Allen Irvin - Designer

We designed our 4,000+ sq ft. custom modern/transitional dream home in Houston with Allen. While we were nervous with communicating our vision for plans remotely at first (especially being the first time having ever been through the home building process), we quickly felt at ease and knew we were in the right hands with Al, as he's able to very precisely articulate his questions, responses and overall vision via e-mail and phone calls. We found Al to strike the perfect balance of realizing our vision, contributing his own inputs and working to stick with our budget with the builder. Real pleasure to work with and we couldn't be happier with our home - which we moved in to at the end of 2017!

Al is fantastic. He was able to take several conversations, a few pictures, and turn it into our house. He genuinely cared about how we would live in the space and that it would work for our growing family. Also, listen to him! He has great ideas. There were several things that he suggested that probably weren't in our original vision, but at the end we loved them. He knew how we would use the space before it was ever built. We would absolutely recommend him, and if we ever build again, he is our guy.

Al really took the time to understand what I wanted -we spent hours on the phone. He is such a great guy; super easy to work with, fun and ultimately talented. He did a beautiful job designing our house. This is the 3rd house I've built and he is by far the best designer I've worked with -I would use him again in a heartbeat.

My wife and I give Allen a high rating for a number of reasons. We started the process with a rough idea for a custom build on a unique shaped lot, but Al got to know our style and needs to vastly improve the plan. He used examples from projects that well suited our tastes so it was easier to visualize the end product. When Al offered suggestions that differed from our initial concept or request, he had a good reason based on experience, knowledge of relevant codes, building ease, etc. He coordinated well with our future builder on aspects that affect cost and reasonableness to implement. Al's relaxed personality made it enjoyable to discuss design, but he was persistent in reminding us of deadlines so as to keep our project moving along on a good pace. I thought Al's fee was very fair, particularly when compared to his contemporaries. I highly recommend Al and would use him again on another project if we are ever in this situation again.

Al designed our house that is currently in construction and working with him was a pleasure! Al's creativity and practicality is amazing. I loved that whenever we talked he truely "got" what I was trying to communicate. We worked with him long distance with us in Houston and him in Florida, which I was nervous about, but everything went so smoothly. Al's range of ability with styles as well as with varying levels of direction was awesome. For the first floor of our house I came to him with a rough draft plan of what I wanted and he was able to make some great suggestions and improve what I had while keeping the design elements. When we did the second floor, I just told him what all I wanted included and let him work it out. I really didn't expect it all to fit, but Al did a great job! He has designed a house that isn't super big (2,700 sqft) but every sq ft is usable/livable space. I can't wait to live in the is house, it is going to be amazing!

Al did our remodel and did an amazing job! He is thoughtful, creative and truly brilliant. We loved him so much, we hunted him down in another state to do a new construction for us.

We remodeled our home, added a master bedroom and bath, as well as rebuilt our garage with a covered patio/ fireplace. After consulting several design professionals we were fortunate to run into a.l. designs and Allen Irvin. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and his creativity is second to none. His plans are very creative and aesthetically pleasing and optimize the use of space. I would highly recommend a.l. designs and Allen Irvin to anyone looking to remodel or build a house.

Allen Irvin provided house plans, design, and oversight for our home build. He totally nailed our desire for a new old farmhouse after meeting for a couple of hours. He listens and his extensive expertise creates the perfect scenario for designing a home to your specific specifications. He is a delight to work with.