It’s one of life’s peculiarities that anytime an event is hosted, no matter how beautifully appointed the rest of the house, all guests end up in the kitchen. More than the heart of the home, kitchens have become the hub of socialization, which shows up in the world of home design. In addition to their full spectrum home renovations, Habitations LLC now offers boutique design projects, to address lifestyle pain points without blowing the bank. Robert Platt and Aaron Michelle Baker, the father-daughter team serving the Chamblee area, have a combined 55 years of experience. Their individual and shared expertise ensures clients receive design solutions that aren’t merely a product of fads or trends, but fit their lifestyle.
A key quality is the ability to ask the right questions that lead to spaces that serve the clients to the utmost degree. When it comes to kitchens, the experts at Habitations explore whether you cook together, eat together, have kids, what specific storage and counter space needs are and more. In addition, they may ask what you dislike about your current space. Are the spices impossible to keep organized? Is the shelf for plates too high or too far from the dishwasher? Do you and your spouse bump elbows while chopping vegetables? These irritations may seem small, but over time, they can impact daily living.
It’s not only about your lifestyle today, but also the future. The experts at Habitations may forecast the needs of your family over the years, and consider other renovations you plan on later. A key mantra is, “Don’t spend the same dollar twice” never wanting clients to implement changes that will need to be redone in a few years. Their wide breadth of knowledge and expertise gives them insight to catch the smallest changes that can have the largest impacts.
Early in Robert’s career, he learned cabinet making under his father, and this experience counts him among the best designers for a kitchen remodel. He now shares this history with Aaron Michelle. Kitchens, along with bathrooms and laundry rooms, share the challenges of water. Oftentimes builders use cabinets made of materials that simply can't withstand the daily exposure and routine mishaps that come with water. Whether it’s an accident or a burst pipe, the type of cabinet you choose for installation matters greatly, and you don’t always get what you pay for. Robert suggests that plywood and solid wood will always perform better than particle board. In addition, cabinet costs vary significantly, especially when a brand name is attached. Even if they’re beautiful, they may have equal or lesser function than more affordable options. Robert says it’s a question of value versus cost.
Aaron Michelle, whose mastery of hard surfaces, interior design, and architecture makes her a true triple threat, is your guide for materials. She knows which products are worthwhile and will best serve your needs given the space and your wallet. She carefully listens and observes how your preferences reveal themselves while browsing samples, and she understands that timeless design that skews toward your personal tastes always trumps trends.
Whether you’re ready for a complete kitchen overhaul or you don’t want to move a single wall, they will customize your space to address the needs, comfort, and future plans of your family - every renovation is built around you. But there is one aspect Habitations LLC incorporates into almost every remodel: maximum drawer-base cabinets. After doing the math and for most base cabinets of the same size, drawers will provide about 33% more storage maximizing efficiency and ease of access for hard-to-reach items while decreasing clutter.
And the team wants to ensure your money is well spent. Robert and Aaron Michelle cite instances where a client may estimate a fifteen-foot expansion is needed for a remodel. But for the father-daughter duo, experience has shown it may be possible to accomplish the mission with a lesser expansion. “Our goal is always to give you the best value and to be stewards of your lifestyle and your finances,” Aaron Michelle says. It’s this dedication to client happiness that sets Habitations LLC apart from others, adhering to lifestyle needs over specific products or fleeting trends. “We literally design the kitchen around you - not products,” she says. “Products serve what we design for you, but we don't design to the products, we design to you, and then choose the products to fit that."
As far as trends go, Robert and Aaron Michelle scoff at many. If there’s a current trend someone deeply loves and believes they will still love in the years to come, they fully support it. Color trends implemented in paint or backsplash finishes for example are easy to change down the road. So those are areas open to more alternatives. But in terms of configuration, timeless is best, with an eye on making the space usable every day. You’ll never regret adding a pantry or a widened archway to connect spaces.
Robert and Aaron Michelle emphasize how deep their love runs for this work and every single client. They don’t view projects as an opportunity to display their own design ideals; they view each project as a way to cultivate a comfortable, workable space that reflects the family who will be living their lives there. The design process is collaborative. They want to hear feedback, and regardless of initial ideas, they always arrive at a solution that works. Renovating with Habitations LLC offers the opportunity to visualize your ideal space and find real-life solutions to get as close as possible to that vision.
Enlist this family-run business to take the next step in crafting your ideal kitchen, gathering area, and home. As Robert declares, “Renovating a home is the greatest form of recycling; to repurpose a home for a new generation rather than waste the skilled labor, materials and environmental impact that have already brought it this far.”
Our goal is always to give you the best value and to be stewards of your lifestyle and your finances.
We literally design the kitchen around you - not products. Products serve what we design for you, but we don't design to the products, we design to you, and choose the products to fit that.