About Carole Sikora

Hi! I’m Carole. I’m an interior designer, a builder, and a songwriter living in Annapolis, MD. I’ve curated elegant but cozy living spaces from Annapolis to Tampa, FL, and even New York’s West Village.

There are a lot of moving parts when you are building a house, and it works best when you have a design professional who can help you translate your vision into reality, and help you get all that done within set timelines and budgets. All of which can help you avoid costly mistakes. We coordinate with the builders and all of their subcontractors to prevent delays and clarify any specific requirements for your design decisions.

I’ve been working with 5 different builders in Maryland and Tampa for the past 15 years, and specialize in the new construction aspects of design. My specific focus is helping you create a home that is timeless and classic, and flows from the outside in, and back out again. So from the initial floor planning with the architect, I look at room functions and flow, and consider furniture placement, lighting and receptacle locations, before the architect finishes your design. Then we move onto exterior facade elements and material choices, and help you select the best color choices that coordinate properly together, from siding, window style and colors, brick or stone, shingle and/or metal roofing, front door style and color and even railings and exterior lighting choices.

Once we move inside, I design your kitchen cabinet layout, based on your appliance selections, and help you choose the best style and colors that coordinate with your flooring, countertops, and backsplash elements, and often, have these relate to the exterior palette, as well. If we price the cabinets with one line, and they are out of budget, I can help you find perfect alternatives from a different company, as I have worked with many companies in the area. When the cabinets are ordered, I make sure every piece has any specific modifications and clearances clarified, so the installations of the cabinets, countertops, plumbing, and appliances goes smoothly, without errors or delays.

I then help you find the plumbing and lighting fixtures that express your personalities and reflect your tastes and lifestyle. The same goes for your bathroom, and the secondary baths in the house. Selecting tile sizes, colors, and patterns can be daunting, so I help that process by drawing out any specific tile pattern or accessory for each bathroom, and find cost-effective options that keep you in budget, but still give you the look and feel you wanted in your spaces.

If you have a fireplace focal point, I help you design the exact style and materials to coordinate with your kitchen, flooring and even exterior stone materials within view, like a pool area, or outdoor kitchen/entertaining area, to help your home flow in the color palette and design style. Your builders will coordinate with me about certain vendors they use for Paint, Tile, Appliances, and Fixtures, and I will help you select from their best options, and get the best prices for items outside their normal scope. I also meet with the plumber and electrician to handle the specific rough in locations for fixtures to ensure proper alignment and installation.