Working With Pros
7 Remodeling ‘Uh-Oh’ Moments and How Pros Fixed Them
Designers share how they overcame a challenging moment and stuck to their vision to deliver quality work for a homeowner
A benefit of working with a designer is having someone who will ensure every detail in a space is exactly as requested. In other words, when things go wrong, it’s good to have an advocate on your side determined to make things right no matter what. Here, seven designers share an “uh-oh” moment they encountered and how they went above and beyond to solve it and make the homeowner happy.
2. Drop the Pitch
Designer: Deirdre Doherty Interiors
Location: Cheviot Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles
Project. A full remodel of the client’s childhood home, including the addition of a primary suite. “The curbless shower gives the bathroom a spa feeling as well as opens up the space,” designer Deirdre Doherty says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “We wanted to utilize the same patterned material on the floor onto the back wall to elongate the space, so the curbless shower was the best option to make this happen,” Doherty says. “The pattern we chose for the floor tile was not a good match for the pitch needed for the fully curbless shower.”
Solution. “To make it all work, we teamed up with the contractor and tile installer in the framing phase to drop the floor in the shower to allow for a proper pitch that did not need so much cutting of tile,” Doherty says. “This preserved the overall design and tile pattern and ensured the shower drainage would not be an issue.”
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Designer: Deirdre Doherty Interiors
Location: Cheviot Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles
Project. A full remodel of the client’s childhood home, including the addition of a primary suite. “The curbless shower gives the bathroom a spa feeling as well as opens up the space,” designer Deirdre Doherty says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “We wanted to utilize the same patterned material on the floor onto the back wall to elongate the space, so the curbless shower was the best option to make this happen,” Doherty says. “The pattern we chose for the floor tile was not a good match for the pitch needed for the fully curbless shower.”
Solution. “To make it all work, we teamed up with the contractor and tile installer in the framing phase to drop the floor in the shower to allow for a proper pitch that did not need so much cutting of tile,” Doherty says. “This preserved the overall design and tile pattern and ensured the shower drainage would not be an issue.”
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3. Countertop Correction
Designer: Ellen McKenna Design
Location: St. George, Utah
Project. “The homeowner wanted a colorful, eclectic space that would be durable and comfortable for a family with four young boys,” designer Ellen McKenna says. “She is a very creative individual and sent me lots of ideas. Together we edited down to the things she loved most.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The island countertop was a bit of a nightmare,” McKenna says. “The fabricator told us they could easily match the pattern we chose, as the island was too big for one slab of porcelain. When it was installed, that was not the case. It was three mismatched pieces.”
Solution. “We had to select another pattern that was available in book-matched slabs and they replaced them,” McKenna says. “It was a happy accident, as the replacement pattern was much more striking than the first.”
McKenna uses Houzz Pro business software. “I always use Houzz Mood Boards on my projects,” she says. “It’s a great tool to illustrate how different finishes and pieces will look together.”
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Designer: Ellen McKenna Design
Location: St. George, Utah
Project. “The homeowner wanted a colorful, eclectic space that would be durable and comfortable for a family with four young boys,” designer Ellen McKenna says. “She is a very creative individual and sent me lots of ideas. Together we edited down to the things she loved most.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The island countertop was a bit of a nightmare,” McKenna says. “The fabricator told us they could easily match the pattern we chose, as the island was too big for one slab of porcelain. When it was installed, that was not the case. It was three mismatched pieces.”
Solution. “We had to select another pattern that was available in book-matched slabs and they replaced them,” McKenna says. “It was a happy accident, as the replacement pattern was much more striking than the first.”
McKenna uses Houzz Pro business software. “I always use Houzz Mood Boards on my projects,” she says. “It’s a great tool to illustrate how different finishes and pieces will look together.”
Trending Now: The Top 10 New Kitchens
4. Floor Fix
Designer: Heather Safferstone of Safferstone Interiors
Location: New Hope, Pennsylvania
Project. Create a more spacious and organized entrance for a family of five that would allow the homeowners to perform their household chores more easily but also store kids’ items, cleaning and pet supplies.
“Uh-oh” moment. “During the design process, we considered several tile options for the floor, and ultimately the client and I selected a white brick to be laid in a herringbone pattern with gray grout,” Safferstone says. “The contractor installed it and it looked beautiful. However, the homeowner found that she could see footprints and worried it would bother her over time.”
Solution. “Since cabinetry hadn’t been installed yet, she had him pull it up and replaced it with a more utilitarian large-format porcelain tile that already looked a bit worn,” Safferstone says. “We repurposed the leftover white brick as the backsplash tile above the counters.”
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Designer: Heather Safferstone of Safferstone Interiors
Location: New Hope, Pennsylvania
Project. Create a more spacious and organized entrance for a family of five that would allow the homeowners to perform their household chores more easily but also store kids’ items, cleaning and pet supplies.
“Uh-oh” moment. “During the design process, we considered several tile options for the floor, and ultimately the client and I selected a white brick to be laid in a herringbone pattern with gray grout,” Safferstone says. “The contractor installed it and it looked beautiful. However, the homeowner found that she could see footprints and worried it would bother her over time.”
Solution. “Since cabinetry hadn’t been installed yet, she had him pull it up and replaced it with a more utilitarian large-format porcelain tile that already looked a bit worn,” Safferstone says. “We repurposed the leftover white brick as the backsplash tile above the counters.”
How to Design a Laundry Area That’s Easy to Keep Organized
5. Slab Rehab
Designer: Amy Elbaum of AE Design
Location: Park City, Utah
Project. “This was part of a new-construction home,” designer Amy Elbaum says. “The client wanted very clean lines and all closed storage. They also gravitated toward an organic modern aesthetic, so we did all wood cabinets and plaster on the hood.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We complemented the wood with dark gray concrete-feel quartz countertops and a porcelain slab marble-look backsplash,” Elbaum says. “During a site visit, we noticed that the slabs on the backsplash around the window were not installed in the direction that we had indicated on our drawings.”
Solution. “We met with the contractor and the stone subcontractor and they had to purchase new slabs and reinstall them,” Elbaum says. “It’s important to always make sure things are installed correctly before signing off on anything.”
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Designer: Amy Elbaum of AE Design
Location: Park City, Utah
Project. “This was part of a new-construction home,” designer Amy Elbaum says. “The client wanted very clean lines and all closed storage. They also gravitated toward an organic modern aesthetic, so we did all wood cabinets and plaster on the hood.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We complemented the wood with dark gray concrete-feel quartz countertops and a porcelain slab marble-look backsplash,” Elbaum says. “During a site visit, we noticed that the slabs on the backsplash around the window were not installed in the direction that we had indicated on our drawings.”
Solution. “We met with the contractor and the stone subcontractor and they had to purchase new slabs and reinstall them,” Elbaum says. “It’s important to always make sure things are installed correctly before signing off on anything.”
Pros Share 6 Must-Have Kitchen Design Features
6. Bed Boost
Designer: Talli Roberts-Early of Allard + Roberts Interior Design
Location: Lake Lure, North Carolina
Project. Update a guest suite with an improved entry and new flooring, paint, lighting, window treatments and new furniture and decor.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The original headboard was a fabric panel, but we didn’t realize the fabric had no hard backing to it,” Roberts-Early says. “The homeowners couldn’t recline to watch TV from bed without that necessary support.”
Solution. “We reselected a bed and swapped out the old one,” Roberts-Early says. “This is an example of how designers should stand behind their work when something doesn’t go as planned.”
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Designer: Talli Roberts-Early of Allard + Roberts Interior Design
Location: Lake Lure, North Carolina
Project. Update a guest suite with an improved entry and new flooring, paint, lighting, window treatments and new furniture and decor.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The original headboard was a fabric panel, but we didn’t realize the fabric had no hard backing to it,” Roberts-Early says. “The homeowners couldn’t recline to watch TV from bed without that necessary support.”
Solution. “We reselected a bed and swapped out the old one,” Roberts-Early says. “This is an example of how designers should stand behind their work when something doesn’t go as planned.”
10 Bedroom Design Features Pros Always Recommend
7. Cabinet Adjustment
Designers: Kristin Whalen and Jason Fisher of Cape Home Kitchen & Bath
Location: Pocasset, Massachusetts
Project. Create a drink station off a kitchen for a homeowner who is a manager for a local distiller that specializes in canned cocktails.
“Uh-oh” moment. “When we first unboxed the cabinetry, we noticed that the natural cane material had been painted the same Pine Grove green (from Grabill Cabinets), eliminating the contrast in texture we worked hard to achieve,” designer Kristin Whalen says.
Solution. “We were able to have the doors remade with the correct material and keep the project moving along,” Whalen says.
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Designers: Kristin Whalen and Jason Fisher of Cape Home Kitchen & Bath
Location: Pocasset, Massachusetts
Project. Create a drink station off a kitchen for a homeowner who is a manager for a local distiller that specializes in canned cocktails.
“Uh-oh” moment. “When we first unboxed the cabinetry, we noticed that the natural cane material had been painted the same Pine Grove green (from Grabill Cabinets), eliminating the contrast in texture we worked hard to achieve,” designer Kristin Whalen says.
Solution. “We were able to have the doors remade with the correct material and keep the project moving along,” Whalen says.
More on Houzz
Read more about working with home professionals
Browse photos for inspiration
Find home design and remodeling pros
Shop for home products
Designer: Kirby Foster Hurd of Kirby Home Designs
Location: Edmond, Oklahoma
Project. A new-construction spec home. “We collaborated with the builder, MassaRossa Luxury Homes, who allowed me full design creativity to create a space that would appeal to the masses,” designer Kirby Foster Hurd says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The entirety of the kitchen cabinets are stain-grade maple wood,” Hurd says. “We created a custom stain by combining various stain colors together to get a light stain color. And we finished the cabinets with a matte finish.
“When I walked in to check in on the staining process, the cabinets were extremely dark. I had a panic moment for sure. We go through a very detailed process of stain samples on the same species of wood we are using in each particular project, so I was absolutely shocked when I saw the kitchen cabinets and how they were not representative of the prior stain sample I reviewed and approved. Unfortunately, the custom stain color had been matched incorrectly at the paint store.”
Solution. “Luckily, we work with very talented painters,” Hurd says. “They sanded the original cabinet color off and we started the whole process over again. Second time was a charm.”
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