Upstate Design Studio

10/09/2026

Think $20,000 is enough to renovate your kitchen in the Upstate? I’d rather tell you now than let you find out in month four. 😅🏡

After 31 years of designing kitchens in Upstate South Carolina, Tracy has seen where renovation budgets disappear—cabinets, countertops, appliances, and then the surprise plumbing issue nobody knew about. 🔨💰

The biggest mistake? Spending the entire budget on the pretty stuff and leaving nothing for the unexpected.

A beautiful kitchen is great. A beautiful kitchen that actually gets finished? Even better. ✨

I made a full video breaking down where your money really goes and how to protect your renovation budget.

Comment KITCHEN below or send me a message, and I’ll send it your way. 🤝

10/08/2026

Three things can seriously hurt the value of your kitchen renovation—and #3 is one a lot of homeowners consider. 🏡🔨

1. Overbuilding for the neighborhood.

A $150K kitchen in a $500K home may look incredible, but the surrounding market may not support the investment. 💰

2. Keeping a bad layout to save money.

Saving on the redesign now can mean living with an awkward layout—or paying to fix it later. 🚪😅

3. Skipping the designer to save the fee.

You may save upfront, but suddenly you’re responsible for hundreds of decisions you’ve never had to make before. 📐🤯

A great renovation isn’t just about making the kitchen beautiful. It’s about spending wisely, designing it correctly, and making sure the investment makes sense. ✨

Comment KITCHEN and I’ll send you the full breakdown.

10/02/2026

Can we talk about that jacuzzi tub nobody uses? 😅🛁

I hear the same thing from homeowners all the time: “We thought we would use it… we never did.”

Meanwhile, that tub is taking up valuable square footage that could be used for a much better shower. 🚿✨

Remove the tub and you can create a true walk-in shower with a tiled bench, handheld showerhead, and enough room for two people—because nobody wants to wait for the shower at 6 a.m. 😆

And that bench? It may become one of the smartest features in the room as you get older.

A well-planned master bath can make your everyday life better now while also adding value for the future. 🏡💰

09/30/2026

Final picture day is the favorite day of the entire job. 🏡📸

Not just because the space is finished—but because of what happens along the way.

After four months of designing and working through the hard stuff together, Tracy showed up to photograph a finished master bath and found the homeowners had prepared a whole charcuterie table and a bottle of w**e. 🧀🍷

She stayed for two more hours just talking about life.

That’s the part of this work you can’t put on a drawing. You spend months inside someone’s home, making decisions together, solving problems, and eventually becoming more than just the person who designed the space. ❤️

After 31 years, Tracy still can’t believe she gets paid to do this.

And honestly? That’s a pretty good sign you love what you do. ✨

09/24/2026

Don’t renovate another room in your house until you watch this. 🏡🔨

If you’re thinking about where to invest your renovation budget, the kitchen deserves serious attention. It’s one of the first things buyers notice—and a poorly planned renovation can hurt your return just as quickly as a great one can help it. 💰

The key? Make sure the renovation fits the home and the neighborhood.
I’ve seen homeowners put far more into a kitchen than the surrounding market could support. It may look incredible, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get that money back when you sell. 👀

Do it right, and your kitchen can pay you back twice: in how you enjoy your home today and in the value it adds when you eventually sell. ✨

09/23/2026

There’s a reason people hire me as a kitchen and bath designer—and it has nothing to do with pretty drawings. 🏡✨

You can walk into a big-box store, meet someone once, get a printout, and never see them again.

That’s not how I work.

From the initial design through the entire renovation, I stay with you. Appliances, plumbing, tile, paint, lighting, color—and all the conversations with your contractor and suppliers. 🔨📐

Because a renovation isn’t one decision. It’s hundreds of decisions, and having someone experienced beside you can make all the difference.
31 years in, and I still love every bit of it. ❤️

09/21/2026

Okay, story time. Here’s how I helped a client avoid tearing out a brand-new shower. 🚿😳

On glass template day, something about the shower floor slope didn’t look right.

So I handed the homeowner a six-foot level and asked him to swing it like the shower door.

He got to about 48 degrees… and stopped.

That’s when he realized the problem. 👀

Thankfully, the contractor was able to correct the shower floor that same week.

If the glass had already been cut and installed, fixing the issue could have meant major demolition and a much bigger headache. 🔨💸

This is exactly why having an experienced designer involved throughout the renovation matters.

Sometimes it’s not about the drawing.
It’s about catching the problem before it becomes a disaster. ✨

09/17/2026

You know you’ve found the right career when you still can’t believe you get paid to do it. 😄✨

For Tracy Spake, that’s kitchen and bath design. With 31 years of experience, architectural and interior design degrees, and hundreds of dream spaces completed across the Upstate, she brings much more than pretty drawings to the table. 🏡🔨

From cabinets and appliances to tile, paint, and contractor conversations, Tracy stays involved from start to finish. And that experience helps her catch the details others might miss—like a soffit ruining a cabinet layout or a shower door that won’t actually open. 👀

After 31 years, not one client has said they wished they hadn’t done their project.

If you’re thinking about renovating your kitchen, bath, or even a closet, let’s make sure it’s designed right from the start. 🤝✨

08/30/2026

We are an Upstate SC dealer for Holiday Kitchens cabinetry line. Look at these beautiful door style options available! Lots of beautiful standard paint colors OR use any color in the Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore color palette.

✨ Did you know?... We offer over 100 door styles! ✨
Your dream home starts with the perfect cabinet door style. Whether you are dreaming of warm and cozy, sleek and contemporary, or everything in-between. Holiday has cabinetry to fit your life and your dreams. Your Holiday cabinetry will truly be one of a kind with customized options of 13 wood species, expansive color line including glaze options, Custom Color Lab, Vintage Artistry treatments, and specialty finishes.

🔹View our door styles at:
https://www.holidaykitchens.com/quality-designed/products
📲 Ready to start? Contact your local dealer or designer for more information.
🤝Interested in becoming a dealer? Learn more: https://www.holidaykitchens.com/about/design-with-holiday