Services
Some designers focus on furnishings. Others focus on how a kitchen or interior functions. My work starts with the house itself — its architecture, proportions, materials, and the details that make it what it is.
When a room feels right with no furniture in it, I know I've done my job.
Start here
$100 per hour
A low-commitment way to start. We walk the whole house, you tell me what you wish it was, and I tell you what's worth your time and money and what isn't: which walls can move, which plumbing can move, and what can't.
Good if you've never renovated before or you're thinking about a kitchen "someday." A lot of people call me back a few months later, when they're ready.
Buying an old house
$250 minimum · covers two hours
Old houses are daunting. I'll come with you on a first tour or a serious second look, whether you already have a renovation in mind or just want someone who knows historic construction in the room.
An inspection will always tell you what's wrong. It won't tell you what's right, or what it's like to be the steward of an old house. I've been in dozens of old homes, and I've renovated and rebuilt them from the ground up.
Design
Priced by project
Kitchens and baths, plus the rooms around them: closets, bedrooms, living and dining rooms. Whole homes for the few people ready for a year-plus project. Restoration details like replicated millwork, salvaged mantels, and rebuilt fireplaces.
You get a complete set of plans your contractor can bid and build accurately, with no guessing.
Build
Priced by project · PA HIC #PA214724
In an old house, the design and the execution are two very different things. I can stay on as your representative during construction, take on the day-to-day questions, and work with the contractor and trades so the design gets built the way it was drawn.
I'm also a contractor, licensed and insured in Pennsylvania. For smaller projects, I take on the construction myself, case by case.
Specialty services
Hand-painted wood graining that's hard to find anyone to do, and deep-dive research into when your house was really built. Quoted case by case.
How it works
1
We talk about what you need and the scope of the project.
2
I see the house in person, then send an estimate and scope of work you can accept or adjust.
3
Regular meetings, in person or virtual. I always sketch by hand first so we can change direction quickly.
4
The project comes alive in 3D. Some clients have me measure their cookbooks and stand mixer, drawer by drawer. That's fine with me.
5
Countertops, paint, wall finishes, hardware, stain or paint, wood species.
6
What exists, what comes out, and what gets built, plumbing and electrical included. Ready to bid.
7
I stay on as your project manager, build a smaller project myself as your contractor, or you take the plans to your own contractor.
Walk into a contractor's office saying "I want to renovate my kitchen," and they'll price it sky-high to cover themselves. Plans first. Then you get a real number.
Why construction documents come first
Start a conversation
The year it was built, what you love about it, and what you wish it was. I'll get back to you within one business day.