Nicole White Designs Inc Thanks for all the great feedback as always! @leeni123 I never said flat weave rugs are new. They have been around for ages. They have simply become increasingly popular and trending in many designs and decor stores. @hollybond, if you have a Homegoods store nearby I've scored many there for that price. Online, try Overstock, Wayfair and PaylessRugs

palatti Is the last photo supposed to be an attractive example of a great look? It's awful! The table is huge, the chairs look like they belong with a card table and the ugly green color on the walls detracts from the beautiful woodwork.

suzatsea Armadillo&Co flat weave rugs are designed in Australia, made from New Zealand wool and handwoven in India-now have stockists in the USA....check www.armadillo-co.com...Even my cat approves!

Nicole White Designs Inc Hi there. It's from z gallerie

rubylanemarketing Love the coral color, color block on the wall! Beautiful room.

Nicole White Designs Inc Thanks so much!

Becky Harris Fab house, the only thing that is missing is a Cheech and Chong poster to honor the property's history! or not ... :)

Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR I think Ivie's experience is common. There are so many decisions to make that people do get overwhelmed. I think one of the most important things I do as a designer is to set out a logical progression of decisions so the client can get out from under the paralysis that takes over when there are too many things to figure out all at once. The kitchen remodel I am currently working on was brought to me by a contractor whose client had not made a single decision in six weeks. Now we have a fantastic plan and she is so excited about her remodel. It's nice for me too, because every time I talk to her she tells me how I am worth every penny and then some. :0) She makes my day!

frenchdecor I could add, tell designer even small details such as: You want coffee maker, kettle, toaster always plugged in and on countertop, and microwave reachable for kids, or receptacles could be overlooked. Think before compromising, don't rush to agree. Talk with some big box store designers and custom designers. You'll better know your options. I started my kitchen design journey with custom designers only to feel "lunatic" because I didn't want open concept, or sacrifice dining room for big kitchen, didn't want dishwasher and island with bar chairs was big NO, hate stainless steel appliances and laughed about antibacterial property because it really doesn't matter on the surface cover. But designers didn't ask those questions before design discussion assuming all clients want exactly, or pretty much that. Open concept was actually gap between countertop and cabinets in my chest level which made me uncomfortable. I don't need very big kitchen because I don't use junk, canned food, juice in boxes... only fresh prepared meals and drinks. Dining room is a must have, as at least twice a month we have friend or family for dinner. Dishwasher for me is a waste of time to rinse, then fold in, then take out dishes, takes twice longer than regular wash, plus kitchen is too small to waste the space. Bar stools are not safe for kids, we had couple of accidents in our bar in the basement. In big store's free design layout I found 2 cabinet measure mistakes. But I learned from them all, did my own design, and had it happily after. Now from houzz I learned even more and dream about something better.

Artisan Kitchens LLC I feel as though I need to defend my profession here; you are painting kitchen designers with a pretty broad brush. I could do the same by saying that remodeling companies typically know nothing about kitchen design (and that statement would be accurate a high percentage of the time). It's one thing to know where to run the pipes, another altogether to take all contributing factors into account to produce a final result that is beautiful AND functional for the client, which is not a general contractor's forte.

If you were given plans by a certified kitchen designer that lacked mechanical detail it is quite likely that it was an early and/or preliminary plan not intended for construction purposes that the client is using to walk around and get prices. Having said that, if you got a plan from a big box store, the lack of detail would not surprise me.

One of the major reasons to use a certified designer is because CKDs are trained and tested on every component of kitchen design, to include knowledge of codes, structural elements, etc. In addition, extensive knowledge of products, appliances and current trends are required in order to maintain certification. ALL of the drawings will be to scale, fully dimensioned, and include pertinent construction notes, as well as electrical and plumbing plans as needed. For installation purposes there will be specific detail sheets provided on all appliances, plumbing fixtures, trim details and moldings so that nothing is overlooked or improperly installed.

You're right; a cabinet layout is not a kitchen plan. But going to a dedicated kitchen specialist is going to give you a far better shot at a desirable end result than going to someone with general knowledge but no specific education in the field.

lolostar Let us not forget that 'camo' was designed by the military, to facilitate the killing other human beings. Is this really what you want to promote in your decor?

Jane How about some mossy oak or real tree prints? Camo is not just for the military. Hunting camo can actually be very pretty and natural.