I do not recommend you contact designers directly via Houzz. Most of the people who contact us pros via Houzz are not serious (tire kickers) or are some type of spam, so professionals are growing suspicious of leads that come directly from Houzz. If you are serious, phone or email the pro directly.

Thanks, Shannon! Sorry, not trying to be secretive ... it's the floor and backsplash. Cabinets & counter material are chosen (cabinets are in and counters are being fabricated). But flooring eludes me and I think backsplash would also benefit from someone with knowledge.

I *thought* I had the floor figured out, but ran into an issue where the samples I had were for a glue down version of the floating floor planks. They are made in different countries and the planks have almost NO texture to them. The glue-down product had this nice, natural texture that felt like leathered stone or natural tile. But the installer said my floor would require a TON of work to make a glue down product look right (it's an old house with additions, so the floor is not baby butt smooth - planks hide a multitude of sins).

Photographing it accurately has been a challenge because the light changes so much from daytime to night time, and in different areas of the kitchen (between the island and the L is different than over by the mudroom area, for instance). That's why I'm really hoping to find a local professional to work with.

Here’s a peek behind the curtain of professionalism shown to a client’s face. This is what anyone contacted by a client at this stage will think, but may not say to you.

Design isn’t a room layout. Design isn’t one or two selections. Design isn’t a patch attempt to “fix” things or “pull together” things that can’t be fixed or pulled together as they stand.

Trying to create an overall cohesive vision by lots of little decisions is like trying to cook a great meal out of lots of little bowls of frozen leftovers in your freezer. It never works to create a palatable whole.

You’ve already made decisions, without having a master design plan. Mistakes. And you won’t give them up. Because they are your little personal mistakes that you own. You are emotionally attached to them. And that isn’t how design works.

A designer’s role is on the front end to create the vision. It’s preventive medicine. It’s not reactive miracle worker to pull together a disaster with “just” a paint color or single flooring selection. That can not be done any more than eating one celery stick can fix a lifetime of a poor diet.

At this point in your particular process, there is nothing real for a designer to do. The Design was the master plan. The selections must fit the master plan. Unless you are willing to pay to that master design developed and throw some things off the island, your design is all you, whether it works or not.

Selections are part of the process AFTER the design informs you of the parameters for the selections. You skipped ahead and around in the process. You either have to go back and go through the whole design process from the beginning, or work alone.

No Designer would be interested in a project like this. “Just” a selection or two to “fix” an issue is not posdible and is entirely backwards to how design works. If you get anyone, You’ll get some young inexperienced Snapchat or Instagram self room rearranger “designer” or “decorator”, maybe, because they haven’t been burned by something like this yet. But that’s a waste of money and time for everyone.

I for one respond to any inquiries through Houzz or other. However, sometimes some days I'll get multiple inquiries/emails. Sometimes a notification from Houzz has either gone to spam or just down the list of emails/notification that it doesn't get seen for a few days. I would recommend contacting them via a direct email or phone call in a day or 2.

GreenDesigns really hit the nail on the head. Many designers will be reluctant to take on this project, not because it's small but because it's kind of a patch job to fit in pieces into an already set design.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't keep looking if you really want the help. Try contacting them through their websites in addition to houzz. OR post the plan on here. We may be able to help you without you having to spend money if it really is only flooring and backsplash.

Thanks everyone. I realize it is more fun to design from a blank sheet of paper, I'm an engineer and I design solutions all the time where I wish I had more latitude in terms of power, size, weight, etc. But some of my best & most innovative work has been when I'm hemmed in on many sides. When I can make something work really well and use some clever tricks in the process - I'm stoked. I always feel like that was more of a win than when I do start from a blank sheet. But maybe that's why I gravitate towards older homes as opposed to new builds, I just like working that way. I may have to look for a designer who can see opportunity in a challenge, I guess.

Engineer? That is the kiss of death for anyone in design or the trades. Just ask them anonymously about the worst clients they ever had that go on the ”never again” list. Engineer and lawyer are usually top of the list. If all the rest wasn’t enough of a red flag for someone, that’s the final one. Design isn’t a commodity measured with micrometers. Design is the PROCESS that you go through. It isn’t the RESULTS.

The PROCESS is what culls away the unsuitable components, as you work towards a defined goal. You need to get to Chicago from Atlanta, but the byways and route choices are up to you. Once you pick one route though, you can’t backtrack without a lot of time and money lost.

You’re basically proposing a design version of Chopped, where 5 different disparite and unsuitable ingredients have to form something edible, and possibly even something great. The difference there is that the result isn’t a constrained target. It’s open ended.

Some designers will offer a service where they give you an initial consult for fixed time and a flat fee. That is how my relationship with who I would consider "my" designer (and eventually friend) as well as our landscape architect started. That might work.

Alternatively, just saying, if all you are left with is a floor and backsplash, plenty of people post such questions here and end up with end results they are happy with. You'll have to some basic sort of design sense to be able to sort through the good advice from the bad and ignore the inevitable person who catalogs all the mistakes you made up to this point that short of engineering a time machine up there is nothing you can do about.

I found my designer by asking friends and acquaintances for referrals, and I went with one recommended by a friend who is in the business. I looked at their website first, and the websites of the designers on Houzz, to make sure that I liked at least some of their designs. Those dominated by busy, "fancy" kitchens were struck from the list, as were those who made questionable color decisions (to my eye). When I reached out to the recommended company, I was up front about what I needed and where I was in the process, and a junior designer was dispatched at an hourly rate. I had already put a lot of thought into layout, and I had floor plans from people on this forum (benjesbride was most helpful in this regard, and I miss her), but I was open to changing them. The designer ended up liking the basic layout and kept the appliances and sink where they were on bb's plan, but she tweaked it a lot in order to make the most of my small space, and she also convinced me not to use Ikea (only because of the rigid sizes). In the end, I used her for a lot more than I had initially anticipated. I don't think I could have figured out the cabinet order on my own, and she basically directed the whole project once it began (she had already worked with our GC). We spent more than we initially planned on her services, but it was so worth it. And she had the fun of working on a project with a back-painted glass backsplash, which she had not done before.

I don't know if any of that is helpful, but maybe? I can definitely see why it would be best to bring in a designer at the very beginning. GD and Sina are certainly right about that. That makes the most sense, but in my case I (wrongly) thought I could do it all with a little (lot) help from my friends at GW. And for me, it worked out fine bringing her in partway through the process because I was still open to change. I really thought bb's layout was the best one, and I was tired of going over and over that stuff for months, but if the designer said she wanted to start from scratch, I would have said ok. There were times during the process when she politely countered my ideas. She would then say that I *could* do such and such if I was really attached to it, and then I would say that if she didn't like it I wouldn't do it, because that is what I hired her for. I think that is key. Had I not been willing to budge on anything, I wouldn't have the kitchen I have and love now.

We don't go into a kitchen and re-work it, changing the layout and adding a few cabinets. The job is too small, requires more material and labor than a client expects and always requires a too much time in the design process and the installation. That's probably why you're not getting answers. YOU may be different than that, you may be more than willing to pay what it costs and take the designer's advice. Unfortunately, we have all been snakebit too many times.

And yes, engineers and architects are the worst to work for since they know everything already.

LOL at all the digs at engineers here. I did not realize that we were so universally hated. I hardly think I know everything (or even very much) about kitchen design - which is why I hired a KD to begin with. Sadly, she was wrong about how much cabinets would cost through her suppliers. And that's why I'm in this spot - but oddly, I don't hold a grudge against designers (the way you guys seem to hate on engineers).

Engineer & Pariah for Life ...

Carolina, I have a local IDS friend who specializes in “design rescues”. The client must agree to put everything on the table as possible rejects. The fee is triple her hourly design fee, and still isn’t enough for the headaches she gets herself into.

People will say they are willing to change things, but when it comes down to it, they aren’t. That 12’ breakfront from Aunt Mildred in a 10’x 12’ dining room will stay there, and won’t go into storage. That beautiful and completely impractical for the client marble countertop will get put in, and complained about every single day anyway.

Once bad decisions are made, they arent going to get unmade. There’s no point in trying at that point.

Pam A, are you willing to share your general location? I am in the LA area and have a great designer. A lovely down to earth person who will design and manage a complete project or consult with clients for small jobs.

I do most of my own interior design, but I like to have someone to consult with, and this designer is wiling to do that, most aren't.

At this point you may be best served to go to your local higher end flooring stores that have an in house designer that can make the best recommendation based on all your other decisions. Once you settle on flooring the backsplash decision will be easier.

Pam, you might want to post your design situations in the appropriate forums (kitchen and bath) and see what the Houzz/GardenWeb members can come up with, for backsplash and flooring suggestions. For years, the GW Kitchen forum especially was known for helping members and coming up with some great solutions and designs.

You're in a free design forum. May as well make good use of it : ) .

Not a designer, but my advice would be to talk to your contractor and find out what types of flooring would work for your home (tile, floating, glue down, etc) and what won't. Armed with that information, take your floorplan/layout and pictures of your space as it is (and pics of your countertop slabs) to *several* local flooring stores. They can advise you what products may fit your installation criteria, and help you narrow down options based on aesthetics. Once you have your final few options selected, get samples of them and take pictures in your space at different times of day. If you still can't decide after that, post here and you will get lots of opinions (maybe more than you want) on what looks good and what may look better.

Once everything else is installed you can look at backsplash options. I would follow the guidance above for tile selections.