In 2005, I hired Sterling Wilson Design to review my architects' rendering of my ideas for a remodeling project on my 100-year-old home. Sterling Wilson's designer, Diane Wilson, tweaked the plans to create the best possible kitchen for my needs with the fewest modifications to the existing space. She re-structured the planned mudroom to enable access to the kitchen, and to improve the flow between the kitchen, the mudroom, an adjacent sitting room and the entrance to the basement. The resultant, totally functional spaces have fantastic natural light, excellent task lighting and an ease of flow from room to room that is enhanced by the harmony of color and the essential details of the beautiful trim, flooring and built-ins that, to me, are the hallmark of a high quality, comfortable home.
Although I came to rely on her excellent taste, and her judgment, she was fully supportive of my input. She worked with me on the several iterations that I needed the plans to go through, in order to create a space that met the needs of my family and my own esthetic. She was ready with functional and attractive solutions to the common problems that arise when remodeling an older home. One of many examples is the surprise discovery of the main stack and a major water pipe two feet into a small room intended for listening to and playing music. Wilson designed a paneled divider to hide the main stack and a built-in bookcase to reduce the effect of the break caused by the divider in the room. The resultant attractive corner by the bookcase is now a favorite spot for reading and listening to music.
Wilson is very budget conscious and helped us to make the most of our expenditures and our time. I wanted my changes to this house to work well and look good for another hundred years, which, to me, required really good quality materials, cabinetry, hardware and fixtures and appliances, but I wanted excellent function and form, not ostentation. Diane Wilson listened to my ideas, and guided me to materials, structures and images that helped me to flesh out the elements I wanted for my new spaces. She then put my ideas to paper and created spaces that my family and guests enjoy every day. I am confident about the "bones" of my new spaces and I love the design details.
I have recently hired Sterling Wilson for a new project and I look forward to working with Ms. Wilson again. Her breadth of knowledge is impressive - her tremendous design skills, her understanding of color, texture, trim details, mechanicals and structural concerns - all of these make her my only choice for design decisions.
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