On Saturday November 17, 2012, I met with Debra Howard at Gestalt Design Studio to gain a professional perspective on my current one bedroom apartment design. She opened her business in Spokane and currently works of both residential and commercial designs. With a focus in historical preservation/adaptive reuse, sustainable design, this would be the perfect company to get feedback from.
Being a smaller business, Debra was familiar with working with building renovations, and materials used in the home. Going into the meeting, I was unsure about my materials that I selected for my design so I wanted to get her input on that. My main color palette is very neutral with complementary accents of green and red, so I was concerned that it would be too bland. Debra said that a neutral palette works well in residential design, especially apartments.
In the kitchen, I originally chose a brown, gray, and black flecked granite counter top, but with my glass green subway tile, Debra suggested that the granite choice may be too busy and instead brought me a couple black granite samples. I decided to go with a granite called "Absolute Black." This material will break up the light colors in the cabinetry, without being too busy.
Another suggestion in regards to my materials was in remove the copper border out of the shower and just use it as the sink's back splash in the bathroom. Debra informed me that over time, the water exposure to the copper would eventually ruin the coloring, and turn the copper a greenish color. Instead, there is a small brown glass detail within the border, so she suggested that I used just that portion as a border or possibly a whole wall.
After my visit, I was very glad I able to get an opinion from a professional design who does this everyday. It was nice getting an outside perspective and practicing explaining my concept to someone who was new to the project. Also, I was able to communicate and explain my concept and ideas through my drawings.
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