I would definitely hire Joan again; in fact I already have. Probably the most relevant experience I've had with her was working on our master bath remodel. It was a down to the studs remodel.
Our theme was tranquility. At the start of the project Joan took my husband and me shopping for tile, fixtures, cabinets, etc. The hardest part to me is that there are so many choices for all and I love everything. Joan helped us narrow our selection by explaining the different materials and how they would perform, what they would cost, where it was worth it to spend extra money, and where we could save. Most importantly, she helped us pull it all together in a cohesive look. Sometimes that meant throwing out a favorite selection that was dominating the design too much in favor of creating overall harmony.
During the project, Joan was a great team member, proactively collaborating with me and my contractor to solve problems that came up as construction proceeded. She brings a lot of good design ideas to the table that contractors don't think about. For example, one of her signature styles is hiding electrical outlets. That proved to be a challenge for our space, but she came up with a cabinet design that hid them behind a false drawer front where they are still easy to access, but it's a much cleaner look.
What Joan does is keep the whole look in mind every step of the way. When something changes, she is quick to realize how it will impact the look and make suggestions. She's very organized and responsive and has great problem solving skills and draws from a wealth of knowledge about what is available in the market to come up with solutions.