Interior Design Elevates Our Work

When I first began remodeling kitchens, baths, and building additions, interior designers were not on my radar. Kevin Cradock Woodworking had very little to do with that aspect of making a house into a home. Flash forward 25+ years and I dislike doing a project without an interior designer. In fact, if a client doesn’t have one on the team already, I advise hiring one right away. Honestly, interior designers make our work better.

Why? The benefits of working with an interior designer are numerous. First of all, they are trained in ways we builders are not. Designers see rooms differently – even from the architect. Although we all think in terms of scale and proportion, they are also mindful of function and aesthetics. They ask ‘Do we need to move that window so there is more room for a sofa or bed? 'Are we painting the millwork or preserving the wood patina in an old house?'

The Plum Interior Design by Abbey Flores, A Flores Design Photo by Sabrina Baloun

Their eye on color, texture, proportion – beauty – can elevate the project beyond what our team or the homeowner could have ever imagined. Interior designers have access to fabrics, furnishings, fixtures, and fittings – all of the details – that make the ordinary extraordinary. 

I am so passionate about interior design that we recently hosted the June PRO New England meeting in the KCB Boiler Room. I moderated a panel with Kristen Rivoli, Founder and Principal of Kristen Rivoli Interior Design; Meg McSherry, Founder and Principal of Meg McSherry Interiors; and Diane Burcz, Founder and Principal of Diane Burcz Interior Design. Diane was already a PRO NE member, but Kristen and Meg recently joined. Everyone did a great job on the panel and the audience was into it, too, asking great questions. Thank you to our media partner for the event, Modern Luxury Interiors Boston.

Kristen Rivoli, Kevin Cradock, Diane Burcz, and Meg Mcsherry - PRO NE June Meeting Interior Design Panel

Assemble the team and communicate

One of the most important questions we answered was when should a builder or homeowner bring an interior designer onto a project? Everyone answered resoundingly that the best time is at the very beginning. Assembling a professional team that includes an architect, interior designer, builder, landscape architect, and specialty designers (integration for smart home, lighting, and other specialties) is key to a successful outcome.

Sometimes a client reaches out to an interior designer first, which is the case for the project we are doing with Kristen Rivoli Interior Design. Often an interior designer will recommend us for the project, but we still meet with the client and make sure it is a good fit for us and for the homeowner.

Sometimes the homeowner finds an architect first, and then he or she reaches out to us. There are cases where a homeowner comes to us first, and then we recommend the interior designer and architect, making sure that all of the professionals get along and work well together. 

Collaboration has become an integral aspect of how we do our work. As part of the KCB process, the professionals meet ahead of our first team meeting with the homeowner. That’s when we figure out who is doing what, and who is purchasing which items. We create a timeline and schedule, and finally – most importantly – set up how we will communicate with one another.

PRO NE members asked and the panel answered about ways to communicate; meetings, QR codes, and other technology resources (we use Basecamp and ProCore) to facilitate communication.

The Final Reveal

Another point that was made on the panel was that all of the professionals need to respect the process and relationships of their co-collaborators. Many interior designers create what is called “The Final Reveal” - which is when the homeowner leaves and all of the furnishings are installed at one time. Then the client comes home to see the finished project in all of its glorious detail and beauty.

Even when we don’t participate in final reveals, creating editorial-ready photographs is another way in which we collaborate with the design team. We often hire a professional stylist, along with a photographer who specializes in interior design and interior architecture, and spend one or two days preparing the space for the images that capture the project in the most stunning and accurate way possible.

We have been fortunate that our work is seen in publications like New England Home, Boston Design Guide, Boston Home, Modern Luxury Interiors Boston, New England Living Magazine, and more. Kevin Cradock Builders has also garnered several accolades such as PRISM Awards, Best of Boston Home, PRO Awards, and more. We recently earned a Best of Boston Award for 2023 from Boston Magazine. We are deeply honored and humbled, but we understand that none of this would happen without the hard work of Team KCB, wonderful clients, and our professional and trade partners. Consider us profoundly grateful.

The Mooring Interior Design: Susan Stacy, Inc., Jim Gauthier, Inc., Architecture: Eck MacNeely, Photography: Greg Premru