 2019
Read other stories about kitchen design
“For the most part, Lauren worked on the exterior and structure, while I tackled the interior layout and finishes,” Weihs says. This required a back-and-forth dialogue regarding the best footprint (Crocco’s purview) for the layout (Weihs’ domain); the ideal locations for the windows, doors and skylights; and the right height for the addition’s shed roof so that the kitchen could have an open and airy vaulted ceiling.