Peter LaBau, LLC

I am a general contractor who collaborated with Peter LaBau on a total restoration of a turn of the century residence . I have 39 plus years of experience in the construction industry and I truly believe Peter to be one of the most "talented architects" that we have ever worked with . His office was 7 hours from the renovation and our office . Peter was always available when needed for decisions . The decisions were quick and thorough .Peter's attention to detail was ever present in every aspect of the restoration. Peter has an uncanny ability to work with everyone involved in the project (owner, subcontractors, carpenters) with the same level of respect and caring. Peter's design is truly the most beautiful renovation our company has ever completed. I enjoyed working with Peter and without any hesitation would highly recommend he and his firm for a building, restoration or remodeling project. I absolutely loved working with this exceptionally talented individual. I look forward to working with Peter again.

As the Founder & CEO of my own company, I recognize talent and excellence quickly. Peter LaBau is not only a brilliant architect, but also a wonderful and trustworthy individual. Peter would be a benefit to any project scope, as evident with our many highly successful communal projects. I give no greater endorsement than that of Mr. LaBau. Sincerely, Glen Ehrhardt- Founder, CEO Harvest Timber Specialty Products

Peter and his crew have collaborated with us on various projects throughout the country but most notably he was instrumental in the design and restoration of the Inn at Willow Grove, a property that is listed on both the Virginia and National Historic Registry. Peter and Jess actually listen to ideas that you might have as opposed to trying to force thier ideas on you, although they can be vocal when they think you may be going down the wrong path. This kind of relationship is key to the success of any project! We loved them so much we recently engaged them for another expansion of our Boutique Hotel! And they are a blast to work with! All in all a big thumbs up!

Peter LaBau joined our project mid-stream, bringing the finishing touches and recommendations that made the project a one of a kind property.(and that's a good thing) I would gladly recommend Peter and or work with him again. What a great listener! He captured our Owners wishes and we made it happen!

Working with Peter LaBau was a completely satisfying experience. He is first of all an excellent architect, with a real sense of design and style. He worked with me on the renovation of an older lake home that was built around 1920 in an arts and crafts style. I wanted to respect and reflect that history, but with a modern home designed for life in the 21st century. Peter did a wonderful job of walking that line and the result is spectacular. I particularly liked his style of working with me as a client; he had just the right mix of assertiveness as to what would look good and work well, and deference to the desires and tastes of his client. He was always completely accessible and much of the design was worked out in long phone calls. There were a large number of custom items that were included in the renovation, and he had an extensive rolodex of suppliers who did excellent work. The contractor who did the renovation thought very highly of him, both in terms of his work and the relationship (something that is not always achieved). This was a large project, and Peter handled it wonderfully. If the opportunity to work with him again presents itself, I will do so in an instant.

Peter LaBau is a very talented architect with an expert eye for details. He has a broad range of experience with varied styles. He and his team are approachable and consider input from clients and trade partners carefully as he develops the design for a project. I would highly recommend him for a large scale custom project.

I'm currently involved with Peter as a builder currently working on 2 projects. One project is an addition/renovation that we'll be starting in 30 days and the other is a design/build project for a house and barn that we'll be starting this Summer. Peter was the third architect we hired for the house and barn project and my clients are very happy with his vision and design skills. Peter has a lot of experience in construction, having owned a design/build firm; as a builder, I find these skills to be a valuable addition to the design work he does.

We hired Peter to develop a master plan for the renovation and restoration of a historical property that consists of multiple buildings, some of which date from the 1790s. Peter did a wonderful job preparing a design that incorporated our vision and preserved the historical integrity of the property. Peter worked effectively with our contractor, taking steps to avoid duplication of effort and to minimize expense. Peter is patient, and he and his team have been a pleasure to work with. I cannot recommend Peter more highly.

I hired Peter to architect a new kitchen and addition for our house. The house is a late 1800s historic home, and we wanted something that would both provide modern functionality and maintain the historical character of the house. The plan he worked out with us is absolutely brilliant - Peter is an artist when it comes to design, a great engineer in planning structures and detail, and a personal pleasure to work with. Peter's plan was far above our expectations. He started by discussing how we use the house, and how we would like to use the new space. He developed a plan with every practical detail thought through and replicated the character and historic design of the house into the new areas. He listened to our concerns, helped us decide between a number of trade-offs, and created a plan that would not just be a great addition, but would make the home more beautiful as a whole. Every builder we have discussed the pans with has expressed that knowing Peter was our architect meant that the plans would be technically excellent, making their jobs easier. I cannot recommend Peter high enough.

We renovated and updated an 1880's farmhouse in Virginia to accommodate a busy family and a very busy household. Peter quickly understood us and the house and was able to effectively combine the new with the old in such a way as to make it look absolutely natural. Peter has excellent taste and a very calm and calming demeanor. We were as happy at the end of the project as we were at the beginning...and that says a lot. He is able to put ego aside when dealing with clients, craftsmen and contractors. Ours was a project that started small and grew to encompass most of the house so we had an interesting and productive journey together. We would not hesitate to work with Peter again or recommend his talents to others.

Peter helped us create a world class design for our new home. While he helped in the overall layout and some of the exterior work, he was the key to the design of our interior living spaces. With elevations for each wall in each of the major rooms, ceiling woodwork designs, cabinet layouts, etc., he excelled at coming up with creative designs, sizing and specs that really fit with our view of what we wanted. Furthermore he connected us with many of the key artisans who were able to deliver his designs with true artistry and at reasonable cost. We owe Peter big time for what he did for us and we would heartily recommend him to anyone looking for creative design and implementation assistance. He's a joy to work with and the results are extraordinary. We'd be delighted to show off what he did and discuss this all further with anyone contemplating using his services.

Peter LaBau first came to my attention when he was working on an 1880's house that belonged to our good friends here in Somerset. His design of their addition was beautiful and so seamless and sympathetic to the original that it was hard to spot where his work began and the old house ended. We hired Peter to help us with"The Ordinary" a one room deep "hall and chamber style" house in Barboursville. The Ordinary was built in 1835, with a tiny dark bathroom and a chock-a-clock master bedroom (its strange design only allowed room for a double bed out of one corner) both added in the 1970's. Since that time, the house had been rented to various tenants and had been pretty well abused and neglected and I appreciated it that Peter warned me that it was going to be expensive simply to make the it sound again. I saw a house with a great deal of charm; Peter saw a house with a great deal of charm that was going to be a challenge and a considerable expense to restore. Without changing the footprint of the modern addition, Peter removed closets and narrow hallways and opened up the bedroom so that it now accommodates a queen sized bed and a good deal of furniture. There are now windows on 3 sides of the room. The bathroom is much larger and now has a window. Peter was always available to me whenever I had a question. He was respectful of my ideas. I naively began the project without a contractor and he put me in touch with all the subs I needed, and they were all excellent and professional. When I did hire a contractor to finish the job he communicated well and tactfully with him. He came to the job site several times to check on things. Beyond designing the new bedroom and bath he advised on other problems in the house. He has worked extensively in Virginia and has many good contacts. Over all I would say, considering the total expensive of restoring the house, his fees were a small fraction of it. Peter is good humored, intelligent and he has a knowledge and regard especially for old houses. He was fun to work with and a pleasure to be around. I would certainly use him again and highly recommend him.