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Architects and Designers: Who does what and how do they work together?

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The field of home building and remodeling has a clear path from design to construction, then on to “the finishes,” and lastly, the furnishings. After the initial design plans are complete, architects can and often do play a role throughout the construction of the project.

But, when do interior designers get involved? And can architects and interior designers ever coexist on a project?

We sat down with interior designer Vaughan Woodson of Woodson & Woodson Interiors and architect Rebecca Amato of Amato Architecture and asked them to share with us how they work — together, and separately — to help homeowners make optimal design choices for their homes.

“Often the overlap occurs in the finishes,” Amato explains. “When a client asks me if I can provide design services, I say yes, but up to a point. I will specify anything that stays attached or needs to be attached to the house, i.e.: cabinetry, tile, flooring, paint colors, lighting, plumbing fixtures. Where I draw the line is a whole other area of expertise: soft furnishings, window treatments, and accessories.”

(Featured image of project at top of article: design by Amato Architecture, build by McCutcheon Construction.)

Design by Woodson & Woodson Interiors

Woodson agrees, “When I work with an architect on a project, I appreciate being able to collaborate — with the client’s use of the space as the number-one end goal. Fortunately I’ve been doing this work for a long time and I have zero ego about it, and I think that makes me nice to collaborate with — or so I’ve been told! I have no interest in making a mark on my clients’ home other than my client saying, ‘Vaughan taught me so much about what my style is; I never would have chosen this; she pushed the envelope!’”

Design by Woodson & Woodson Interiors

Both professionals describe a clear dividing line as being about structure. Here, instead of overlapping, their skill sets complement one-another, and mutually affect the results.

Design by Amato Architecture

As an architect, structure is Amato’s passion. As she describes her thought process: “How do I move walls and create a floor plan that is functional and flows? That showcases the focal point of each room, such as art placement, or a big beautiful fireplace? If I get to do that and then the client says, ‘Okay, now I want to bring in an interior designer,’ that’s great. I love, love, love partnering with interior designers! Working with a designer, I can communicate my vision, how I’m thinking about views, where I am creating seating areas and moments, and then pass the baton.”

Both agree that it is best to bring in an interior designer early in the planning phase. As Woodson describes, if she wants to specify a particularly spectacular sofa, she may share the measurements with the architect, who might look at shifting the location of a door to optimize wall placement for it.

Or the two might have a conversation about window treatments — Will they be minimal? Will allowance be needed to create a pocket for roller shades? — If the client wants curtain panels to soften the room, space between the window casing and the crown molding will be included in the plans.

Design by Woodson & Woodson Interiors

At the most basic level, Amato’s expertise as an architect is required when drawings are needed, especially when desired changes to the home trigger a call for permits. Woodson notes that while she, and most interior designers, have their own subcontractors they work with for cosmetic changes, “as soon as the client says, we are looking to renovate our kitchen, add a sliding door, that’s when I would bring in Rebecca.”

Amato describes the flip side, when she refers potential clients to Woodson: “Sometimes, someone calls and says they are remodeling, but they are not moving any walls — that’s probably not a good fit for me. I tell them, ‘You’d be better off working with a designer.’”

Architect Rebecca Amato

There are design firms that have an in-house interior architecture department and per Amato, some building department staff will allow a person who doesn’t have a license to prepare drawings — although in that case it is helpful if the drawings are combined with a report from a structural engineer.

Another way to look at how design and architecture interact is around furniture. Do you, as a homeowner, know what pieces you want to replace or hold onto?

For her clients, Woodson likes to determine at the outset which pieces are worth keeping. “I’m a preservationist at heart,” she says. “I prefer to try to use what we have — if it works with the design direction we are going in. Sometimes really great design comes from using the clients’ own pieces, because that way, we are putting their story in.”

Interior Designer Vaughan Woodson

When you come at interior space design from this angle, Woodson explains, “maybe the dining room gets bigger, and in the laundry you don’t end up with a counter — because those decisions accommodate the story and the richness.”

Amato agrees, “I think about the furniture in the room. I will ask them, ‘Are you planning on purchasing a new dining room table, or using one you’ve inherited from your grandmother? And I will take those dimensions into account.”

“We want to know, what’s the pain point of your home now? And does this table not seat enough people, and you always wish that you could seat 8 because you have a family of 4 and you would like to have another family of 4 over and you can never do it? What are we solving — and spending all this money on with design services? Good design comes from that,” Woodson adds.

“Yes, that’s critical,” agrees Amato.

When a designer and architect collaborate, Amato says, “we are sharing as much information about the client as we can, from what’s important to them, to what their styles for decision making are. What are their hopes, and what may be some of their limitations. Maybe they’re doing work in phases because of a budget or they’ve got kids going off to school or they’re pregnant…. On a deeper level, it’s not just about the facts of life, but really, what their emotional experience is going to be.”

Ultimately, “we are following the client’s lead,” says Woodson, “and trying to make the most stylish product from that.”

Kitchen Cabinets Refreshed — Examples from our Portfolio

Kitchen Cabinets Refreshed — Examples from our Portfolio

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What a Difference Paint Makes!

A question we get a lot at Arana is, “What can I do to refresh my kitchen, without going into a full-scale remodel?”

Of course, our answer is, “New paint colors!”

Also hanging new wallpaper (a service we provide) can add layers of interest to a space. Changing the colors of just your cabinets can make a space feel personalized and make it come alive.

Some of our favorite collaborations with interior designers and contractors in our portfolio focus on cabinet colors. In this first example, on a project designed by LMB Interiors, painting the cabinets, changing out the hardware, and wallpapering one wall, all made a revolutionary change in the feel of this room:

Design credit: LMB Interiors. View more photos, here.

Granted the new tile and countertops also helped. But it is noteworthy that there were no structural changes to the room. A refresh, rather than a remodel.

This next kitchen received more of a design-build treatment. But what we want to highlight for you is how the specified cabinet color, an unlikely taupe tone, personalized the space, added drama, and beautifully grounded the other details of the design (also by LMB Interiors), including new tile, drawer pulls and plumbing fixtures, and the family’s collection of ceramic jugs.

And then, for this Rockridge classic turn-of-the-century Craftsman-style home, we were tasked with the job of painting ever-so-carefully around the gorgeous factory-finished blue cabinets. We were so pleased that the homeowner agreed to a high-gloss, oil-based white. We loved the choice to paint the rest of the cabinets a different color, and how each color and finish highlights the distinctive grain of the wood top on the island.

This kitchen is part of a wonderful indoor-outdoor project we did with McCutcheon Construction. We also painted the exterior of the home and the new, expansive, back entrance.

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Kitchen Trends To Avoid In 2020

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We don’t want to brag, but you can show us any kitchen, and we can assume, in a few years or so, when it was designed or revamped (we know it’s a neat party trick)—because kitchen architecture, like fashion and another home decor, usually follows patterns that come and go.

One minute of avocado-green refrigerators are great, and the next, they’re painfully old. Ditto: flooring of linoleum. We could still say the same thing about cane furniture— only that it came and disappeared, gone, and coming back later.

Many reasons make a kitchen design unwanted and lose the appeal it had on people. One of the reasons is that many modern designs are coming up, thus phasing out traditional kitchen trends that have been there before.

However, some of the old kitchen trends like the use of wood counter tops are slowly coming back and are replacing modern kitchen trends. With the onset of 2020, we figured we’d take a look at a couple of past-their-prime types that are ready to retire, at least until the pattern inevitably comes back.

marble counter tops

Let’s clarify — we’re thinking about the real stone, not the feel of marble. With its distinctive striations and shading, it will always look good in the kitchen or the bathroom. Correct marble counter tops, however, come up with a lot of things.

These need to be resealed every few years; these will scrape, rub, or stain; and they are brittle, so that heat and even some chemicals become troublesome if misused. What is the explanation for the exit? There are more robust options available— such as marble, butcher- stone, or even granite.

Marble is expensive to purchase and also will take a toll on your pocket, installing it on your kitchen wall, counter top, or even on the floor. That alone may make a homeowner opt for cheap alternatives to use in their kitchen.

All-White Kitchens

You can’t really go wrong with a white kitchen, but it’s bland, and the design world is over. Where’s the personality? The all-white kitchen has become synonymous in many homes and hotels. It is good to show class in your kitchen and even at the entire house.

However, this trend should not be with us in 2020, moving forward. The main reason is that it does not incorporate any creativity in it. Most all white kitchen are monotonous and do not have any sense of style in them.

With the onset of modern kitchen interior designs, many people opt to use warm colors in their kitchen. This is because warm colors are suitable for appetite and also have an artistic look.

Subway Tiles

There’s nothing objectionable about the subway tiles— it’s just that they’ve been so overdone that they’ve refurbished the bathroom, and they just look like overkill.

There are many other fun ways to make a back splash. Why not try a different form, a handmade tile, or even a stone slab instead?

Industrial-Style Statement Lighting

Heavy, bulky pendant lighting had a moment, but the industrial style had come and gone in favor of something a little lighter and more understated. The new method lets the rest of the kitchen shine and doesn’t block the view in the open concept room.

  • Tip: Make sure you always pay attention to the height of your lighting as applied to your floors, cabinets, or kitchen- island.

Plaster Walls

They’ve been all over our Instagram for the last few years. Don’t give in, man. It’s hard to imagine, but the wall plaster would look incredibly old quite early. Oh, it’s a hassle to keep clean, and it can smear quickly. Not perfect for a room where stuff will sometimes spill or splatter.

Barn Doors

They were probably on their way out a couple of years ago — and now they’re legal. They’re just too overdone, and only really make sense in a minimal type of home.

Open Shelving

In this day and age, using open shelving as a style in your kitchen may seem outdated. As the days progress, many people are adopting the use of closed shelving in their kitchens.

Open shelving is being phased out with modern home designs. The main reason for this is the open shelving design looks ugly and may create an eyesore to anyone looking at the content on the shelves.

Open- space kitchen

We used to design a kitchen with open space and no doors to increase the space around and also enhance movement in the kitchen. Today, we see the folly in our ways, and we want our walls back.

People were tired of staring at mountains of dirty dishes while they were sitting on the couch, or putting their heads on tossing pillows that feel like dinner last night.

Granite Themed Counter Tops

For many years, granite has been used as the most preferred material for counter tops. Most modern-day designers discourage the use of granite counter tops. As time progress, the trend is slowly fading away, and most people are adopting other styles of designing their counter tops.

Most people are opting to use stone, timber, and concrete as the preferred material for counter tops. White quartz will have a fantastic look if it is used as the primary material for your counter top.

Closed-off kitchens

Just like the rest of the house, Quirk notes, the floor plans are available, and they’re here to live.

You may not always want to see the chaos that can build up in the kitchen, but it doesn’t suit modern tastes anyway. Most people refer to open floor kitchens as “Kitchens without Borders.”

Conclusion
The architecture of your kitchen is one of the most important choices you need to make while decorating your house. The reason is simple: you can’t change the look of your kitchen as quickly as the equipment needs installation and plumbing. Right now, the usual thing is to create a modern kitchen that’s specially built.

If you haven’t yet settled on the most suitable type of decoration for your kitchen, this article will be helpful for you to know kitchen- designs to avoid. We encourage you to apply multiple models for you to have a kitchen that has been modernized and has your personal touch.