The Design Process

Last November, I decided to bite the bullet and do something about my hideous bath. I was sick of the bad bad 70's era carpeting (Harvest gold yum), lack of ventilation, plastic wall tiles and beige, beige fixtures.

I really wanted to use a local business simply because the North Country needs local consumers to use local resources, and create jobs for local employees. Besides, I had already tried whining and begging to get my brother to come up from Connecticut, with no success.

So I paid a visit to Coakley's in Canton, as I had several recommendations from friends and colleagues. Within a few days they sent a contracter out to assess my situation. He was friendly and personable and seemed to know what he was doing. We met back at Coakley's that afternoon, to pick out materials (cabinetry, tile, etc.) and get prices.

Coakley's has an adequate selection of stuff, assuming you sort of have an idea of what you want. If you want exotic or specialty items, or a plethera of items to select from, you will need to travel. If you aren't sure what you want, or you want something designery, you will probably want to hire a designer. Coakley's staff were very helpful and good at telling me what they could do, but creativity was not their forte.