So we met with our potential architects on Monday afternoon.  I say "potential" because we still haven't signed the contract yet.  And when we came home, our potential interior designer had left an increasingly pleading message to consider her for the design work (that is, she actually does the design plans for the remodel instead of the architects).  She gave us some references from people who had worked with this architect and then worked with her, and apparently had a bad experience with the architect.  The architect (who knows nothing about the interior designer yet) also gave us some references to call and find out how things went/are going, etc.

We're going to call all the references we have and find out their experiences.  Considering that I do interviews as part of my research where I go into a situation to understand people's subjective understanding of the "truth" (i.e., what they've experienced as the truth), I have already made up an interview schedule and will take notes and try to come to an understanding that will help Dave and me make a decision.  One thing is already clear:  the people who left the architect and started working with the interior designer only went through Phase I with the architects.  They didn't continue with Phase II (in-house developed construction plans) and Phase III (oversight of the actual building).  The problem, according to the designer, is that the architects did not adequately understand the space planning needs of the clients and the designs had to be reworked.  When I asked the architect about changes to the design as we live in the house and understand more of what we need, she said she expected it and they continue with modifications almost until the day of construction.

It's all getting stressful, and I really don't want it to be.  The advice we've read is that you're supposed to have BOTH an architect and an interior designer looking over the plans.  We'd love to work with both of these folks, each within their liscensed capacity.  I'm starting to develop a real irritation that the interior designer says she has an architectural degree because her associate's degree was in architectural studies.  Folks, I'm a professor:  that dog don't hunt.    In my own world, you can't claim to be a psychologist because you took abnormal psych. 

I finally confessed to Dave yesterday that I have a fantasy that we end up in Metropolitan Home as the Small House Remodel of the Year further recognized and glorified because of its amazingly cheap ass budget!!!!  And there is simply no way that could occur if we don't use liscensed architects to design the remodel...and really, if we don't use an interior designer. 

This is supposed to be a fun process, at least at this stage---and I don't want people mucking up my homeowner fantasy.  :-( 

So, a landscape contractor also came over on Monday to take our plans to give us an estimate on the front yard.  I'm a bit afraid.  I've heard rumors that they can find you a tree for $100 and charge you $300 to put it in!  EEEKS!  We have another contractor coming over tonight, and there's one more person I've been trying to call who won't return my phone calls.  PEOPLE:  FREAKING CALL BACK WHEN A CLIENT CALLS YOU. 

Bleah.  I've worked myself up into a frenzy and my palms are sweating now. 

Garden Update Tomorrow.

8:03:55 AM