Today we have a wonderful guest writer with us! We are going to talk all about design! Sara Habbert! I met Sara this past year through first the internet but we were able to meet up this summer at a conference! She is such a fun person and has a ton of knowledge on interior design! She is sharing all the good tips today! Let’s check it out!

Sara Habbert – Design Guru

Hey There! 

My name is Sara Habbert & I am an Interior Designer in the Metro Detroit area in Michigan. I first found my passion for design as a kid. I used to look out of my mom’s car windows to stare at peoples home. How I loved seeing how they were designed and how each family lived. I never knew there was a career “Interior Design” until High School. We took a career test and I found that 80% of my career path should be in “Creative Arts” and then a list popped up of potential jobs I could have and that’s where I found “ Interior Designer”.

I looked into it, I looked into schools and after high school, I went to a local community college, although I knew what I wanted to do. My mom tried hard to get me to choose another more safe career choice. It was in my second year of college and I just knew I was supposed to do design. I had a passion for it, I wanted to turn peoples houses into homes that they can grow old in. I called a local design school called The Art Institute, went to look and applied the same day.

Where I am now

Fast forward to now, I work at a Local Kitchen and Bath company! The two places in the home that people always want to renovate and upgrade. I work directly with homeowners and contractors to design your dream home with your budget. I’ve worked at a construction company, a Home Depot, a commercial company and now I’m to residential. I didn’t know how many options there were until I got into this realm of work. So today I am going to teach you my best practices, some of my most asked questions as a designer and give you ALL the goods, be sure to save or take notes!

“How do I make my home cohesive”

Look inward. You want your home to reflect your personal taste and style. Are you minimal, are you a farmhouse fan? Do you have a little bit of everything? Maybe your traditional or you love modern. I would suggest looking at Pinterest or Houzz. What do you like? What draws you in? It’s okay to be a few different things. And it’s okay to not have an answer just yet. For me, I like “cozy practical with a hint of farmhouse” If you see my home, I have practical useful pieces with cozy furniture & pillows and touches of a farmhouse vibe.

I want someone to come into my home and feel welcomed, and it feels “lived in”. I would get a few pieces that feel like your personal vibe. Maybe you get a coffee table or couches that give off that style. Maybe you add in a few décor pieces that will translate to that. You don’t need to go overboard, but a few pieces of furniture and décor can really fine-tune clarity in your home. 

“I’m thinking about kitchen/bath remodeling, what should I expect”

It’s going to take longer than you think and it’ll be more money than you think. The hardest part of my job is giving people realistic expectations without scaring them away. I love HGTV, but people will look at that 30-minute show and think the pricing and timeline is realistic when it’s not. Those people are famous and get massive discounts along with getting first in line anywhere because of their name. Realistically, a kitchen project will take 8-12 weeks & bathrooms can take 4-8 weeks.

Why? Cabinets can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to order, demo and install can take another week or so. If you need permits, you are under the mercy of your local inspectors time frame, your countertops take 2-3 weeks plus tile, flooring, etc. It all takes time. Pricing is another remodeling question. An average kitchen remodel can cost from $25,000- $50,000, depending on the cabinet line and what needs to be done. The more you move the layout, the more labor is and parts.

Don’t Fret

You CAN get a lesser expensive kitchen, but I will be open and honest here and say, look at the manufacturer, look at the warranty, look at the construction. If you’re going to spend $10,000 on a kitchen and it might only last for 5-10 years, is it really worth it? I would wait and save up to get better quality products. Make sure you look at the contractors’ credentials – are they qualified, what are their reviews, do they have insurance? These are important. I can’t tell you how many times I have had a homeowner come to me because their contractor just up and quit.

Do your research. For bathrooms, I always get sticker shocked clients. An average bathroom remodel can be from $12,000-$30,000 – sometimes more. Again, depending on what you are doing, the products you are using. How? Plumbing & tile work are the main components. I have seen plenty of botched jobs in my days. Moving the toilet stack and waste lines can be a huge item along with converting the tub to a shower. Tubs require a smaller drain where a shower requires a bigger one, so a lot of pipes will need to be switched. In other words, driving the cost.

Again, look at the credentials. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! One last thing to keep in mind is they say you are good to invest 20% of your home’s worth in the kitchen and about 10% in bathrooms. Aka if your home is $200,00 then $40,000 on a remodel is okay because you’ll get your money’s worth from it.

“Is grey/white/ black a fad or trend?”

Grey, yes. I am seeing people already shying away from grey. Especially in cabinets. I have seen more people go with “ brown/grey” or “geige” colors to bring out both. People who have oak trim and lots of wood with their home, I think this is the blend you need to go if you want to modernize your space without it looking off. White is here to stay. I think it’s a classic color. It has been in and out throughout time. It was popular in the ’50s, again in the ’80s and now is back.

Black, is to soon to tell. I like black furniture to modernize the space, but I don’t know about Black kitchens, it’s too early to tell. If you are wanting to incorporate these colors, I personally would do it in items you can easily change out. EX: paint, smaller furniture, couches & rugs. For kitchens and baths, yellow/orange wood tones have dwindled quite a bit, but richer, warmer and darker browns have been better. I think brown cabinetry is classic and timeless as well. I also sell a ton of grey/ brown stained cabinets. How long do you plan on living in the home? Be realistic. Make it what you want. Choose colors that speak to you.

“Should I do neutrals or should I do fun colors. I see both in magazines!”

You probably will face this at some point in your life. If you open up an HGTV magazine you’ll find articles that talk about pops of color and some about going neutral. I will ask you this question. Realistically, how long do you see yourself living in your home? About 75% of my clients come is saying “well we were only planning on living there for 5-10 years, then 25 happened and now we need to remodel”. The reason this is important is you should do what feels good for YOU if you are thinking long term. If you’re thinking short term then maybe go with more neutrals. Ways you can incorporate color? Paint, decorative pillows and décor”- even with neutrals you can do some pops of color!

Don’t be afraid of color. Paint costs what like $30 a can? Pillows can cost maybe $50 for a few? This goes for cabinetry too. Go with what YOU like. Not your neighbor, not your mother in law, what YOU like. A designer will help coordinate everything for you but generally speaking if you’re going to live in the home for at least 10 years, get what you like. Nothing is going to go THAT out of style in that short of a time. If your home is within the next persons’ budget, has the space they want and the kitchen is updated, even if it isn’t exactly what they want, they’re most than likely still going to buy it. Stop stressing girl! It’s your design!

“Help! I want to move but need to update my design, how can I do it in an inexpensive way”

A few things here. Is your roof in good shape? Is your furnace working correctly? Look at the major things first. Now if the main things are good then let’s look at the two places that sell homes: kitchens and baths! Kitchen: Update knobs and countertops. If you are open to it, depending on what kind of cabinets you have, stain/paint them. “Resurfacing” is going to be close to a full remodel. (Explained later). But staining your cabinets darker or even painting them lighter could be a good fit. If you have oak, painting white is not your route. Oak is the worst to paint and clients have come back thoroughly disappointed. For the bathroom: new vanity & countertop and light fixtures. You can get lesser expensive ones at a big box store.

“I want to resurface my cabinets”

Resurfacing is where a company will come in, give you new doors, skin the sides on your cabinets and try to upgrade your cabinet by putting rollouts, etc in your current space. When I worked at Home Depot, what I found was most people can get new cabinets for nearly the same cost (Not the best brand but certainly better than what they have). I will always suggest, if you are okay with the door style, then stain/ paint them. Home Depot has a program called “n’hance”. They have a few colors to pick from and it will get you an updated look without breaking the piggy bank and less time to do!

Design Closing

I hope this helped! Remember to think in terms of you. This is your home, this is your space, your design. If you follow any of my best practices above then take a picture and tag me in your post on Instagram using “confidently_sara”. Can’t wait to see them!

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