Jeff Pelletier
Ask a Designer, Custom Residential
What’s Harder: Designing a New House or Remodeling an Existing Home?
Remodeling vs building new: is one harder than the other? It’s very difficult to compare the two, as it’s not apples to apples. While they do share some of the same approaches, they are different challenges that require careful thought. Here are a few of the things to keep in mind when remodeling your home.
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Ask a Designer, Civic & Community, Commercial, Custom Residential, Multifamily Residential
Hourly vs. Fixed-Fee Billing: What is the Difference?
How do you decide between hourly vs. fixed-fee billing? People really don’t like to talk about money, but you need to talk about it enough to make the right choice about how you would like your project billed. Here is how these two billing methods work, and why you might prefer one over the other.
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Other Tangents
Unlikely Inspiration: The Strange Journeys of the Creative Process
A lot of times, unlikely inspiration solves your problems. To non-designers, it may seem a little crazy, but just as any odd thing can remind you of something else entirely, for designers, that experience often triggers their brains about a project they are working on, taking them on a mental journey towards a design solution.
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The Business of Design
What Was I Thinking? (Learning from Your Mistakes When Starting a Business)
Starting a business is no easy task, and you just can’t expect that you won’t make mistakes along the way. You will make them, we promise. The important thing is to make sure you learn from them once you do. Here are five mistakes Jeff Pelletier made when starting Board & Vellum.
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Custom Residential
What Not to Forget When Designing a Vacation Home
When it comes to vacation home design, there are some things that are decidedly different from a typical home design: features you need in a vacation home that you don’t need in your main home. But what are they? Here are five features you should make sure you include when designing a vacation home.
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Ask a Designer, Custom Residential, Interior Design
How Do You Get Great Design on Your Project?
Great design takes patience. So, if you want your project to look and function like it was designed really well, you need to invest in design, and that takes time. There are several later phases after the design concept is formed that are crucial to your project’s success. Here’s a quick review of why.
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If you enjoy reading our blog as much as we enjoy writing it, that simply makes our day. You may also enjoy a few of the related posts below.
What to Expect in Your Multifamily Feasibility Study
If knowledge is power, a feasibility study is an invaluable investment in your potential multifamily project. A comprehensive feasibility study should give you the important, foundational information you need to make informed decisions about your project early. Thorough and efficient, so you can move forward with confidence and clarity.
Exterior Updates
Strategic updates to the building’s exterior — like a high-contrast paint upgrade — celebrate its commercial origin while bringing it into the 21st century with a new use. Queen Anne Commercial Conversion | Project Rendering by Board & Vellum
Your Guide to Multifamily Feasibility Studies
If you’ve been thinking about developing a multifamily project, whether it’s new construction or a conversion, apartments or townhomes, you’ve probably heard someone mention the need for something called a “feasibility study.” But what exactly is a feasibility study, and why is it such a crucial first step?
The Middle Housing Bill FAQ
Washington State’s HB1110 — also called the Middle Housing Bill — is setting the stage for big changes to code and zoning in Seattle. But what is middle housing? And what is the “missing middle” HB1110 seeks to fill? You have questions and we have answers based on our best, current understanding of this landmark legislation.
What To Consider When Future-Proofing Your Home
How long do you plan to stay in your current home? If you’re considering staying in it through your golden years, you’ll want to start thinking about future-proofing. Confused? Don’t worry! Here, we’ll walk you through the four basic principles to follow when you’re planning to age in place.
How to Design to a Concept Instead of a Theme
Concept vs. Theme. Maybe you’ve never thought about the difference between these approaches to design. Maybe you didn’t even realize they were related to design! The difference is subtle, but being able to tell them apart could be what keeps you from taking your design vision to an unpleasant extreme.
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Our team includes LEED-accredited professionals.
Our team includes certified Passive House consultants.
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