Meet Tammy Ogaard: Designer Approach to Function and Aesthetics

Every homeowner approaches a remodel differently, and that is exactly what makes great design so personal. At OHi, our designers spend their days listening to homeowners, solving problems, and creating spaces that work beautifully for the way each family lives.

We created a design profile for each of our designers and asked them questions we hear most often from homeowners. Their answers offer a little insight into how they think, what they value, and what it is really like to work with them.

Here is Tammy Ogaard, whose approach to designing your space focuses on both function and aesthetics for you and your household. 

Where should homeowners spend the most money during a remodel?

Obviously, everyone knows kitchens and baths give the biggest return on investment, but I think people truly underestimate the importance of the bathroom. People use it multiple times a day and yet, some are still afraid to spend money to make it a nice place to be.

People underestimate the importance of that space in the home.

Where can homeowners save money without sacrificing quality?

It depends on the job and the client. Not being afraid to use LVT for flooring, and keeping the design a little more simple as opposed to more elaborate and custom. 

Don’t add in the conveniences like interior pullouts as those can add a lot to costs.

Doing a simpler trim profile can help keep cost down as well as not doing decorative end panels. They make the space more functional and aesthetically beautiful, but those would be the things to keep out of design if you want to cut costs.

What is one thing every homeowner should know before starting a remodel?

Always have a backup contingency plan. While we do our very best to try to find possible issues before we start, you never know what is behind the walls after opening them up. Just keep your plan B ready, just in case and if you don’t need it, great! 

Also remember being under construction is never fun. While it is happening, it can feel really stressful, but after it's done, it feels like a distant memory as the joy and happiness at the end of the project surpasses any of the stress you felt earlier on.

How do you make sure a home still feels like the homeowner instead of a showroom?

Designing to the homeowners' likes.  For example, if the homeowner likes blue, let's incorporate some fun blue details.  Add in some old family heirloom or treasure so we can display that. 

A question we get often is 'well what about when I sell?'  It's rare that a potential buyer would hate everything you picked out for your remodel. Most likely, there may be one or two things they aren't fond of, but they can decide to change those specific things, such as a backsplash or the countertops, without having to totally remodel it again. 

Ultimately, your home NEEDS to have the personality of the homeowner, and make it work specifically to them. 

How do you help couples who have completely different tastes?

That is what a designer does, we try to find things that make both of them happy and incorporate touches that both people want.  I find it easy to be able to marry the taste of both people.

For example, you can do two toned cabinets or maybe one spouse chooses the style, while the other chooses the color or finish.  There are lots of ways to make both people happy, it might take a little longer, but it works!

What makes a kitchen feel timeless instead of trendy?

Using classic finishes, keeping it more of a clean aesthetic. Using a quarts backsplash or subway tile in a different pattern.  Not leaning into anything super trendy keep things neutral, light and balanced.

Marble finishes will be around forever.  A marble backsplash will keep it timeless without being trendy. 

However, any trend is worth incorporating if a homeowner loves it.  If you absolutely love a trend, then go ahead! It is your space. You're not designing for next person, you're designing for you. If there is a trend you absolutely love then don’t be afraid to embrace it.

What is one design trend you would still recommend ten years from now?

Again, I love a marble backsplash and I love gold finishes. I think it is the new brushed nickel where it isn't going anywhere. Gold finishes adds a lot of class and sophistication to design. Also, quartzite is stunningly beautiful. Taj Mahal is a very classic design - it was beautiful ten years ago and is still beautiful today.

Is there a trend homeowners should use sparingly?

There are ways to incorporate all of them, just don’t overdo a single trend. If you're going to do color drenching, don’t do it to the whole house, just choose one room. It is paint, so it can be changed easily.  Just don’t do one thing everywhere, do it in bits and pieces.

What materials age the best?

Quartz and natural stones are beautiful and durable. Definitely investing in good cabinetry will ensure that you can keep your kitchen looking beautiful for years to come.

For bathrooms, investing in quality plumbing is one of the most important things because one little leak can ruin everything.

What instantly makes a room feel more expensive?

Again, the brushed gold finish is always beautiful and classic. Natural stone again, quartzite and quartz can make it look more expensive. Details like crown molding, trim, and under cabinet lighting all given your space a more finished look. 

How do you make a room feel larger?

There are a lot of tricks to make a room feel larger. If you want to make the room feel taller, place window treatments closer to ceiling. You van also choose different paint colors on different walls to make it look a certain way.  Also, letting in more light, will help make any space appear larger.

What is your favorite "small change, big impact" design trick?

Replacing a dated tile in a space that would otherwise be beautiful. Or if you have dark cabinetry, painting it a light color will really change the space as a whole.  Replacing dated crown molding with something more modern will make a big impact.  

And lighting! Updated lighting has a huge impact. Replacing an old fixture with something beautiful can change look of the room completely. 

And lastly, paint. Paint will always have a big impact! 

What is one kitchen feature homeowners thank you for later?

Either the work station sink or a lot of the added cabinet pullout accessories.  When I recommend to people that it is to make their life easier, what will work for them, like pulldowns for people who cant reach upper shelves, or pullouts to get all cabinet space easily accessible. Most clients are happy to invest when it eases functionality. 

What is one cabinet feature you wish everyone knew about?

Pull downs - the ones for upper shelves can make the space more usable and using your drawers for your dishes, so like peg boards into drawer instead of putting them in upper cabinet. They hold so much more than having a cabinet door.

What layout mistakes do you see most often?

People not paying attention to the space you need when open certain things like dishwasher in front of trash pullout.  Handle that can be too big that is hitting another cabinet or hitting a wall. And just not designing the space to what the client needs. Really important for what the client is using the space. Thinking about what they need for their everyday life not just throwing in a cabinet so they have it something they can utilize every single day.

Tammy's Design Philosophy in a Nutshell

For Tammy, design really comes down to creating a space specifically for the homeowners' needs and wants both functionally and aesthetically. She works with clients to make their new space everything they've dreamt of and more by incorporating thoughtful elements to maximize the space.