CTA Design Builders, Inc.

Hired CTA to do an evaluation of a potential addition to our home. Received the work back along with a bill for more than double the cost we had discussed. The work was fine but very disappointed in the communication and adherence to agreement on the cost scope of the work.

We had been looking for a design-build company in Seattle, that could handle all aspects of the remodel of our mid-century home, when we came upon CTA’s listing and liked their work. We wanted to start the process with a redesign of our master bedroom/ bathroom suite, with hopes of someday moving on to other parts of our house. We didn’t feel we had a large enough project to hire a large architectural firm, and had actually been turned down by one company when they heard it wasn’t a whole-house remodel. We hoped to find a ‘one-stop shop’ that could not only design the rooms, but hire and interact with the contractor, and help with interior design. After our initial meeting with Julie, we knew she would be great to work with. We just clicked. It was obvious she had years of experience under her belt, and would be someone who could easily guide us through the process. We immediately felt comfortable hiring her and her team for our job. The design process went very smoothly with a few meetings at CTA’s offices, where they made us feel right at home. We were given several layout options to choose from, and they were more than happy to make changes here and there within the design. Once we got closer to our final decisions, we were able to see 3D ‘walk-throughs” to help us envision how the rooms would look. As someone who agonizes over every decision, I was very appreciative of how patient Julie and Nicole were with me, and I never felt pressure to make a decision without some time to think it over. Julie found an excellent contractor for our project, who managed all the sub-contractors and did beautiful finish work. We all worked together, on items big and small, to resolve any design dilemmas that naturally came up along the way. Julie understood how important it was for us to maintain the integrity of the house while updating its layout and finishes. She came up with many ingenious ways to add special little design touches, while keeping everything simple and ‘zen.’ Since we had the attention of the contractor, and Julie, an experienced architect on hand, we decided to move ahead with an additional project that truly needed attention in our home: new windows and sliding patio doors. Our home was designed in the ’60’s with beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows, with minimal framing, but they were single-paned: drafty in the winter and sweltering in the summer. We wanted to maintain the look of the original windows without adding the bulky window frames offered by most companies. We knew this would require a person who could think outside of the box and come up with a creative solution to the problem. We also wanted someone who would understand why we wanted to maintain the mid-century aesthetic of our windows. Julie and the contractor worked together to design new window sills that are built out just enough to hold double-paned glazing, without noticeable differences to the original design. We were also able to update our old aluminum sliding doors to much taller wood sliders that are absolutely stunning. The end result was just what we had hoped for. Now, everyday when I enter my bedroom and bathroom, I can hardly believe it is mine! I feel like I’ve moved into a luxury hotel suite with beautiful finishes and thoughtful design. After living in our new space for almost a year, I can’t find a single thing I would change. We are taking a breather from the remodeling process for now, but plan to use CTA’s services again when we move onto Phase 2! Followed by Phase 3! We highly recommend Julie and the team at CTA!

We are so glad that we chose CTA to remodel our house!! Julie and her team truly heard what we wanted, even when we couldn’t articulate it, and they used their skill, knowledge, and inspiration to create a design that we couldn’t be happier with. We moved back in 6 months ago, and still every day are delighted to live in this home that has been so thoughtfully designed. The scope of our project was major and comprehensive—going from two small dormers upstairs to a full second floor, a complete first floor remodel, additional roof deck, and excavating a basement crawl space into usable storage. Our house was a 100-year old Craftsman, in a neighborhood of the same, and it was important to us that our new house not be a glaring aberration—a difficult task when our tastes gravitate towards the modern. To get different perspectives, we initially asked both CTA and another prominent Seattle design-build company to submit plans. CTA listened to us way more, and they came up with brilliant ideas that we had never considered, not to mention the other company was wrong about a building code question (and even insisted CTA was incorrect, before a humbling realization). Julie is amazing and here’s why: she listens to what you want and truly invests herself in your design. She has great ideas and great taste. She’s a polite voice of reason and restraint when you inevitably push for a bad idea. She is flexible and accommodating after you explain that you couldn’t possibly live without this (bad) idea. She is a reassuring guide through the daunting process of remodeling a house, which is likely an unfamiliar endeavor for most. Her knowledge of building codes will make your house bigger and better. She, along with her staff, is absolutely charming, so meetings at their office are enjoyable and the two hours will feel like two minutes. She is a helpful liaison between you and your contractor. We couldn’t be happier with our house. Thanks, CTA!

We’ve worked with CTA twice in the last 10 years on our 1948 Seattle home. First, they did a small remodel to extend our entry and make better use of an over sized/too long living room (we created an office at one end), plus make some overall finishing upgrades in our main living spaces (interior doors, trim, paint, etc). We were so pleased with the space design and finishes, that we reached out again a year ago when we decided we were ready for phase two. Julie (designer/architect/owner at CTA) has been so fantastic to work with. We wanted to add an bedroom and overall upgrade our spaces, but we were really struggling with how to make the best use of our house, how much square footage to add, and what type of addition made the most sense for how we live. Julie sketched out three very different options - from huge change (adding another floor of bedrooms and reconfiguring the main floor), to a smaller addition (bedroom suite added, with upgrade of existing spaces), and one option in between. These concept sketches really helped us think through what we wanted from our house and pick a direction (smaller addition!). She then created detailed plans and started working with our contractor on construction. She’s been an invaluable partner throughout our process, driving the design direction as well as helping make day to day decisions during the build process. I trust her taste and expertise completely, and know that our final result will be beautiful, functional, and timeless. Working with her is like insurance for your remodel: you know it’s going to turn out well! I can’t recommend CTA enough, and to be honest, when our project is done in the next few weeks, I will be sad to not be working together anymore... this industry needs more Julies/CTAs!

We worked on two different occasions with CTA, first to do a kitchen and main-floor remodel, and second to complete the rest of the house (3 baths, lower floor, laundry, electrical, etc.) At all phases of the work, CTA and its contractors and employees were very attentive and thoughtful, worked within budget, paid very close attention to detail and quality of work, and consulted with us regularly on progress, etc. Perhaps most important was their ability to really update and upgrade a house with a very distinctive architectural "look and feel" (F. L. Wright style), retaining the original architect's intent while making very significant improvements to the design, functionality, and aesthetics of the interior. We were extremely happy with the result, would definitely work with them again!

We have worked with CTA to design a Master Plan for the 1965 home we moved into a year ago. Phase 1 of the plan was completed in November and included the kitchen & breakfast room, mudroom and a deck off the kitchen as well as a 'band room' downstairs. We have been living with the finished product of phase 1 now for 6+ months and are so thrilled with the results, it's such a beautiful and liveable space for our family of 5. Julie's sensibility is a true mesh with ours and she is very collaborative to work with. The team who worked on the construction itself were professionals who hold themselves to a high quality standard. We are excited to move forward to the next phases of work in the coming years!

CTA Design Build completed a large remodel of our 1907 Seattle home during 2008 which included our entire main floor and a master suite on the second floor. After almost 5 years of living in the spaces we still marvel out how perfectly the project turned out and to this day almost everyone who walks through our house comments on the beautiful work. Julie Campbell has a terrific eye for color and light and was an absolute pleasure to work with. She also has a great understanding of how families live and what makes a space livable day to day. Julie was able to really update our traditional home while ensuring that we kept it true to its historic roots, with traditional craftsmanship yet some fun, modern details. The project manager, Pete, really kept things on track as well and the entire crew was knowledgeable, responsive, and easy to deal with. Working with a Design-Build firm also ensured that things went smoothly. We highly recommend CTA if you want your home to stand the test of time and welcome you every day when you walk in the door.

CTA Design Builders is remodeling our master bedroom (with an addition and new deck) and two bathrooms. We live in a mid-century modern house designed in 1962 by Gene Zema. Julie, CTA's architect/owner, admires Zema's work and has worked hard to keep within the original design while updating the house for our current needs. She is a very creative and talented architect and interior designer. The entire crew working on our house, from the lead carpenter, the project manager and the people in the office have all been extremely skillful and great to work with.