LISTEN. RESPOND. DEVELOP. DOCUMENT. BUILD. EXPERIENCE.

LISTEN. People come to me to solve a problem: “I hate this, something in the layout is awkward, I don’t have enough space.” I engage in active listening to see where they’re adding extra emphasis or repeating a point in order to be able to glean their most salient issues. And I repeat back to them what they have said to make sure a) that I’ve understood them correctly and b) so they can listen for themselves to what they’ve told me and make sure it’s what they want to communicate. Sometimes it takes a while for the vocabulary to reflect the concerns. When people want to change the space they live in, their feelings may have been percolating for a while but haven’t yet found their proper articulation.

RESPOND. I work with the client to turn the problem(s) into opportunities: “How would you like to feel in this space? Yes, we can create something expansive, but we can still incorporate cozy over here. If we remove this wall, you won’t only get the light coming in from the west when the sun starts to set. You’ll also get morning light from the window on this side.

DEVELOP. This is where the rubber hits the iterative road. The client and I go back and forth on drawings — 2D, 3D — until we arrive at a solution that works. It’s buildable. It ticks all the boxes, both physically and emotionally. It can be accomplished within budget.

DOCUMENT. I prepare all the necessary documentation to secure permissions with the local municipality and for the builder to have the exact specs required to construct the changes in just the way they have been envisioned.

BUILD. As the contractor works, I am on top of the progress to make sure everything is going along as it should and troubleshoot any potential problem areas.

EXPERIENCE. This is the client’s role — to feel comfortable, to feel wonderful, in their improved surroundings. Yes, the end result is additional space or a reconfiguration of rooms, but at least as important, it’s “Aaaahhhh.”

Every client is different. That’s why it’s always a custom response and a bespoke end design. I am responding to your needs, not superimposing another client’s solution onto your life. And you will always get me rather than be shifted to a junior person whose shoulder I will glance over from time to time. I will be with you from start to finish.