Coco Chanel said, “An interior is a natural projection of the soul.” And there is no more soulful place than one’s home. The place where you live is also the place you feel most expressive, which is why Meadow Creek Design Studio believes in building spaces that are both beautiful and functional.
“We study a space first,” explains Barb Woycik. “We don’t come with preconceived ideas. Instead, we get to know the client, learn how they use their space, work with them throughout the entire process to come up with a beautiful and livable space.”
“It’s collaborative and interactive,” adds Catherine Berndl. “We work with all of our clients to pull out their style and to develop designs that work for them, their personalities and their lifestyles.”
Barb and Catherine formed Meadow Creek Design studio in 2017, after both had worked at other design firms. “We felt like we could bring more value to the table and implement processes that make projects run more smoothly,” Catherine says. Which has proven to be true. While most projects run over budget by as much as 20% according to industry averages, Meadow Creek Design is consistently within 3-5% of their original estimated budget. What’s more, “About 40% of our clients are repeat clients, which I think speaks to the quality of our work, the relationships we build and the innovative designs we create,” she adds.
The scope of this work extends far beyond typical renovation projects like kitchens and bathrooms—though Meadow Creek specializes in these areas. Barb points out, “Kitchens and bathrooms bring the most return value,” and they certainly have a big impact on overall design; but Barb and Catherine love to turn attention to other areas of a home, paying attention to how a space works overall. “It’s about making sure the overall feeling of the space flows from area to area. We like to use a variety of materials and to accomplish a look and feel throughout. We do a variety of styles—nothing we do is cookie cutter.”
Meadow Creek Design loves to turn an eye to other corners of the home: basements, bar and entertainment areas, fireplaces. “While we do everything from small projects to home renovations, additions and new builds, our main goal is for a home to have a cohesive look and feel,” explains Catherine. “Often what starts out as a small project, morphs into something larger. The point for Barb and Catherine is that homes are meant to be lived-in. “We take a space and make it the most usable it can be.”
How you use a space can change from one phase of life to the next—but Meadow Creek Design understands that is how homes are embodied, and so their philosophy brings them many repeat customers ready to take on the next phase of their home design. Catherine says, “We really enjoy working with repeat clients where we start with one area and eventually transform their whole space.” This is part of the learning process, she explains, and getting to know our clients over the years allows us to understand their tastes and lifestyle better which enables us toto improve upon design with each project. “The relationships that we form with them—several clients have become friends of ours—We’re able to dive in and keep moving with where they want to go.”
This is especially true designing in a small mountain community. “When you’re part of a small community, you want to go the extra mile,” Barb says. “And we love our community here.” Meadow Creek Design Studio is an active member of the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce and a sponsor of well-loved events like Taste of Evergreen and Breakfast with Santa. Barb and Catherine immerse themselves in the spirit of the mountain community, which also shows itself in their design projects. “A lot of people want a mountain feel in their homes,” Barb says. “We incorporate other elements along with them, modern, farmhouse, contemporary—but get to mix in a mountain feel more so than in a big city.”
Key to community and relationship-building through design business is the first consultation. “We go to the home and get eyes on the space. It’s easier when you’re there, in someone’s home, to talk about what they want to accomplish, understand their objectives and start to formulate some ideas,” says Catherine. From there, an agreement is drawn up to move the new client into Meadow Creek’s queue… we take measurements and start concept drawings, and material palettes, with the client’s input on everything, making it a collaboration from beginning to end. With years of industry experience, Catherine and Barb have many preferred contractors that they know do the best job. “If someone has their own contractor, we work with them, but we refer our contractors about 90% of the time for our clients.
While each project is unique, Meadow Creek Design Studio has a proven track record of finishing beautiful, transformative projects within budget, leaving their clients thrilled and more at-home in their elevated space in the mountains.
