Departing from the ordinary is the ultimate local outlier in the remodeling and interior design world, Jessica Love with Urbane Design. She is a crucial pillar for Austin Life, and an advocate for diversity and progression in our local community.
“My hope is to inspire Austin Life readers to achieve greatness through interior design as well as offer education and sneak peeks into our design journey.”
As a young girl, Jessica would spend hours rearranging her bedroom and designing custom furniture for Barbie. She said she always knew she was destined to become an interior designer which is what led her to earn her Bachelor's of Science degree in interior design and started the first iteration of her design firm the day after she graduated.
Jessica’s expertise lies in design and psychology, which requires both to be an exceptional interior designer.
“I believe that our environment affects our mood, productivity, energy levels and overall attitude. It is always my goal to improve the quality of my client's lives by creating a safe and healthy space in which their families can thrive. There is nothing quite as satisfying as seeing our client's energy shift once their spaces have been transformed.”
When remodeling homes, Urbane Design takes a tried and true approach to interior design. It is of utmost importance to understand one's lifestyle prior to undertaking a remodel. They begin with an initial consultation in the client's home, which offers a better understanding of how their client's live day to day and what does and does not work in their existing space.
Once they have a good understanding of their client's desired outcome and budget, they take necessary measurements, review inspiration images, and hit the drawing board, literally. In turn, they provide detailed AutoCAD plans, as well as concept boards to convey the overall vision of the project.
They oversee all aspects of the interior design process from concept to completion, which also entails bidding with several contractors and subcontractors to ensure their client's select the best for them. Every project is quite different and personalities are a large component of the process. Once their clients have selected their desired contractor, they begin assisting in the ordering process and oversee construction up until the very last accessory is placed.
Jessica explained to Austin Life how she recently remodeled her own kitchen, making every single space of it not only customized for aesthetics but also for functionality.
There are a lot of important things to consider when remodeling a kitchen but number one is having a clear idea of the investment you want to make in your home. We never begin a conversation about design until we have a clear understanding of the budget. The budget will inevitably direct the overall finished look of a kitchen, from layout to selections.
The layout functioned quite nicely and everything was brand new when we bought the home, so I didn't feel comfortable from a sustainability standpoint of gutting the entire space. I decided that the solid wood cabinet boxes and the layout would remain as is. We removed the door fronts, painted the boxes black and I had custom walnut slab doors fabricated to replace the old. Since we left the boxes in place that meant that I did not have to be in a rush to replace the countertops immediately. Like most people, even as a designer, I too have a budget. For now, our Quartz countertops remain, but I do have future plans to replace the countertops with Soapstone. I added new cabinet hardware to the cabinets, updated a few appliances, added new perforated steel cabinet inserts and decorated accordingly.
We were one of the lucky few, as our kitchen functioned for us and offered plenty of storage. My overall goal was to achieve a more modern look and feel, as well as something we love versus a room we rarely want to visit because it was simply not our style. Now we love our kitchen, don't tell my husband, but I actually enjoy cooking from time to time now.What is the value of remodeling one's kitchen and why should someone choose to do it?
This is a tricky one because each individual may see value in different ways. In my experience, most people find value in their return on investment. I think it is important to understand how long one intends to live in their home and this is important in determining a budget and projecting resale of a home. As a general rule, kitchens offer the largest return on one's investment and 9 times out of 10 are always worth it. To others, they may see value in simply living in a well organized and thought out space in which they can sustain their family's life by preparing and feeding their family healthy meals. In my opinion, we should remodel our kitchens for both. Homes are typically the largest investment one will make in their lifetime, I believe from a financial standpoint it is smart to protect that investment and there is nothing better than a well designed, custom kitchen. Believe me!
The previous homeowner installed Quartz by Caesarstone and since they were brand new we decided to keep them. Quartz is a great option for kitchens and offers durability as well as a consistent look.
For more remodeling and design ideas, check out Urbane Design’s website https://urbanedesignstudios.com/ and call Jessica up for your own customized consultation!
