For clients, one of the most overlooked and misunderstood steps in the design process is materials and specifications. This portion might seem simple it's not just  this color and this counter top, it's a mix and meld of textures and colors that show your personality, your vision, your creation - your PROJECT.

The quality and cost of material you desire can always be value engineered to compromise with whatever budget you are working with. Contractors don't think this way, they have 1, 2 or maybe 3 vendors that they steer you too and make you feel like your making forced substations due to the limited stock they gave access too.

The appliances or fixtures you want must be chosen ahead of time to see how much they cost, how readily available they and how they fit with your design, to make sure the mechanical installs are flawless an warranty is in place. 

By now should be apparent that it is important  for the person selecting the materials to have a broad understanding of what they are looking for and what is specified. In addition to understanding the design, it is important to know how material reacts with other materials to complete the puzzle. 

Contractors like to go to work and finish a project as fast as possible and without someone controlling and directing the work they have a tendency to do what they think is right and have you deal with the imperfections and rash decisions after the project is done, and the contractor is long gone.

The time and energy planning and working with someone who knows what you want and completing without issues and warranties in place is priceless.