The Design Details Behind Our Sixth Best of Houzz Award

Half of the Best of Houzz recognition comes down to design quality, judged by the Houzz community looking at finished project photos. So rather than write another post about the award itself, here is a closer look at three spaces behind it and the decisions that actually made them work.

The island that had to do two jobs

In the kitchen below, at a custom build near Possum Kingdom Lake, the island carries a prep surface, seating, and the visual weight of the room. The waterfall edge was the right call here specifically because the island is visible from the adjoining living space. The slab reads as a piece of furniture rather than a countertop, which is a very different decision than it would be in a closed-off kitchen where nobody sees the sides.

The part that never shows up in photos is clearance. We plan 42 to 48 inches around an island so two people can pass while an oven or dishwasher door is open. Tightening that to 36 inches to gain counter space is the most common regret we hear about from homeowners who did a kitchen remodel elsewhere.

Why the wet area gets decided first

In the primary bath from the same home, the freestanding tub sits against a full-height stone feature wall with the vanity run opposite. That arrangement looks like a styling choice. It is really a plumbing decision made months earlier.

Where the tub and shower land dictates the drain locations, the waterproofing detail, and how the tile is laid out. It is also the single most expensive thing to move once framing is up. We settle the wet-area layout before anyone picks a tile or a faucet finish, which tends to feel backwards to homeowners until they see how much it protects the budget.

A smaller kitchen, a different set of tradeoffs

The kitchen at the top of this post is from a build in Graham. It is a tighter footprint than the lake house, so the decisions ran the other way. Cabinets went to the ceiling to buy storage without widening the room. The peninsula carries the dishwasher and sink so the main run stays clear for prep. Black fixtures and pendants do the contrast work that a large stone feature wall would do in a bigger space.

Neither kitchen is objectively better. They solve different problems, which is most of what design is in a real house. If you are weighing similar tradeoffs, our kitchen remodeling page walks through how we scope them.

Where these projects are

Fin Home Custom Contracting is based in Farmers Branch and works across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro, including Dallas, Arlington, Plano, Frisco, Coppell, Irving, Keller, and Flower Mound, along with lake communities to the west such as Possum Kingdom, Graford, Graham, and Mineral Wells. The sixth Best of Houzz award announcement was carried by outlets including AP News.

Thinking through your own layout?

Most of the decisions above cost nothing extra if they are made early and a great deal if they are made late. If you are planning a kitchen or a bath, you can see more of our kitchen remodeling work, browse the project portfolio, or schedule a consultation to walk your space.