Doug Walter Architect

Some people design houses. Doug changes lives. We had the incredible good fortune of working with Doug on the remodel of our 1950s home, and looking back, partnering with him was one of the best decisions we could have made. Our home had only one bathroom on the main floor and a linen closet. Because of the needs of my 93 year old mother in law and my own journey with multiple sclerosis, we desperately needed an ADA accessible bathroom. We also hoped to find room for a second main floor bathroom and a front hall coat closet. We honestly were not sure it was even possible. From the very first meeting, it became clear that Doug’s greatest gift is not simply architecture. It is listening. He did not arrive with preconceived ideas or a one size fits all solution. Instead, he asked thoughtful questions, listened carefully, and worked to understand not just what we wanted, but why it mattered. He measured every inch of our home, studied the quirks and challenges created by renovations that a previous homeowner had completed themselves over the years, and embraced what seemed like an impossible design challenge. Then he did something remarkable. He saw possibilities where we saw limitations. What Doug ultimately created was not just an ADA accessible bathroom, a second bathroom, and a coat closet. He transformed the way our home works for our family. He designed spaces that preserve our independence, provide dignity, and make everyday life easier, all while creating something stunningly beautiful. Every time we walk through those rooms, we are reminded that exceptional design is not just about appearance. It is about improving the way people live. Doug is an extraordinarily talented architect, but what will stay with us long after the construction is complete is the way he treated us throughout the entire process. His communication was outstanding. He kept us informed, answered every question with patience, and made us feel like our project mattered as much to him as it did to us. We never felt like just another client. We felt like partners. There are professionals who meet expectations, and then there are those rare people who leave a lasting mark on your life. Doug is one of those people. Five stars simply are not enough. The value Doug brought to our family cannot be measured by floor plans or square footage. He gave us a home that will serve us well for years to come and an experience that exceeded every expectation. If you are looking for an architect who combines extraordinary creativity with genuine compassion, who listens before he designs, and who cares as deeply about your family as he does about the finished project, I cannot recommend Doug highly enough.

We were so fortunate to find Doug for our project! He was the architect for a longtime friend of ours, who did a major remodel several years ago, and recommended him. We were new to the process, not knowing where to begin or what was possible in our particular situation. He took the time to understand our lifestyle, our needs, and tastes. He is an expert at lighting, which our home desperately needed. New window and skylight placements and a new lighting plan changed the entire feel of our home. He is also an award winning kitchen and bath designer. Doug was on site several times a week, making sure things were proceeding correctly, ready with a new idea when the builder hit a snag. He became not only our trusted advisor, but a friend.

We recently completed an extensive remodel of our duplex home, a project that was as ambitious as it was complex. The scope of the project was significant: it involved gut remodeling both sides of our duplex, converting four crawl spaces into usable basement spaces, adding a second story to one half of the home, adding new heating, plumbing, and electrical, all new drywall, flooring, doors and casing, and windows; the works. Besides his creativity, one of Doug’s greatest strengths was his attentiveness. From the start, he took the time to thoroughly understand our goals, offering insightful suggestions while respecting our vision. He guided us each step of the way generously offering his opinions and wisdom from years of experience. Throughout the process, he remained incredibly present and responsive, always available to address questions, resolve concerns, or adapt plans as needed. The project presented many challenges, from unexpected structural issues to coordinating work across two separate yet interconnected homes. Doug handled these complexities with grace and professionalism. His ability to anticipate potential problems, work collaboratively with contractors (we also enjoyed and wouldn’t have found as exceptional on our own), and present creative solutions helped keep the project on track. The result is nothing short of transformative. Doug's thoughtful design seamlessly integrates modern functionality with the character of the original home, dramatically enhancing both the aesthetics and usability of the space. It’s hard to imagine the original floorplan; this is what it should always have been, even the second-story addition! The new basement areas have added tremendous value and livability to both homes. Doug Walter is a true professional and a gifted architect. His expertise, creativity, and dedication to his clients shine in every detail of our remodel. We highly recommend him to anyone seeking an architect who can manage complex projects with calm, care and precision.

Doug has done 2 architectural designs for my house and both were amazing! The first project Doug completed for me was a complete remodel of my kitchen, living room and flooring throughout my house. The second project Doug just completed for me was a complete remodel of my basement. Doug was able to complete this complicated remodel with me being out of town and absent the entire project. He kept the project on-time and on budget while tackling the complicated issues like adding a sewer pipe in the concrete of my basement that required drilling and excavating. This work was completed in May 2024 this year. I am extremely happy with the results and would not hesitate to recommend Doug for your next home project!

Doug drew up a lighting plan for our kitchen that blew our minds! The photos speak for themselves. It's worth nothing that the before photo was taken during the day with our blinds open! The professionally shot after photo was taken at night with the blinds drawn... What a night and day (pun intended) difference purposefully placed lighting can have on a space. Couple of tidbits. First, Doug was affordable to work with-Which was nice. Second, he drew up the lighting plans (for code purposes) AND recommended the fixtures and bulbs to use (which makes all the difference). Be sure to hire an electrical contractor who is 'on board'. Many of these guys come from the old school and balk at what Doug draws up (we had to have the lighting installed twice because the first contractor insisted on his way of installing lights)-Stick to the plans you receive from Doug and your project will turn out beautiful too!

Doug's input was very helpful with the placement of our lighting, bulb types, sizes, angles, distance from cabinets, accounting for shadowing. We used various types of lighting including recessed par30, both 40 and 25 degree, pendulum, and under cabinet. We are so grateful to have had his help with our lighting design! Thank you Doug!!!

Doug Walter and David Coggeshall Construction come to the rescue in late December of 2019 my right femur broke and I tumbled down the basement stairs. After 2 weeks in the hospital and 3 in rehab it was time to go home. A few days before the scheduled release my OT and I did a survey of my home for safety. Both bathrooms were badly in need of grab bars. Luckily I had a wonderful neighbor in architect, Doug Walter. He had offered to help in any way possible. On very short notice Doug enlisted his trusted Contractor, David Coggeshall, with whom he was doing a big remodel in Country Club. Doug purchased the bars and David's carpenter spent an afternoon installing them. Having them installed allowed me to shower safely. I was so grateful. The biggest surprise came when I asked for my bill. They both declined payment, saying they were glad to be of help. Again so much appreciation for their work. I am not certain how that works as a business model, but it made me appreciate such a wonderful neighbor. To me this said a lot about the character of Doug and David. Who wouldn't want such caring and responsible people to be working on their property.

We chose Doug as our architect for a remodel on our home in the Country Club neighborhood in Denver. Doug came to us highly recommended and we weren't disappointed in what he brought to the project. In the design phase he came to us with a number of really creative, fresh ideas based on input my wife and I gave him. The sunroom he designed, while very different from our existing house, fit perfectly with the house and yard. Everyone who has seen it has commented on how tremendous it looks and how wonderfully it fits the house and us. We also remodeled all our bathrooms and our kitchen and added a powder room on the main floor in a very tight space. Doug put us in touch with a very skilled kitchen and bath cabinet company and they worked well together creating what we wanted. Doug also worked well with our contractor and was a valuable asset in dealing with a number of construction challenges. We were and are very appreciative of what Doug was able to do for us during our remodel and we wouldn't hesitate to use him again.

My wife and I worked with Doug Walter on a major remodel of our home that transformed it from a standard "builder quality" home to the home of our dreams. Doug was fantastic with regard to his ability to hear what we desired and understand it, yet to provide just the right amount of guidance to make the outcome even more amazing than we imagined. We particularly appreciated Doug's creativity and ability to make suggestions that would never have occurred to us. For example, his suggestion to relocate the kitchen from its original position to a more central location in the home has dramatically improved our enjoyment of our main floor and the flow within the home when entertaining guests. Likewise, his suggestion to relocate the entrance of our master bedroom with the addition of a curved wall added architectural detail to the home that we continue to love and comment upon every day. In addition to his skill as an architect, we greatly appreciated Doug's ability to provide guidance and oversight throughout our entire remodel from conception to completion. He helped to coordinate our selection of everything from cabinetry to appliances to windows. He introduced us to multiple excellent contractors and helped us to select the fantastic one that we ended up working with. He was cognizant of our budget and very effective in helping us with cost considerations. When stalls occurred in the construction process, Doug was very helpful in providing gentle pressure to keep the process rolling forward. In addition, we appreciated his keen focus on ensuring the quality of the work being done and found him to be a fantastic advocate for us in ensuring everything was done to perfection. Like any major remodel, ours had its moments of challenges and sometimes felt that it would never end. However, working with Doug throughout the process definitely provided us with reassurance and we couldn't be more pleased with the outcome. We recommend Doug for anyone considering a significant home remodel without reservation.

We recently employed Doug to do a complete kitchen and bathroom remodel, as well as add a large covered patio to our home in Golden. Doug was fantastic to work with and we couldn't be happier with the outcome. Here are some highlights of what was great about working with Doug. He is a good listener, and he did thorough ground up research of both of our needs, wants desires and tastes. He was always mindful of our budget constraints and offered options along the way. He is technically savvy and up to date with the latest in all applicable areas, e.g. lighting, building materials and techniques, appliances an color. He was patient with us and gave us space to hem and haw while noodling on decisions. At times he would give is firm no's and at other times firm yes's. The contractors he introduced us to were fantastic and clearly his long standing relationship with them made a huge difference. All in all, there was I high degree of trust amongst all the parties. We lived in part of our home during the 5 & 1/2 job and it was a breeze despite all the horror stories we we told. We cam in slightly under budget after making slight modifications in scope to suit our preferences.

Why are we writing a review of our architect , Doug Walter, 12 years after the remodel he did on our home in the Country Club neighborhood of Denver? Because thanks to the amazing transformation he spearheaded, our home sold in two days for more than the asking price. The work performed in 2006 completely transformed the badly remodeled exterior of the 1926 home and turned it into a beautiful Mediterranean. The project won numerous local and national awards, including a Mayor's Design Award from the city of Denver. We thoroughly enjoyed the interior and exterior remodel that Doug designed, but after 12 years it was time to downsize and we were delighted to sell our home it to a couple who appreciated its architectural refinements as much as we did. We remember fondly the interaction we had with Doug and his associates and would recommend him highly to anyone contemplating a home remodel particularly in an historic district.

We worked with Doug 8 years ago on a kitchen remodel and were so pleased with the result that we hired him again to remodel our two original bathrooms constructed in 1908. The master bath had the original cast iron bathtub with no shower and was very impractical. We have spent the past 20 years showering in the basement. The other bathroom is a jack and jill style that was poorly remodeled in the 80's. Doug came up with an incredible new footprint for the bathrooms. We worked together with him to design custom cabinets and pick out all the finishes and fittings. The project cost $70,000. The new bathrooms are beautiful and yet practical to use. They have all the newest amenities but blend well with the traditional look of our old, 1908, home. We could not be more pleased! Doug Walter is an expert in renovating old houses and we give him our higest recommendation.