“We had a very complicated kitchen remodel -- our home was built 90 years ago . We wanted to preserve the style from that era while making design/flow more consistent with the efficiencies of present time. Traci D'Alessio did a phenomenal job in meeting this challenge. her thoughtful and meticulous approach, exceptional skills of listening, and genuine interest in our preferences resulted in an award winning kitchen. I would hire her again for any project. I will also mention that we had the added challenge of employing a design/build firm for our contracting/building needs which meant that at times there were conflicts and potential awkwardness with 2 architects involved. When it was necessary and she felt that the product might be compromised, Traci D'Alessio managed these potential conflicts well -- an underappreciated but VERY important skill. Last, Traci has an exceptional command of the most up-to-date technology in her profession. This enables her to make changes with lightning speed (in comparison to the surprisingly archaic methods of many local architects) -- this will save you not only time but money.”

“Very professional in all aspects of their projects. Extremely imaginative and detailed vision. It is a pleasure to do business with A408 Studio”

“Annette is amazing at what she does. She not only ensures her work is as exact as it can possibly be... she also goes above and beyond by assisting when difficult issues with other contractors and or structural issues as well. I recommend her highly as she is prompt, fair with her pricing and always available should you have a question. She also is someone who likes to come see the job after it's finished so she can see how her plans worked out. Amazing and outstanding designer and person! Will call back again for future projects and have recommended her already to my neighbor! Excellent!”

“A main concern with renovating our midcentury modernist home was to maintain the integrity of the home originally designed by the locally renowned architect, James Webb. We definitely got more than be hoped for working with Sophie Piesse. Pictures of both the before and the after renovation exist on two websites: http://www.SophiePiesse.com and http://www.trianglemodernisthouses.com.”

“James S. Collins is perhaps one of the most highly trained professional architects on the east coast. His attention to finite details along with his creative vision are superb! He was delightful to work with from the beginning stages of planning the design for our home until the very end of our project completion. Jim's knowledge of historical architecture surpasses any other architect's in our area and I would highly recommend him for anyone who is interested in building a truly unique and timeless home! When friends, family or colleagues visit our home, they are in awe of the excellent craftsmanship and the thoughtful creativity that seems to have been forgotten over time in new home construction today. In fact, most individuals believe that our new home was renovated from an old historical house in our neighborhood instead of being only five years old! This is the ultimate compliment for Jim because he is so conscientious of all historical details involved in creating a superior and masterful showplace!”

“Audie was outstanding to work with. We hired her for a renovation and could not have been more pleased with her work. She is terrific and I highly recommend her.”

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with Hutch on various projects spanning a number of years. On two projects, I was the owner’s representative/project coordinator, so I have seen him through the eyes of a client. On others, I’ve worked on the contractor’s team as selection coordinator, and have seen him through the eyes of a peer. I also work for Hutch as a bookkeeper, so I see him as a business man, and I watch how he relates to all members on any project team. Hutch is not a brand to sell. He is a creative listener who delivers what the client dreams of or requires. When reality sets in for the client, he helps harness the scope so that it fits the budget, but maintains the superior quality of design and function that are important to the client, regardless of scale. I’ve also worked on projects with other designers. When on a “Hutchless” project, one thing I notice almost immediately (and miss terribly) is Hutch’s ability to know how a space will be used or lived in. His perception and foresight are far superior to many other designers. In addition, he knows how materials will function and esthetically relate to each other, so that spaces just plain work — and they look fabulous in the process. Amazingly, with such focus on the design and esthetics of a project, he is forever cognizant of the structural integrity of a building. He knows what works, and what doesn’t. Hutch is very good at guiding his clients through the process, which can be overwhelming. He’s realistic, he issues alerts when needed and he will do what the client insists upon in spite of his better judgment, so long as it does not produce an inferior or dangerous structure. I look forward to working on more projects with Hutch, and to referring him to anyone who needs a thoughtful professional who is really good at what he does and loads of fun to work with. He takes his work seriously, but is anything but stogy!!”

“Sara at 4/1 designed a screen porch for our 1920s bungalow. The resulting design perfectly matches the house, down to the tiniest detail. During construction, Sara worked closely with the contractor to ensure correctness and was available to us for consultation on any and all details. In addition to being very skilled and very professional, she was a pleasure to work with. We thoroughly enjoyed the process and would work with her again in a heartbeat. Photos here: http://www.houzz.com/projects/119384/Old-North-Durham-screened-porch”

“Steven Clipp is a truly wonderful architect. He listens to everything you say that you dream of in your house, and then somehow makes it all come true! And, unlike many architects, he stays within the budget you ACTUALLY want to spend. In the end, you get an incredibly unique home. Steven really does do this for his clients, not himself. You can call him on Sunday evenings with questions, and he'll talk for hours if you want just because he loves making his client happy. And trust me - as one of his clients, we are as happy as we could be. ”

“Sasha from BLOK Architecture did a fantastic job redesigning the back of our 1920s home and adding on a screened porch and a deck. The entire process, from conception, to ironing out the details, to ensuring that everything was constructed as planned, went very smoothly. Sasha took a lot of time to listen to and understand what we were trying to accomplish. He initially presented us with 3 different concepts and then worked closely with us fine tune the details of the design. In addition, given the location of the house in a historic district, we needed to maintain the historic nature of the house and neighborhood and fulfill the requirements of the historic commission. Sasha was well versed in all of this as was very evident both in the ease with which we received approval and the way his design meshed so well with the rest of the house. It was amazing to watch what had been useless, awkward space develop into a beautiful bathroom, library, and laundry room. Meanwhile the porch makes us feel like we are relaxing out in the woods rather than actually in the center of Durham. Sasha even devised a system to allow us to enclose the screened porch for cold weather at some point, while maintaining the porch as open as possible. We can’t thank Sasha enough. He was able to accomplish all of our goals while maintaining the historic nature of the house and staying within our budget. What we ended up with was a house way beyond our dreams. The design was excellent, communication was very easy, the costs were very fair and transparent, and the end results were perfect.”