Featured Professional Molly McCabe, founder and Principal Designer, gives AGS readers professional insight acquired by operating her award-winning design and specification firm McCabe By Design. The company specializes in functional residential designs that embrace accessibility + sustainability as a method of supporting health and wellness. Molly’s design and construction experience, combined with her product knowledge and love of learning, provides her with the tools to truly transform living spaces with a timeless style that can be enjoyed by all who use them. McCabe By Design is based on Bainbridge Island and serves Western Washington and points beyond.
Award-Winning Design
McCabe by Design received three prestigious design awards for the featured project.
- 2024 National Chrysalis Remodeling Award
Residential Interior Less than $150k - Building Industry Association of Washington Excellence in Remodeling Award
Best Residential Interior under $125k - Building Industry Association of Washington Excellence in Remodeling Award
Best Bathroom under $35k
How It All Began
McCabe By Design is the second act of Molly’s extensive residential design and construction career. Born from a lifelong interest in design, Molly started her first business in 2002, A Kitchen That Works LLC, an award-winning, full-service residential design-build firm on Bainbridge Island. She loved watching all her “babies grow up” as she worked with clients to progress projects from concept to completion.
However, with retirement on the radar, Molly knew the construction aspect of the business could become less appealing over time. As an Aging in Place Specialist, it’s no surprise that she optimized and restructured her business to meet her goals for the next leg of her career path. In 2023, she retired from construction and launched a new residential design and specification firm, McCabe By Design LLC.
Molly McCabe holds the following professional certifications:
- Certified Designer by the National Kitchen and Bath Association
- Certified Living in Place Professional by the Living in Place Institute
- Certified Green Professional by the National Association of Home Builders
- Certified Aging in Place Specialist by the National Association of Home Builders
Featured Project: The PNW Beach House
The PNW Beach House is a high bank waterfront property with a SW exposure that was acquired by two business professionals. They knew they wanted to put their roots down in the PNW and spent nearly two years looking for a forever home. The home and community had many desired attributes, but the interior of the home had been finished with low-grade materials throughout and lacked many amenities that the homeowners wanted. They contacted Molly at McCabe By Design to schedule an in-home consultation to determine if she was a good fit for their project — a partnership was born, and the rest is history.
A custom railing system lets the designer specify and switch between different infill materials (cable and glass) while maintaining a streamlined, cohesive look. It’s a lesser-known design secret that delivers a high-end aesthetic. For this project, finding the right railing solution was essential to the success of the remodel because the staircase and catwalk are integral features of the home and are frequently in view.
With a broad scope of experience from single rooms to whole house remodels, Molly utilizes a collaborative approach with her clients to ensure that the end result is an accurate reflection of them, and their lifestyle. She focuses on optimizing existing spaces with respect to accessibility, sustainability, and health and wellness while keeping the budget in check.
“Resolving problems with the look and function of the home begins by drilling down to the essence of the client’s style and learning about what they like about their home and what they do not. For example, the catwalk in this project, the original design of which was not so fondly referred to as the baby crib. I took my cue for the catwalk from the glass coffee table and the 12′ sliding glass door that we installed.”
Molly has extensive experience in residential design. She’s an expert on every aspect of property renovation, from discovering the homeowner’s desired outcome to budgets, project management, and successful execution. We asked Molly why she specified AGS’ Rainier cable railing and Glacier glass panel railing for the PNW Beach House project. Here’s what she had to say.
“I had familiarity with AGS rail systems, having used AGS products in several previous projects including my own home. However, with the PNW Beach House, the proportions and finish quality on the Glacier and Rainier lines are beautifully aligned with the spaces in which they were installed. Further, working with the AGS team adds a layer of confidence for me that the installation will go off without a hitch. Lastly, I believe sustainability is a three-legged stool. It is difficult to attain environmental sustainability without economic and social sustainability. Therefore, I try my best to hire local and buy local so that my purchases ripple out into the community to fund schools, fire, police, and social services”.
AGS has manufactured custom railing systems on Bainbridge Island for over 30 years. Molly helped support a local business and the local economy by purchasing AGS railing systems. Stainless steel is 100% recyclable and is unlikely to end up in a landfill. Molly, we appreciate your business and loved working with you on this project! Thank you!
- To see more of Molly’s work, visit her website, McCabe By Design and browse her portfolio of projects.
- Learn more about custom railing ideas and how you can make a statement by blending different types of railing infill.
- Request a free railing design consultation.
Molly’s Top Tips for a Successful Residential Remodeling Project
We asked Molly to share her extensive experience and give our readers invaluable insight into what you should know before starting your residential remodel or new construction project.
1. Choose your design and build team members carefully. Do they have the expertise to start and complete your kind of project? Do you feel like they listen to your needs and concerns with respect? Do they deliver information such as references, availability, and cost estimates as promised and in a timely manner? Pay attention to red flags.
2. Select all materials prior to the start of construction. Not doing so is one of the most common mistakes homeowners make for both remodels and new construction projects. There are two potential consequences for this inaction: One, materials do not get ordered. Two, the entire project can be delayed because the material is part of an installation sequence and is not on-site when needed. It is extremely common for these perceived ‘non-essential’ items to slip through the cracks. Take grout as an example. In my experience, many homeowners are squeamish about selecting tile grout and put off the decision for as long as possible, which can easily cause a delay in the tile installation, throwing your entire project timeline off.
3. Do your due diligence to avoid these common mistakes:
- Not allowing adequate space for isles between countertops/the swing of doors/the clearance for drawers and appliances is the most common mistake homeowners make when designing projects without consulting professionals for help.
- Not reading ALL the specifications for materials, especially appliances, before purchasing them can result in discovering that they do not fit the available space after delivery.
- Not being realistic with themselves concerning the time, skill and tools they will need to complete a project themselves. When they finally realize they cannot or do not want to complete the project, they learn that pros are often uninterested in picking up the pieces.
4. Establish ground rules.
- It’s essential to establish a relationship of respect and trust from the beginning (this is definitely a two-way street. It is just as important that your designer and or contractor feel respected and trusted by the client as it is the other way around).
- Communication is critical to the success of your project. Establish ground rules around communications – what hours of the day, what days of the week, and what method (phone, text, email, etc).
- Set ground rules around job site debris, dust, and access to the job site at what times of day/what days of the week. Homeowners must understand that anything of value to them must be removed from the job site area or thoroughly protected by them.
If you are interested in talking to Molly about a potential project, please visit her website and request a consultation.