23 Dec D2E in the News

What a surprise to be flipping through the Philadelphia Inquirer on a Sunday morning (November 21st, 2021 to be exact) and spy a kitchen we designed in the real estate section. Not only that, two of our favorite inhabitants of this kitchen, Milly and Bentley, were featured front and center. The article, called “Housing with animal instincts” by Cynthia Henry, addresses how pets help determine our housing needs. Our clients, Kirstin and Sean McGowan had asked us to design a dog food and water station right into the side of their kitchen island. With a Carrara marble countertop surrounding the food bowls, these two pooches eat in style. Not only that, the bowls are central, yet no one will trip on them.

Photo credit: Rebecca McAlpin

Pet friendly interior design is one of the things we pride ourselves on here at down2earth interior design. You can read about other dog-friendly design moves the McGowans have made in their home.

You can see more of this kitchen on our portfolio page and in this previous blog post.

And the McGowans were kind enough to speak with the Inquirer once before.

Earlier this fall, in the September 30th issue of the Jewish Exponent, Amy Cuker, down2earth interior design owner and design director, had the chance to speak with reporter Jarrad Saffren about the kinds of changes we’re seeing in residential interior design. See the full article.

The reporter wanted to know, why is demand so high? Amy explains that during the pandemic, people started spending so much more time at home. Many folks have even turned spaces meant for one function, like a dining room, into home offices or home schooling zones.

Elkins Park, PA dining room design by down2earth interior design
Photo: Rebecca McAlpin

It’s easy to overlook the dingier areas of your home when you’re out and about, but when you’re there, all day, every day, homeowners see their environments more clearly and realize there are upgrades they would like to make. And once a homeowner registers significant wear and tear, it’s hard to unsee it. The more you see, the more your checklist grows. Not only that, homeowners are aware that they will face significant delays, due to supply chain disruptions. (See our helpful resource.) And they are aware that designers, contractors, and tradespeople are all backlogged.  In addition, there’s often scope creep, and these factors have multiplied the phenomenon exponentially. Between the long lead times, lack of contractor availability, and scope creep, our timelines have become hard to predict. While the reporter did not quite accurately convey our timeline situation, it is true that for right now, we try not to maintain a waitlist beyond 6 weeks. If we’re booking out farther than that, the best thing to do is to call us back later because timelines are just so unpredictable right now. So we thank you for your patience as we navigate these uncertain times and we hope these resources will prove helpful to you!