If you are considering working with us, keep in mind that a typical Studio Dearborn kitchen will start around $100K for cabinetry and design services (for a medium-sized kitchen), so homeowners should budget for $250K+ (with minimal changes to floor plan) for their entire renovation, factoring in construction costs, appliances, countertops, fixtures, etc. If you need help calculating your budget, please check out our free budget estimator under ebooks.

We recommend that clients reach out at least 6 months prior to their planned “start date”, to allow adequate time to get in the queue and complete the design phase before groundbreaking. If your project timeline is tighter, please feel free to reach out, but know that we may not be able to accommodate your schedule.

We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with your architect, interior designer or builder. As kitchens are a very specialized area of design and construction, our clients are best served when we work in partnership with other design professionals from the earliest stages of project planning. If you do not have a team assembled yet, we can recommend other trade professionals (including architects, general contractors, and interior designers) who are a good fit for your project.

We can design cabinetry for any room in your home, in conjunction with your kitchen project.  (At this time, we are not taking on projects that do not include a full kitchen renovation.)  We are frequently commissioned to design bath vanities, mudroom built ins,  laundry rooms, home offices and family room built-ins as part of a larger home renovation.

I do not have a showroom. I think showrooms are especially helpful to someone who does NOT intend to work with me. My clients have found that touring completed projects, and seeing my own kitchen allows them to touch and feel the cabinetry, and to meet other clients who have just been through the renovation process. For anyone who is just looking to browse cabinetry ideas, I have an extensive roundup of my projects available on my website under Lookbook Part 1.

I do not typically do consultations in person. Since I have a full setup for remote consultations, I approach them that way. I tend to find that “seeing the space” rarely informs me any better than a good set of floor plans and elevations. Architectural drawings can provide me with information on your lot, the views, and directionals for sunshine. Photos or videos of the space (or a Facetime walk-through) can fill any gaps. A Zoom call helps keep the conversation focused without the interruptions of a typical on-site meeting. To set up a consultation with me, click here.

Here are some typical questions we often answer in the course of a consultation call:

• What changes can be made to optimize my kitchen layout?
• Are clearances between cabinets adequate?
• Should I move the refrigerator to another wall?
• What are the benefits of a speed oven?
• What are some favorite countertop materials? What are the pros and cons of each?
• How can I make sure there will be enough light in my kitchen?
• What changes should I make to improve flow?
• What’s the best flooring material for my kitchen?
• Should I do open shelves or closed cabinetry?
• Where would you store spices, oils, and cutting boards in my kitchen?
• Where should I place the microwave?