--- title: "Lee Tripi Design — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/lee-tripi-design-pfvwus-pf~1669645210 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1669645210.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Lee Tripi Design" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/fa93a4950134c2a0_0360-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Raleigh, North Carolina 27615, United States" latitude: 35.8887 longitude: -78.6393 phone: "(919) 271-8506" website: http://www.leetripi.com rating: 3.8 review_count: 10 followers: 107 last_updated: 2026-09-01 --- # Lee Tripi Design Original Houzz profile: [Lee Tripi Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/lee-tripi-design-pfvwus-pf~1669645210) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Raleigh, NC - **Serves:** The Eastern Seaboard of the United States of America - **Houzz rating:** 3.8 out of 5 (10 reviews) ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - 1,000 Ideabook Saves Lee Tripi specializes in Asian - Modern design of interior and exterior living spaces. Whether the project involves new construction or the remodel of an existing space, the creation or the transformation of our spaces provide a daily lifestyle of calm simplicity, comfort, and functionality without sacrificing an emotionally distinctive appeal of impactful sensory stimulation for our clients. ### Services Provided - asian - modern interior and exterior design - original fine art paintings - Japanese gardens - modern kitchen & bath design - modern furniture design ### Areas Served - The Eastern Seaboard of the United States of America ### Typical Job Cost \- 100,000 The value of a project is not defined by monetary contributions but rather by the feeling of peace, happiness, and comfort enjoyed by our clients with daily living in their newly designed space ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Lee Tripi Design | | Address | Raleigh, North Carolina 27615, United States | | Phone | (919) 271-8506 | | Website | http://www.leetripi.com | | Followers on Houzz | 107 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/lee.tripi - LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=14790057&trk=nav\_responsive\_tab\_profile ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Lee Tripi Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/lee-tripi-design-pfvwus-pf~1669645210) - **Website:** http://www.leetripi.com - **Phone:** (919) 271-8506 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Founding member of SparkCon (2006), serving multiple terms of office on the Arts Commission and the Appearance Commission of Raleigh, spanning the years of 2004 until the present. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 3.8 out of 5 — 10 reviews** ### All 10 reviews **★★★★★ — Tracy Novocin Barnes, Oct. 2017** > After seeing his remodeling projects in a home and condo, my husband and I we ready to remodel our bathroom. Our condo is 9 yrs old and the space inside is limited. Somehow Lee was able to redesign our bathroom to make it look bigger and brighter. As a bonus, the finish project provided us with a bathroom with a spa like feel. He kept us in budget and on time. The $1500 consultation fee was well worth it. He not only designed the bathroom but took care of ordering all of the supplies. The contractors he recommended were polite, caring and trustworthy. We can't wait to start our kitchen remodel next year. This was our first time remodeling a house. Lee Thank you for making our first experience awesome. **★★★★★ — Bobbette Hogue, Oct. 2017** > We hired Lee Tripi to design our family room. I needed this room to be "me," with my taste/likes shining through and to be modern and inviting. It is exactly that! He has a unique eye that can see a masterpiece in every space! I also wanted something done with the typical 20 yr old fireplace that would fit with our soon to be new room, Lee created an amazing design with a wow factor I was so looking for! We were impressed with the fact the even though he did not personally build the fireplace, he stopped in and called often to make sure it was going as planned with no problems. > He chose fabulous furniture pieces with my need for flare in mind that also provided the comfortable seating I wanted. > Everyone that has seen the "new" family room thinks it's spectacular and should be on the cover of some magazine! (i agree) We would certainly recommend him to anyone without hesitation! **★★★★★ — Debra Hooper, Oct. 2017** > Lee is amazing! He is an incredible designer. Easy to work with, great communicator and listens to your point of view. I would hire him again for house renovations. **★★★★★ — Jenny Fleming, Oct. 2017** > I had Lee work on a kitchen remodel and I was very impressed with his timeline and his design. He listened to my wish list and submitted a design that was well thought out and easy to follow. > He was very mindful of my budget and was able to come up with ideas that worked for me within my range! He was polite and professional and made the renovation very stress free. > I am very pleased with my new kitchen and can't wait for him to start on my bathrooms soon. > His simple and refreshing vision makes for a beautiful and lasting addition! **★★★★★ — Rudy Waldner, Oct. 2017** > After 10 years in our downtown condo, we decided that our bathroom needed an upgrade. > We selected Lee after seeing examples of his clean and elegant designs. We felt that the initial design was worth the $1,500 fee as it helped Lee and us understand how to best fit the master bath update into our condo's style. We couldn't be more pleased with the finished product, both the look and function. We used Lee's construction team. They were very professional and completed the job on-time and within budget. We highly recommend Lee and his team **★ — heatwave23, June 2015** > We feel we were over charged. > Lee charges for 10 hours up front which equals $1,500. We were told that odds are the whole project would not require 10 hours. After Lee caused multiple delays to our project and was not providing value we parted ways early in the project. **★ — ncstreamer, May 2014** > We hired Lee Tripi for a bathroom remodel. After our initial meeting and paying the design fee we received a drawing that did not make any sense. The selected tub was for example larger than the space where Lee had drawn it. The drawing of the vanity was completely drawn out of perspective. I should have saved that drawing as it is very convincing why you would not want to work with Lee. **★★★★★ — ebonek, April 2014** > It has truly been a pleasure working and doing business with Lee Tripi Designs. As his graphic/web-designer I have enjoyed planning out his website from beginning to end. When I first met Lee Tripi I knew right away we would work together. The talent he has to offer is amazing. The varieties of his style are what really blew me away. Designing a website to show off his uniqueness of style was my ultimate goal. His designs are like no other and so is his website. Working with Lee Tripi one on one helped open my eyes to different styles of designs as well. He was a wonderful client, punctual and always gave me his honest feedback towards my designs. I look forward to doing more business with him in the future and later him doing some interior design for my home as well. **★★★★★ — jasdelaney, Feb. 2014** > Living in a condo with commercial construction, my husband and I hired Lee Tripi for his ability to meet the challenge of designing a contemporary styled master bath, while negotiating the limitations of working with a concrete slab floor and drains that couldn't be moved. His design far surpassed anything we could have imagined, creating a unique, clean-lined look that gives us the sense of living with an Asian spa steps from our bed. > > Lee is an artist, whether he's working with paint on canvas, or landscaping and building materials. He is a true designer, transforming spaces in ways that are completely unparalleled, yet - guided by his Zen leanings - feel absolutely natural and meant-to-be. > > We were so pleased with Lee's concepts for a glassless walk in shower with suspended cabinets, wall mounted faucets and (modified) pedestal sinks, that he has now created a tiled fireplace for us, with a mantel created from an old barn beam. > > As an artist myself, I appreciate excellent design. I also value a designer who is able to listen closely to my preferences, yet envision a space that is far beyond anything I could have conceived. When friends and family comment that our new bathroom and fireplace are so ME, it makes me chuckle, because Lee makes me look better than I've ever looked before! **★ — Kelly Branson, Jan. 2014** > We engaged Lee in July 2013 to provide design work for a complete gutting and remodeling of our 1960's split-level kitchen. Our plan was to also purchase our cabinets, counter and sink from Lee Tripi Design. The contract was $1,750 for 10 hours of design work at $175/hour. Lee Assured us that this would cover the complete design time and that he would actually spend far more hours (at no extra charge) overseeing the entire project, from beginning to end. > > Approximately three weeks after making a site visit, Lee emailed a hand-drawn simple floor plan that was essentially our existing kitchen layout with the addition of an island (our suggestion) -- and with multiple inaccuracies, among them: the exterior door was placed squarely into an existing window, the range dimensions, and therefore adjoining cabinets, were incorrect, and it included seating on the end of the island, though we had expressly stated not wanting this, as it intruded well into the dining room. > > Proceeding on the assumption that more accurate and detailed drawings, incorporating our wishes (and maybe some expert “design” ideas), would be forthcoming, we met with Lee, selected a cabinet finish from his one line of cabinets (though we originally understood he carried at least two) and counters in wood and quartz from his two lines of counters. We solicited bids from contractors, including the one referred by Lee. As bids came in, and Lee casually mentioned cabinet costs in the $20K range, it was starting to look like we would be exceeding our original $50K budget by at least 60%. (Lee's referred contractor, which he applied considerable pressure for us to use, submitted a cost+ estimate that was 100% higher than our lowest bid.) We were prepared to adjust our budget, but needed some realistic numbers to work with. > > At this point, we very clearly (verbally and in a detailed email) expressed the necessity of nailing costs down and requested hard numbers for all of the major items we would be purchasing from Lee. Nearly a week later, we received an email that gave somewhat vague and incomplete estimate totals for a few of those items requested. (This included an estimate for our island counter that was 50% higher than we had been originally told.) The sink, toe-kicks, hardware and installation were not noted. And we still did not have an accurate drawing (so I am a bit mystified how cabinet costs could have been worked up). > > Having failed to provide a single accurate drawing or any kind of formal quote for our $25-30K in materials, over the course of more than two months, we could only conclude that Lee was either unwilling or unable to complete the work for which he was hired. As we hoped to get this project done before the holidays, we terminated the relationship with Lee in early September and subsequently requested an accounting of hours and — given that the sum total of Lee's work had been two in-store meetings, one site visit and one inaccurate simple floor plan — expected some refund. > > Lee's accounting of his $175-per-hour "design" time included $875 for the one unworkable sketch he provided (see image) and $700 for "product research." We do not consider pricing our cabinet and counter selection -- that we were buying from him – as either design time or "product research." Nor can we understand what "research" took place, given that we chose from the single cabinet line he carried. Regardless, precise pricing was never even provided. > > At $175 per hour, we would have expected some actual design work, but would have settled for working drawings and a formal quote for materials. Lee was most certainly given a reasonable chance to complete the work and simply did not. He was wholly unprofessional in his dealings with us. > > We have just completed our kitchen renovation using another designer. ## Selected projects - [510 Glenwood](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/510-glenwood-pj-vj~450526) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 3 - [Zen Garden](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/zen-garden-pj-vj~421097) - Location: Raleigh, NC - Photos: 4 - [Original Art](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/original-art-pj-vj~489426) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 24 - [Restoration of Fire Damaged Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/restoration-of-fire-damaged-home-pj-vj~485383) - Location: Raleigh, NC - Photos: 9 - Description: This home was entirely renovated after significant fire damage. - [Backyard Renovation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/backyard-renovation-pj-vj~500826) - Location: Raleigh, NC - Photos: 12 - Description: A traditional style exterior with small deck will be transformed into a zen-like living space with distinctive asian elements - [Interior Transformation from Traditional Style](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/interior-transformation-from-traditional-style-pj-vj~450551) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 2 - [Urban condo](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/urban-condo-pj-vj~183407) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 7 - [Dance Floor](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/dance-floor-pj-vj~496889) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 4 - [Custom Designed Kitchen](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/custom-designed-kitchen-pj-vj~496847) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 5 - [Original Furniture Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/original-furniture-design-pj-vj~489411) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 11 [See all 10 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/lee-tripi-design-pfvwus-pf~1669645210) ## Ideabooks - [Japanese Gardens](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/22310115/list/japanese-gardens) — 115 ideas - [Master Bath](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/26145849/list/master-bath) — 35 ideas - [modern kitchen](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/26260205/list/modern-kitchen) — 22 ideas - [Modern Bedrooms](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25353220/list/modern-bedrooms) — 33 ideas - [Feel good homes](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/27096754/list/feel-good-homes) — 12 ideas [See all 5 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/romantripi) ## Community Q&A **Q: what is the backsplash that you used in this kitchen** *(in Photo Questions)* A: This project was designed by Lee Tripi in Chapel Hill, NC. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-01.*