In this episode of Home: The Second Story, we talk with Kelly Settle about her home renovation journey in Springboro, Ohio. Kelly initially planned a modest kitchen update, simply new cabinets and an island. But as we dug into the space with her, the scope evolved into a transformation that redefined how her family uses their home. Working with Sheri, Kelly was able to go beyond surface updates and create a space that works with the way she lives.
This was a renovation in a standard development home. Kelly and her husband had been there for over two decades and were at a crossroads: sell or stay. With a tough market in 2021, they chose to invest in their existing home. What began as a simple kitchen update turned into a full reimagining of the first floor, including integrating unused rooms into the kitchen layout. The original dining room was repurposed, the pantry enlarged, and they added a substantial island for entertaining and everyday use.
Kelly’s journey highlighted the importance of collaboration. Sheri brought creative ideas that initially surprised Kelly—like moving the refrigerator to the old dining room space—but ultimately improved function dramatically. They incorporated a sentimental butcher block table into a coffee bar, anchoring the design around a meaningful piece.
We also discussed how her budget grew from the initial estimate but stayed disciplined once the full scope was set. One challenge was the delay in flooring due to supply chain issues, which left them living on plywood for weeks. That experience underscored the importance of anticipating the unexpected in renovations.
Kelly offered advice she wished she'd had—like taking architectural plans to the appliance store to explore better equipment options. A bigger stove would’ve been a smarter choice with the space they had. She also emphasized how the design now supports how they want to live: cooking more, entertaining more, and staying in the home longer than they originally planned.
By rethinking their space rather than expanding it, Kelly’s family has gained functionality and beauty. The renovation turned what could have been a simple update into a lifestyle upgrade. Her story is a clear example of how even “just a kitchen” renovation can have deep, lasting impact when guided by thoughtful design.
Voiceover (00:02):
Everyone says how horrible it'll be to renovate or build your house. We're here to say, it doesn't have to be that way.
Join three seasoned architects as they interview homeowners who recently completed a large project, and ask them one simple question: what do you know now that you wish you knew before you started?
Welcome to Home: The Second Story Podcast.
Marilyn Moedinger (00:26):
Hi, and welcome to Home: The Second Story. We're three residential architects sharing real conversations with homeowners who've taken on custom home or renovation projects. If you haven't already, check out our first episode to hear more about us and why we're doing this.
I'm Marilyn Moedinger from Runcible Studios in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Boston, Massachusetts. Joined by my co-hosts-
Taylor Davis (00:51):
I am Taylor Davis at TPD Architect here in Birmingham, Alabama.
Sheri Scott (00:56):
And I am Sheri Scott of Springhouse Architects in Cincinnati, Ohio. Today, we're joined by Kelly Settle in Springboro, Ohio. Hi, Kelly.
Kelly Settle (01:06):
Hello, thanks for having me.
Taylor Davis (01:08):
We'd like to start our podcast just to get everybody kind of oriented to your project and sort of get nuts and bolts details. So, we got five kind of quick questions that we want to get at.
So, where was your project located?
Kelly Settle (01:21):
Springboro, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati, south of Columbus.
Taylor Davis (01:26):
Was project a new build, an addition, or a renovation?
Kelly Settle (01:30):
It was a renovation.
Taylor Davis (01:31):
Okay. When did you start and when did you move in?
Kelly Settle (01:36):
We started in the spring of 2021, and we finished in the fall. So, I think it was August or September when we finished.
Taylor Davis (01:45):
So, you said renovation, kind of what was the scope of the renovation, and was there a sort of style associated with it?
Kelly Settle (01:52):
We live in a kind of a cookie cutter house and a big development in the area. And it was one of those, kind of, already pre-designed homes that were just kind of put up. We were not the original builder, but we were the second people in the home.
And throughout the years, we had done some minor cosmetic work, painting cabinets and things like that. But we had gotten to the point, we've lived there for 23, 24 years and we're ready to either sell or stay where we were currently. And the market in ‘21 wasn't the greatest for trying to buy something new.
So, we decided to stay and renovate and do a kitchen redesign. Was the original intent.
Taylor Davis (02:33):
Was there a particular style associated with it?
Kelly Settle (02:36):
Very traditional.
Taylor Davis (02:38):
Yeah. We know you worked with an architect or else you wouldn't be here. You worked with Sheri in particular.
But there are lots of different ways that folks work with architects. Sometimes, they just buy plans, sometimes there's just a sort of overall schematic design. Sometimes they work with full services, and a lot of times they work all the way through construction. How did you work with your architect on your project?
Kelly Settle (03:02):
We worked all the way through with the architect. We invited Sheri out to come and discuss and just look at our home as it currently existed. And talked about our needs and our wants, and kind of really gave her carte blanche.
Our first intention was to just get some new cabinets and create an island and countertop space. So, we really didn't have a big renovation in mind when we first went into it, but it turned into something bigger than what we thought.
Sheri Scott (03:31):
Yeah.
Taylor Davis (03:33):
Well, I'm going to say that's a good thing.
[Laughter]
Taylor Davis (03:38):
Alright. I'll let y'all get started about talking about what happened next.
Sheri Scott (03:42):
Kelly, in the design process, you talked a little bit about kind of what your life looked like before and what the catalyst was to start the project. And you knew me (laughs), so that was easy to pick somebody that you knew.
So, then how did you feel when you were starting out? Like were you unsure about doing a big project like this?
Kelly Settle (04:11):
Yeah, I think we were unsure because we've never gone through anything like this before. Like I said, we didn't build this home, so we've never really had a big renovation project or built anything ourselves.
So, it was exciting because we kind of got to dream up a little bit and dream about what we wanted. It's scary as well because the budget can be scary and just a lot of unknowns. Yeah, that's how we felt about it, but really excited probably more than anything.
Sheri Scott (04:42):
And unknown if you can meet your budget and stick to it, right?
Kelly Settle (04:47):
Yeah, for sure. And the budget grew, but it still was within what our intention was. It wasn't what we've thought in the very beginning stages, but once we had you come in and really redesign that space, we realized we needed to increase it, and then we stuck to it.
Sheri Scott (05:03):
Yeah, you did. How long did the design process take from start to finish? Do you remember?
Kelly Settle (05:10):
I don't recall specifically, but I can't imagine it was more than three to four weeks at the most. From probably the time you came to when we were really like yeah, this is exactly what we wanted.
Sheri Scott (05:22):
So, how did that go? What were the steps?
Kelly Settle (05:25):
I think you came with your interior designer as well, if I remember right, I think Serena came. And we did a walkthrough and we talked about what … and one thing that was really important to me was to have an island, we didn't have one. And we had a big enough kitchen to have some sort of island.
So, that was super important, along with new cabinetry. I also had a really small pantry, so I wanted to get something a little bit bigger that would just work for the space a little bit more. So, when you guys came out, you took those things into consideration.
There's a pass through that goes into, it was called the “morning room” at the time when the builder built it, and it's an extension kind of into the kitchen with this pass through. And you guys were just so creative about like rigging down a little bit of that wall and opening all that up.
And Sheri, I remember you saying to me, “Okay, I've got an idea, it's a little bit out there, and I don't want you to freak out. I don't want Steve to like dismiss it right away.”
Sheri Scott (06:26):
(Laughs) Right.
Marilyn Moedinger (06:28):
Just what you want to hear, “Don't freak out.”
[Laughter]
Taylor Davis (06:29):
“Don't freak out. You may not like this, but I've got this hair-brained scheme.”
Kelly Settle (06:35):
I think at first, we were going to move the pantry and take a little bit of the dining room space, which was in the front of the house, and that was our intention. So, that was what we had talked about. But I think when you were drawing the plans, you came up with something creative. I'll let you elaborate on that, that's your genius.
Sheri Scott (06:53):
(Laughs) So, we ended up taking the entire dining room, changing what was the sunroom into her dining room, which turned out to be the perfect size. And it was still connected to the kitchen. It just was on the other side than the original dining room.
And Kelly, I remember one of the most … I always ask people like if they have any sentimental piece or something they love about their house already. And Kelly had this butcher boack table. Was that from family?
Kelly Settle (07:25):
Yeah, I grew up with that in my kitchen. My dad procured it when I was young, and I grew up making Christmas cookies on that butcher block, and it served as our island for years when I raised my kids. So, that was our island at the time.
Sheri Scott (07:40):
So, I happened to know that Kelly drinks wine and coffee, and we ended up (laughs) using that butcher block table as like an inset piece on the wall that got framed around with cabinets. And it ended up really very useful. Not just that it looked pretty, but it ended up very useful for a coffee bar.
Kelly Settle (08:06):
It was really important to me not to give up that piece and to figure out how we can incorporate it, because I didn't know where else I would use it in the home.
She also ended up taking and moving our refrigerator into that dining room space. So, that's what she was like, “Don't freak out, but I think I'm going to move your refrigerator into the dining room.” And it was like you can wrap your brain around, it'd be kind of around a corner.
But once we saw the plans and we talked about it and like walked around the space with it, it really made sense. And it's so usable now. Like I love it. I couldn't love it more.
Marilyn Moedinger (08:43):
This is what fires me up, man. This is what fires me up, is when you're coming to the table with these things that matter a lot to you, this table or the use of the space or whatever, and then mixing that in with the architects seeing new things and pulling it all together and making it happen in a way that neither one of you would've done on your own.
Sheri's not going to do that just on her own out of the blue, you're not going to do that on your own either. The magic is the two of you working together. That's so great, I love it.
Taylor Davis (09:12):
I talked to someone this morning about a potential project, and we talked about anchors. And what you just talked about were anchors. Like that butcher block table is kind of the anchor for that space and where the refrigerator go is kind of the anchors and how much fun it is to sort of … there's a creative aspect when a team gets together and starts to design around those anchors.
It's not just a free for all. It's really a problem-solving, and how do you inject something kind of fun into that design process when you're talking about things that are really important, it sort of energizes the process a little bit too, I think.
Marilyn Moedinger (09:47):
Agreed.
Sheri Scott (09:50):
So, Kelly, our signature question, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?
Kelly Settle (09:58):
About the process, I don't know if you want me to talk about pain points, but it was when you couldn't get the materials. So, there was supply chain issues, and we had a huge wait for our flooring, and that was a big pain point for me.
So, just not really realizing how much is out of your control on those kind of things. It wasn't the work that wasn't what being done, or it wasn't somebody's really fault, but it was frustrating because we lived on plywood for so long, we couldn't put the dishwasher in. We couldn't put a lot of things in place because the flooring wasn't done.
I don't know that you can prepare for that, but to know its possibility might help. Just to know that those things, there's outliers out there that really can affect your job timeline, that you may not be prepared for more than just a week or two. We're talking six weeks or whatever that was.
I do wish that we would've gotten a bigger stove. We got a standard-sized gas range. We have plenty of room for a large one, and I wish I would've got that (laughs).
Marilyn Moedinger (11:07):
That's great feedback, because I think sometimes people aren't … they're like, “Oh, well, let's go with the small one.” Actually, I want to hear from you. Why did you go for the small one at that point or you just didn't?
Kelly Settle (11:19):
It wasn't even in my mind that I could have a big one. It never occurred to me. No one at the appliance place we went to talked about that. I don't even know that they asked us to see the plans. That would've been nice to maybe … maybe we should have come in with our plans and showed them to them, and said, “Hey, this is our space, help us,” and maybe that would've been a good idea to do.
We did do that with the countertop people, but we did not do that with the appliance people. And in retrospect, I wish I would've been counseled. Whether or not I would've made that decision at the time, our budget was really tight.
So (chuckles), yeah, I wish I would've known that, or I wish I would've gotten that big stove, because now looking at it, it's perfectly fine, but we could have fitted in there. No problem.
Marilyn Moedinger (12:10):
Well, it's a good example of how the appliance store person knows a lot about appliances, but may not be thinking about your design holistically. So, that's a really good thing for our listeners to hear.
Kelly Settle (12:23):
Yeah, I would take those designs with you. So, they're aware of how much or how little space, because maybe you want to buy the big one and you don't have room for it either. You wouldn't want to be stuck.
Marilyn Moedinger (12:33):
Yes, exactly. In reverse, yeah, exactly.
Taylor Davis (12:37):
So, I think it's really interesting because it sounds like your ideas about what the renovation was going to look like before you met with Sheri and what came out of that process were two very different things.
How in retrospect do you do you see yourself like living in this space now? Is there a big impact you think from the sort of change in layout? Are you finding more functionality, less functionality? Are there surprises? Are there things you didn't anticipate? Because there was a big shift from like what you thought you were going to get and then what Sheri provided.
Kelly Settle (13:14):
It's way more functional. I spend a lot more time cooking than I did before, probably. I enjoy it more.
Taylor Davis (13:20):
And that's a good thing. I was going to say, is that a good thing (laughs)?
Kelly Settle (13:24):
It's a good thing; I like to cook.
Taylor Davis (13:25):
There it is (laughs).
Kelly Settle (13:27):
We also entertain a lot. We have a big friend group, and we love to have people over. The island that we have is enormous. We can seat 2, 4, 6 — we probably could seat seven people just at our island just on the end of it, not even the workspace part.
So, that also makes it great because we can entertain and just have family and friends over, even though the footprint of our house didn't change. The use of the space changed so much, opened it. And opening up in the dining room pulling … instead of having that little pass-through window, we now have a really gigantic, it opens the whole … there's a still a post on one side, but it's a minimal post.
We used to have a cabinet and the window opening, and now, it's completely flush with the countertop all the way into that dining room. So, when we have people even in the dining room, we can really convert, and it's just really simple and feels really all just one space. It's great.
Yeah, I love it. I love it, I'm proud of it. I love it when people come over. It's unexpected, especially where we live. People walk in and they're like, “Whoa, this is amazing.” I'm like, “I know I had a great architect.”
[Laughter]
But I think that's the difference in having an architect help you with a home reno than doing it yourself. You're very limited in what you know and what you think that conceptually that can be done. I had no concept that we could pull in that whole dining room and open up into that other space and make that so much more functional.
Marilyn Moedinger (15:04):
Well, I have a question about that because obviously, the three of us hosts here are architects, we're partial. We understand that architects can bring all this value, but you've mentioned a couple times that you were keeping a close eye on your budget. And I think that's the case for many of our clients. All three of us, we're not working with folks who have unlimited piles of cash everywhere.
So, a question that often comes up is: an architect costs more money than just working with a designer or buying plans often or whatever. How did you decide that working with an architect was going to be worth it? Because it's a chunk of your budget that you had to set aside that you couldn't spend on other things like finishes or things like that.
Kelly Settle (15:49):
I think one thing is, I mean, I'm biased because I've known Sheri a long time, we're friends. I'm in the creative space as well, so I value that. So, I'm one of those people that understands that.
And I would say also that Sheri helped us create our budget. She didn't just come in and say, “Hey, I think you should do this.” It was, “If you do this, this is how much it needs to go towards the reno itself, the cabinetry, the finishes, all the things.”
So, she helped us build the budget. So, it also was like a planning service on top of … I don't know if that's typical (laughs), but maybe you did that because you're my friend.
Sheri Scott (16:32):
No, it’s typical, sorry (chuckles).
Marilyn Moedinger (16:33):
That’s what we do. That’s what we do.
Kelly Settle (16:36):
That's great because again, how would I know how much it's going to cost to do all those things? To me, it wasn't really a big leap for us to involve an architect in our project.
Sheri Scott (16:49):
Even a small project, which we… at my office, we don't very often get to do, you would say just a kitchen renovation. Which I don't consider this just a kitchen renovation. This transformed how they live in their house and how they live their lives.
I know you guys do entertain much more than you did before. And changing really the, how you live in that whole first floor where you had a dining room that you never used, how many times have we all heard that from our clients? And a sunroom that was beautiful, but you didn't use enough, and it was kind of disconnected from the kitchen.
And another thing that was important for your project, Kelly, it would've been easy to just replace the cabinets you had and squeeze in an island that had three stools at it, which is what most of the houses around there have. Once we got over the idea that, okay, I have space for my kitchen table, I have a space for the sunroom, I have a space for the dining room — once we jumbled all of that up and actually took over the kitchen table, and that's where the end of the island is, where all the seating is, they had to give up their kitchen table too, which you were kind of attached to it (laughs).
I remember that was a hard sell for a minute. But then once we connected that sunroom as the dining room, it all started to make sense.
Kelly Settle (18:26):
It did. And I always wanted to make sure that I had enough space, like you said, because I entertain, and we have family, and that everybody had a place to sit. And now, I mean, I can sit … I don't have to pull out a card table and chairs anymore, it can fit everybody.
Marilyn Moedinger (18:42):
Well, I also love how you said that you cook more now. And I think because the space allows you to do that and facilitates that for you. And I think sometimes when we're talking to clients, especially about a renovation, they can't picture another way of being in their house besides the one that they are now.
And so, many times it sounds like you guys did get over that hump and say, “Alright, I want to design the space for how I want to live, how I'm striving to live.” Which is cooking more, entertaining more, not having rooms I barely use. And then you don't need an addition. You don't need more space; you just need better space.
So, designing a space to support the life that you want, not just whatever you … like Sheri you're saying like just come in and replace the cabinets. We can do a lot more than that.
Kelly Settle (19:31):
If we did that, we would probably be looking at moving sooner. We are considering staying a lot longer than we thought because this house is what I have always wanted to live in.
Marilyn Moedinger (19:44):
I'm not sure we could end on any better note than that.
[Laughter]
Taylor Davis (19:46):
I don't think there's anything we can say, like that's the topper right there, bingo.
Sheri Scott (19:53):
That was great.
Taylor Davis (19:55):
Well, you've sort of said it. So, I don't think we should even … I mean, I don't know that there's much else to ask other than what is something you absolutely love. And it could be a detail about the new kitchen that every time you use it, you're like, “Wow, I'm so glad we did this.”
Kelly Settle (20:15):
Probably two things. My very favorite thing is that when I'm like at the sink or filling water, washing dishes, looking out through that morning room because there's a big view into my backyard and it's all green and pretty. Or I can see the snow falling or whatever it is. It's just so open because t's a wall of windows beyond that.
So, it almost brings me outside being even just at my sink or that area. And then the island itself, just being so vast, being able just spread out, make all the Christmas cookies and make our own homemade pasta, which I've never done before because who has space to do that? I do.
Wrapping Christmas presents, those kinds of things. Those are my favorite.
Taylor Davis (21:03):
Sheri, I hope you are writing all these things down … she could put them on your website.
Sheri Scott (21:07):
I should put them on my website.
[Laughter]
Taylor Davis (21:09):
You've got like the Kelly testimonial page.
Marilyn Moedinger (21:14):
Also, I'm going over to Kelly's house for dinner, I don't know about you guys.
Taylor Davis (21:16):
Yeah (laughs).
Sheri Scott (21:19):
Kelly, tell them about the tile. Tell them about the tile you picked, it’s so pretty.
Kelly Settle (21:23):
Yeah. I think it was actually from one of your projects, Sheri, that I had … I'm a photographer and I've shot some of Sheri's projects in the past. And there's a company called Fireclay Tile and it's all handmade to order tiles. And we picked this really unique pattern and even laid it in a unique way. And picked like a really kind of off color and off like sea foamy green color with this beautiful grout. And it takes up that whole back wall.
So, it's a real focal point. I would say that's the biggest focal point that we have in the kitchen is that tile, because it's super unique and with it being a pop of color. Because everything else is kind of, more white. We did do honed granite, leather granite, black countertops, but the island then is a quartzite or quartz white-ish pattern.
So, it just brought a nice, like green soft color, but it's a great focal point in there. I do love that tile.
Marilyn Moedinger (22:27):
Well, it's fun that you did a color too, not just you know.
Kelly Settle (22:30):
Yeah, I definitely did not want subway tile or not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just not me. I wanted something that looks as custom as this kitchen is. And so, yeah, we splurged on that tile (laughs).
Sheri Scott (22:46):
Yeah, I remember.
Marilyn Moedinger (22:47):
Well, and a kitchen backsplash is not that much area either. So, this is what I'm telling my clients, if you're going to do a tile splurge, do it there. I mean, I haven't seen your kitchen obviously, but it's not as much area, say a primary bathroom shower surround, which is 150 square feet potentially (laughs).
So, that's also a really important thing as well for people to hear from you that having that focal point, people get scared to use color (laughs).
Kelly Settle (23:18):
No, I love it. And it's just one color, it's a softer green, but it still is a pop for you. It's not overwhelming the space, I don't think.
Sheri Scott (23:31):
Yeah. That was a great choice.
Well, Kelly, thank you so much for sharing all of your details and insights. I think it could be really valuable to someone else listening, especially for choosing to use an architect for what you think may be a small project. Sometimes we can bring a little more insight to the project that you might not expect.
So, thank you for sharing all of that.
Kelly Settle (24:01):
Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm happy to share it. Like I said, I'm proud of it and I think it's an awesome testament to what you all do every day.
(Transition)
Marilyn Moedinger (24:10):
That was great you guys.
Sheri Scott (24:12):
That was a good one. That was really good.
Marilyn Moedinger (24:14):
I think it helps to have someone who is, as we were saying a minute ago, a fellow creative. Someone who understands some of the process that we need to go through to make their projects happen. So, that was really cool to hear her articulate it.
Sheri Scott (24:27):
Yeah, she's a great commercial photographer, which has helped me a lot. Like she said, she's shot some of our houses. And so, when she called, I was kind of nervous about it because I knew that I just know her so well. It's almost easier to design for somebody that you don't know. I don't know if you guys feel that way.
Marilyn Moedinger (24:52):
Yes.
Taylor Davis (24:53):
No.
[Laughter]
Sheri Scott (24:56):
Taylor, you know all of your clients, right?
Taylor Davis (24:58):
I know all my clients. Small town (laughs).
Sheri Scott (25:03):
And you guys know how it is, like once it clicks, it's like, “Oh yes, this is what we need to do, and I need to tell them that this would be great.” And they went for it, and I think it turned out really nicely.
Taylor Davis (25:19):
Well, and Sheri, I love the fact this was a smaller project. I think Marilyn brought it up that the idea to use an architect for a smaller project is something that a lot of people, it doesn't cross their minds. They're like oh, it's just about … so just is like the four-letter word in my vocabulary, like, “We just want this.”
Well, truthfully, like architects can be helpful in projects of all scales, even if it's just a screen porch or if it's just a kitchen. Because the truth is, like she noted, it changed the whole way she lived in the house, and yeah, it was just a kitchen renovation, but it had an impact way beyond new appliances and cabinets. Like it changed the way they live there. And that, I think, is a really critical point because sometimes, it takes somebody stepping back from it to see the bigger picture.
And as architects, we are trained to do that all the time. But it's also something that I think clients can get sort of draw (I talk about it with them all the time) sort of a fake red line around the scope of the projects, and we say, “We're not going to go any further than this.”
Well, the truth is that lots of projects, you can draw as … I mean, construction doesn't have any little red lines. Like you see, it's like in the football games where they have the computer generated where the first town is every time, so you can see it. Well, those don't exist in construction. Like everything has an impact beyond the little scope of the project that you're talking about.
So, even if it's just a kitchen, that red line doesn't exist, like it's going to have an impact. Whether it's a real physical impact or a circulatory impact, or the way people live in a house, certainly probably a budget impact. But I think that's really an important and critical point. I'm so glad you asked that question.
Marilyn Moedinger (27:03):
And I was genuinely curious because people don't really understand what we do, hence why we're talking about it out here (chuckles). So, people don't understand it. But then everyone who goes through the process is like I can't imagine not having done it this way because of all that I've gotten out of it.
So, I think another piece that she mentioned that a lot of people don't know we do that I think is super important, is the helping our clients create a budget. So, this is one of the biggest things that I hear from people; they don't want to tell me their budget.
And I'm like, “Okay, I understand, well, then you'll spend it all.” So, don't tell me a number you feel uncomfortable spending. Like tell me the number you're comfortable spending, I don't care what it is. If it's $500 or 500,000 or 5 million, I don't care at all. My job is to tell you what you can get for that amount of money and to figure out how I can pack as much value into that as possible.
Then when people hear that, I'm not here to judge them for what they have to spend or whatever. I'm here to help them figure out how to pack as much value into whatever that dollar amount is as possible.
And turns out that takes real effort on my part. And so, I will get paid as the architect to do that and bring that value. But every dollar is going to go a lot further because of the efforts that we're putting in. You're not going to spend stupid money in one direction or another, every dollar's going to be amplified.
And so, usually then, folks kind of open up a little bit and say, “Well, we were hoping to spend this or that.” And then we talk about it. It's a judgment free zone, I don't care, let's just dive in, let’s talk about it.
Taylor Davis (28:51):
I had a professional practice teacher who I've since sort of reconnected with. And she wrote a book, her name is Ava Abramowitz and she wrote a book, and one of the chapters in the book talks about front end alignment and how we need to align our projects at the very beginning.
So, we talk about target investment because we do a lot of renovations. So, you really are investing in a project. How much do you want to invest in a project? Well, let's align that scope with that investment, and see how we can maximize that.
But when we do that at the very beginning, as opposed to when we've already completed a set of drawings for your “dream job,” and then we get it all priced and it's four times what you want to spend, but we don't know that-
Marilyn Moedinger (29:35):
We don't know that.
Taylor Davis (29:36):
If we don't know that, then we can't be that guidepost along the way. We can't help with that front end alignment and get that scope and that investment in sync, or at least try to get it in sync. There are always things that happen along the way.
But I've been using those terms a lot, front end alignment I think is really important. And I like talking about it that way because that means that we're on the same path. If we're all aligned, nothing's going wonky, and we are starting down the track in the right way.
Marilyn Moedinger (30:04):
We're pulling in the same direction, we're on the same team, all these things.
Taylor Davis (30:08):
Oh yeah, a hundred percent on the same team.
Marilyn Moedinger (30:10):
Something else I wanted to point out, this is related to budget a little bit, is that her project grew over time. So, at first, it was just the kitchen, and then she said they added some scope to it.
This is something that comes up with my clients a lot as well, where they say, “Well, our budget or our scope or whatever is here, but if we could get this much more out of the project, we'd be willing to spend a little bit more.”
And there's like these set points, where you say you're already spending X, if you just spend 20% more, it sort of unlocks a door into like a lot of really great options. If you spend 50% more, maybe it's actually not as valuable as spending 20% more. Like there's these little set points, or inflection points, I guess, is the way that we kind of talk about it.
And it sounds like she really, I mean, with your help Sheri, but really nailed that. Okay, she did end up spending a little bit more than she initially thought, but then once that was set, discipline set in, and then she was not suddenly like, “Well, let's add the primary suite and let's add the whatever.” Like okay, no, we're going to stick to this.
Sheri Scott (31:19):
And we had that moment where we presented the design and said, “Well, this is going to cost more than the first budget you shared with us.” So, at that moment, they had the opportunity to say, “No, we're sticking with our first budget.” It's not like we presented something to them and said, “You have to do this. This is the only way it'll work.” It just was, “I want you to see this because this is what it could be.”
And then she and her husband talked about it and took some time, frankly, to figure out if they wanted to invest that money, if they could invest that money, and ultimately, came back to say, yes, we want to do the whole project.
In my practice, we have been doing a lot more master plans with people because we like to take projects that change the way people live in their homes, and-
Marilyn Moedinger (32:12):
Amen.
Sheri Scott (32:14):
And the way to do that is not necessarily one huge project when you have to move out and every single room gets touched.
Sometimes, it's paying for a master plan, which honestly doesn't even take that long because it's kind of just a creative process. You get something on paper, you talk about it, and then you talk about phasing and how much money it would take to do what phases.
And then you're not changing plumbing that you're going to have to change again if you want to change the bathroom upstairs. And you just think through all of that with us upfront. And your budget is your budget, but let's talk about all of it.
Marilyn Moedinger (32:53):
Yeah. I think that's super smart. And we do that a lot with our clients as well, and especially as we kind of head into or come out of, or the various economic cycles. We've experienced like 10 ever since COVID, I don't know (laughs) what's happening at least. But these are complicated times.
And so, people having a roadmap or feeling like they know, hey, I'm going to make these changes, but I'm not going to preclude doing something awesome down the road. They can move forward with phase one with confidence because they're not shutting the door on phase two. They're actually setting themselves up for phase two or three or whatever.
And that goes back to living in your house for life. I think our client’s sweet spot is when people are wanting to live in their homes, their forever homes. Like this is where they're going to raise their kids. This is where they're going to live when the kids are coming home from college.
They're going to be here for 20 to 30 years, they're setting themselves up for that or longer, and they're setting themselves up for that with confidence. So yeah, master planning is really, really smart too.
Thanks for joining us on Home: The Second Story for more inspiring homeowner stories and tips. We'll see you next time.
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