Get to Know What It’s Like Working With E.L. Designs
Hi! I’m Your Designer, Erin.
As a kid, I regularly wanted to rearrange my bedroom and I owe a huge 'thank you' to my mom and dad who would make it happen; they ignited this passion for design that I'm lucky enough to call my job to this day. My mom suggested I might want to sketch out my furniture layouts ahead of time and at 12 years old, she bought me my first pad of graph paper; my attention quickly shifted from my own bedroom to sketching up all kinds of floorplan ideas for houses that I might want to live in someday. As my passion grew, I found the perfect fit at Chico State, one of the top Construction Management programs in the nation, with an emphasis in Architecture. They also had an Interior Design program, and I could run on the track team. I was all in!
After graduating from Chico State, I accepted a job as a Project Engineer for a custom home builder and began working on the new construction of a 34,000 square foot home in Carmel, CA. Upon completion, our project team moved on to remodeling a 10,000 square foot residence in Pebble Beach, CA. I was working with the project team to manage the construction and material procurement on these projects, and I desperately wanted to be on the design side. On nights and weekends I would draft floorplans and prepare 3D renderings for other Interior Designers to use in their client presentations, while studying for my state Interior Design exam. When I passed the state exam, I continued working full time in project management and focused on growing my 'side hustle' in design until I eventually landed a position as a full time Interior Designer for a Design/Build company in Silicon Valley. When the opportunity arose to live and work in Santa Cruz County, I happily followed the offer right back to my hometown of Watsonville, CA. I had the pleasure of working as an Interior Designer for a Design/Build company in Aptos, CA for a couple of years before launching E.L. Designs. Each experience and project team has been instrumental in my growth and knowledge of the industry, and I will forever be grateful for the support and encouragement they have given and continue to give me.
From Interiors to Exteriors and Everything in between, E.L. Designs has You Covered.
E.L. Designs offers design and remodeling services for every space in your home; bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens, home offices, in-law suites (accessory dwelling units), laundry rooms, additions and outdoor kitchens - plus custom cabinetry and storage solutions.
E.L. Designs also provides services for CAD drafting for existing floorplans, proposed floorplans, 3D renderings, lighting and electrical plans, cabinet plans and elevations, and plan sets for submittals for building permits.
Erin and the experts E.L. Designs trusts most are ready to support you and your home remodeling needs; we’ve worked together for years and work together to help bring your dream home to life.
Learn About the Design Process
Consultation
Let's get to know each other! We schedule a time to meet at your home and discuss your remodeling project. In-home consultations are usually 45 - 60 minutes. We'll discuss your wants, needs, budget, style, and timeline. We’re happy to answer any questions you have.
Design Agreement
After we meet, if you're interested in taking the next step, then I'll send you a design agreement outlining the services you're interested in and a cost estimate for your approval. Design fees for bathroom remodels are usually between $3,500 - $5,500. Design fees for kitchen remodels are usually between $5,500 - $8,500. Design fees for additions, new accessory structures, and whole-house remodels vary depending on the project's complexity.
Plans and Design
Now the fun really begins! I return to your home to measure your spaces and re-visit your priorities, wish list, budget, and timeline. We will talk in more detail about the project and your style. I will then draft the existing floorplans and create proposed floorplans (layout options) and renderings showing you what's possible and (hopefully) making your remodeling dreams come true! Learn more about my drafting services here.
Design Meetings and Revisions
Once you've had a chance to review your plan options and 3D renderings, we’ll schedule a meeting where I bring my laptop to your home, and we will review the plans and 3D model together and make any desired changes during our meeting. We can move things around, change door and window sizes, change the materials in the 3D model and more. After our meeting, you’ll receive the updated plans and 3D renderings within one week to review again and further discuss or evaluate any other modifications you may be interested in making. If there are no further changes to be made, then a set of plans will be prepared for you to give contractors so you can begin getting estimates.
Engineering
If we’re removing walls, moving walls, or changing your home's exterior, there’s a good chance that we’ll need to get structural engineering, but don’t sweat - I’ve got you covered. I can refer you to a few different engineers, and you can meet them, obtain proposals for their work and decide which firm is the best fit for your project. You’ll have my plans that you can send them, and I will also provide my CAD files for them to use as well.
Finishes and Materials
While we’re waiting for your construction estimates, we get to start shopping! We can schedule a couple of design meetings to visit different showrooms to select tile, hardwood flooring, counter tops, plumbing fixtures, cabinet hardware and more. I will meet you at the showroom and will have material combinations prepared for you to review, based on your style, colors you like, and your budget. I narrow down the options so you don’t have to wander the showrooms alone! Once we’ve narrowed down some options, I will update the 3D renderings for you so you can see what certain materials will look like in your space before you make your final selections.
Getting a Building Permit (If Needed)
I like to think the design process as a whole, is pretty fun, but people get really nervous when we start talking about getting a permit. You don’t have to stress about this! I will handle this for you! That’s right - once all of our decisions are made, you have an estimate you’re comfortable with, and a potential start date from your selected contractor, then I will prepare my plan set to submit to the building department. I will also coordinate with the Structural Engineer (if we have/need one) and the Energy Engineer (if needed) to put together a complete package for the building department.
Project Coordination
I like to think this is where I get a gold star - my background in construction project management has provided me with the ability to think quickly when changes need to be made in the field and a valuable understanding of how the project components need to come together to make the project feasible. There are always questions when we're in construction, and I'm here to work with you and your contractor through to completion.