I am a building contractor that has worked with Heidi on a few kitchen and bath remodels, and i would encourage anyone looking to hire a kitchen or bath designer to hire Heidi to do their design, and here is why:
The main reason is that Heidi has a very good eye for design and color, and that the final product is always harmonious and pleasing. She has a knack for finding those small details that draw a project together, like having iridescent glass tile accents that catch the light just so, making a whole back splash glow with color. Are the iridescent glass tiles expensive? Of course they are, and that's why the whole kitchen looks so rich and luxurious. But I am the guy that installed the tile, so i know that the client only had to buy three square feet of the expensive tile , while a modest tile was used for the rest. So thru careful planning, the nice tile is highlighted, complimenting and not overpowering... Heidi's designs give very good bang for the buck.
Secondly, she works well within parameters. I have sat with her on initial client meeting, she asks many questions to both homeowner and contractor... do you want this, can we tear down this wall, how much will it cost, etc. As a contractor, I know i can do certain things cheaply, others are more expensive to pull off. For example, a load bearing wall between a kitchen and a dining room with plumbing and electrical lines running thru it can be expensive to remove. So i have seen her present options... for this much we can do this, but you can save this much to do the other. In the example of the wall above, she saved the clients thousands of dollars by specifying a opening in the wall rather than demolishing it; she then found a remnant of a gorgeous marble slab for a counter top - an accent piece that really tied the kitchen and dining room together. Once again, a luxurious result without spending very much!
Finally, she is truly pleasant to work with. She keeps appointments, gets back to me when i have questions, clarifies details, and knows enough about construction (unlike most kitchen and bath designers) to provide good plans that i can build off of. So if you are looking for a designer that works well with contractors, one that will work to build a team to give you a good final product, and one with lots of local knowledge of resources, you would do quite well by choosing Heidi Mortensen. read more