Your
Personalized
Design Journey
Great design goes beyond aesthetics. It shapes how you move through your home and experience everyday living.
Creating a space that reflects how you live is a deeply personal process. At Inner Architecture by Ellie, design is about more than creating a beautiful result—it’s about shaping environments that support daily living, enhance functionality, and feel thoughtfully tailored to the people who live within them.
Throughout each stage of the process, I combine thoughtful design expertise with a collaborative and guided approach, ensuring your vision is not only understood, but elevated through creativity, careful planning, and highly considered design solutions.
Here’s an overview of what you can expect when you work with me—and how my design expertise, paired with your vision, will guide us through every step.
The Design Process
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We begin with a discovery phone conversation to understand your overall vision, goals, and what you’re hoping to improve, reimagine, or transform within your home
This is a high-level conversation where I learn more about your project, any challenges you’re looking to resolve, and the general direction you have in mind. I also walk you through my design process, pricing structure, and what it looks like to work together—so you feel fully informed before moving forward.
This step sets the stage for a personalized and intentional design experience.
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Our in-home consultation is where the design process truly begins.
During this time, we walk through your space together, explore ideas, and begin uncovering the possibilities within your home. This is a collaborative and engaging meeting centered around connection, discovery, and creative exploration.
We’ll discuss your goals in more detail, review the space as it exists today, and begin shaping the direction of your project—bringing clarity to what’s possible and what will best support your lifestyle.
This meeting typically lasts about one hour to one and a quarter hours. If additional time is requested, my hourly rate applies beyond the initial consultation.
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Following the consultation, I will provide a Design Agreement outlining the scope of work, design process, and fee structure.
While specific project timelines may evolve as the design progresses, the agreement ensures we are aligned on the overall flow of the project and expectations moving forward.
Once the agreement is signed and the design retainer is received, we officially begin the design process.
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This phase begins with the big picture.
I develop initial design concepts that explore layout, materials, and overall direction for your space. When applicable, I present multiple layout options (typically 2–4 variations), allowing us to evaluate what feels like the best fit for your needs and lifestyle. These options may also reflect varying levels of construction impact, supporting thoughtful discussion around both design and investment.
As we move forward, the design becomes increasingly refined—layering in materials, finishes, and detailed decisions that bring the vision into focus.
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This is where the design truly comes together.
We review layout options, refine materials and finishes, and make thoughtful decisions that shape the final direction of your space. I guide you through each step with clarity and intention, helping you feel confident in the choices we make together.
Following key meetings, I provide Design Memos or follow-up communication to summarize decisions, outline next steps, and keep the project aligned as we move forward. This ensures everything remains clear, organized, and intentionally progressing.
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Once the design is finalized, I prepare a comprehensive set of drawings and specifications that clearly communicate the design intent.
These documents serve as a clear and cohesive roadmap for implementation—outlining the materials, fixtures, finishes, and layout details needed for your project to move into construction with greater clarity, efficiency, and confidence. By thoughtfully finalizing key design decisions ahead of construction whenever possible, the implementation process often feels more streamlined, organized, and supportive for both the client and contractor throughout the project.
I can assist with ordering materials and coordinating with contractors as needed. While the drawings and specifications are prepared to fully communicate the design, I remain available during implementation for guidance, clarification, and support.
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Before moving into implementation, we take time to review the full design together.
This is an opportunity to revisit all selections, drawings, and details—ensuring everything feels aligned, complete, and ready to move forward. It also allows you to fully understand the design and feel confident in the decisions we’ve made.
From here, you’ll have a clear, cohesive plan to guide the transformation of your space, along with the clarity and direction needed to move forward with confidence and ease. I remain available for support as your project progresses, should questions or refinements arise along the way.
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Together, we are creating more than just a beautiful space—we are shaping an environment that supports your daily experience and feels intentional, supportive, and reflective of the way you live
At Inner Architecture by Ellie, your vision is the foundation, and my role is to guide, refine, and bring that vision to life with clarity, intention, and expertise.
Why the
Design Process
Matters
Thoughtful design is about far more than selecting finishes or creating a beautiful final result. A well-planned design process creates clarity, cohesion, and direction long before construction begins—helping the entire project move forward with greater intentionality and support.
Throughout the design process, key decisions regarding layout, materials, fixtures, finishes, and functionality are thoughtfully developed and finalized ahead of implementation whenever possible. This allows the project to move into construction with a clearer roadmap, helping contractors better understand the design intent and reducing the need for reactive decision-making during the construction phase itself.
When materials, selections, and drawings are carefully coordinated in advance, projects often feel more streamlined, organized, and cohesive overall. It also creates greater confidence for homeowners, allowing them to move through the construction process with more clarity and understanding around the many details involved.
My role is not only to design a space that feels beautiful and supportive to live within, but also to thoughtfully guide the process in a way that helps bring the vision into reality with greater clarity, intentionality, and continuity from concept through implementation.
Featured Projects
The most successful remodels feel as though they were always meant to be part of the home.