Kate Cleveland Architect

We worked with Kate on a previous home for new bathrooms and kitchen upgrades and then engaged her in a move to a mid-century home that needed a major renovation. She exceeded all expectations both as a designer and as a partner for us and the contractor over 2 years of planning and construction. Her design ideas created a warm and comfortable home that enhanced the original features to space that is really special. Unforeseen problems arose as we opened walls and floors to a what became a 90% rebuild. She was with us every step of the way from big ideas to fine tuning engineering issues that arose, to input on fixtures and paint colors. She was always responsive, created an easy relationship with all of the skilled contractors, and was our eyes and ears on the ground since we were living out-of-state for most of the construction. I highly recommend her for big or small projects. She is very talented and lovely to work with.

Kate is an exceptionally creative designer, with a discerning eye for detail so that her good ideas take shape in the real world. She renovated our kitchen into a beautiful bright space that is a joy to work and live in.

We engaged Kate for a kitchen relocation and addition onto our house. We wanted to open up the space of our 1930 stone home while preserving the charm of the original architecture and style. Kate understood our vision instantly and supported our project in more ways than the role of an traditional architect. She was an essential part of our team to the end, advocating for us and protecting our interests and design priorities every step of the way. She has a way about her that navigates potential conflict and project problems with ease and tact, helping us arrive at solutions with other advisors and contractors on numerous occasions. What started as an engagement to draw architectural plans quickly evolved and expanded into a role as a leader of our project and we wanted Kate at the table for all status meetings and decision points.

Kate made it possible for us to renovate our 1920s home with a new kitchen and two new baths while still keeping the essential character which drew us to the house. Our home had the design issues expected in an older home and needed two new baths and a new kitchen as well as new wiring and new heating and cooling systems. Kate had a clear vision from the beginning and help us make a far more livable and enjoyable home while maintaining the design aspects which we love. For example, the second bath had a built in cabinet which had been designed by the original owner and which we love. Kate helped us find a way to keep that cabinet while renovating the rest of the bath and creating a new bath in which the old and the new melded together perfectly. Throughout the project, she listened to us but did not hesitate to offer her own perspective. Kate urged us to consider a tile carpet in the master bath, a touch we would not have considered, which ultimately is one of the most striking aspects of our new master bath. She kept the project moving forward, on time and on budget. She was a real professional and a delight to work with.

We worked with Kate on a major renovation of our 1894 historic house. The four previous owners had done a beautiful job stewarding this special house, and we were concerned to maintain its beauty and integrity while wanting to add contemporary comforts and a little luxury. After interviewing many architects, we were delighted to meet Kate. She listened to us at very step of the way, and we really felt "heard." Shekept meticulous notes of conversations, providing us with them via email which kept our thoughts organized and communications smooth and seamless. Kate translated our conversations, ideas and concerns into drawings, and then worked hand in glove with the builder to make sure they were realized. She furthermore worked seamlessly with our decorator. Throughout, she was the brain and central nervous system of this major project. Two years after the huge house overhaul (a new kitchen, three new bathrooms, a complete re-wiring, new lighting, walls taken down for the creation of a huge family -play room on 3rd floor and a master suite on 2nd), we remain genuinely happy to return to our house each day. Kate helped us realize its potential, making it a beautiful place to relax, play and spend time with our kids, and host friends and family. We are so appreciative of her vision and her execution--so much so that we have just embarked on another separate project with her. We know we are in great hands.

Kate worked with us to renovate our 90 year old stone house in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. The house is large and originally had a very strange layout, which wasn’t suited for modern living. Kate was the perfect architect to help us achieve our vision! She was diligent and attentive, with a keen eye for design and a great attitude throughout the project. We are so glad that we found Kate and worked with her!

I can’t say enough positive things about Kate Cleveland. She is a brilliant designer, an excellent communicator and a consummate professional. We hired Kate to create a plan for a family room addition and basement renovation which included the addition of a laundry room and bathroom. She also helped design new entry ways for the front and sides of our home as well. She took the time to understand our family’s needs and to design creative ways to make both rooms seamlessly connect to the other spaces In our home and even anticipated how we would use the space as our children grew. Her aesthetic is classic and he’s instincts are always on point. She always made us feel like our project was a top priority and she was accessible and engaged from the start date to completion. Her attention to detail was invaluable during the design phase as she attended weekly meetings with our contractor and helped us stay on schedule and anticipate and avoid set backs. Of all the choices we made during our project choosing to hire Kate and keep her on during the design phase was the best money we spent. We are thrilled with our finished product.

Kate came highly recommended from past clients. I was nervous heading into the renovation process- Kate’s disposition calmed my nerves. We did a full house renovation. One of my biggest concerns was the flow with the renovation. I did not want my addition to look like an obvious add-on. My renovation looks beautiful and the flow is amazing. Kate’s attention to detail shows in every aspect of the renovation. Kate was mindful of my budget throughout the process. Kate was supportive beyond the contracted scope of work- I made a couple of “what should I do” calls that Kate helped me through :) Kate is talented, professional and lovely to work with. I highly recommend Kate and would welcome her into my home again.

It was a pleasure working with Kate. Our project was a huge undertaking. We added a three story addition and renovated much of our existing 1920’s era house. Kate’s design transformed our home inside and out. She listened to all of our requests and incorporated them into her design. She created bright open spaces while maintaining the original character of our house. Her attention to detail is obvious everywhere you look. Kate had a great working relationship with our contractor. Together they came up with solutions to unexpected issues. We are so happy that we choose Kate to work on our project and we are thrilled with the results.

We finished a kitchen renovation with Kate in our 1930s home. She was a pleasure to work with from beginning to end – creative, competent, patient, professional, flexible, and supportive. We could not have been happier with the end product. She understood our needs and style preferences and translated them into a beautiful and highly functional space that blends seamlessly with the rest of our home. Kate was upfront about cost and worked within our budget. She also frequently consulted with our contractor and kitchen designer to troubleshoot issues. She made the project stress free. I would highly recommend Kate for any small or large project.

We have used Kate twice and would definitely use her again. She planned a family room, mud room and kitchen addition for us and the second time a master bedroom, office and laundry room. Both times we gave Kate a list of what we wanted and she talked us thru the most important aspects and came up with great plans. We knew what we wanted but did not have the vision of how everything would work. Kate had the vision and was also able to anticipate future needs. She insured our addition looked great inside and out, worked with the rest of the house and functioned properly for our family.

Kate designed our addition, and we consider ourselves so fortunate to have worked with her! From the very beginning, it was clear that Kate was an excellent listener, and had a great facility with translating our needs and desires into plans for a space that would fulfill everything that we thought we wanted and more! She is an excellent communicator as well - not only with us, but also with our general contractor and the various other people involved in the project. Importantly, she also served as our advocate as the project proceeded in order to ensure that the project was moving forward and that the work was being performed per the plans. We found her fees to be quite reasonable, with the intangibles that she brings to the process to be priceless. Our renovation was a huge investment of money, but also affected our lives for months as we were going through it. It made all the difference in the world to have the confidence in knowing that we were in good hands with Kate. We recommend her highly and without any hesitation! (The photos of the project were taken by us, and do not even come close to showing how awesome everything looks!)