Constructive Design Services

I cannot say enough to recommend Leslie Gross and Constructive Design Services. We undertook a major renovation and addition project and hired Leslie to design the concepts and interior and exterior layouts. She did an amazing job of considering the needs of our family and our expressed desires and preferences and produced a truly wonderful plan that embodied our desires as well as wisdom and expertise that we could not have brought to the process. As is the way of things, our project did not go smoothly. That terrible ordeal only served to highlight the incredible professionalism, character and competence that Leslie brings to everything she does. She was an absolute Godsend and helped us navigate hundreds of challenging decisions and situations with exemplary care, detail orientation, ethical and compassionate thoroughness. She went above and beyond to help us and to provide guidance and information to other professionals with whom we were working. She was readily available and a true team player and problem solver with a wide variety of people and personalities and really made up the backbone of our team during transition between contractors and sub-contractors. She was one of the only people who was humble in addressing challenges and working toward solutions. What a diamond in the rough! As the project was chugging along, Leslie was continually the point person who had the larger schedule and big picture in mind when it seemed no one else did. She is clearly capable of bringing together an interior design schematic that is cohesive and current. I have seen her work in many other projects. What impressed us deeply, and every one who has seen our home completed, is that she is not a formulaic or narrow minded designer. She didn’t herd us into a category and insist we remain in it. She has actual vision and talent and wide ranging perspective. She is a uniquely and diversely talented designer, with all the technical expertise to make dreams into a reality that works. We knew exactly what we wanted in many areas and needed guidance to make a cohesive whole from our eclectic parts. It was incredible to be able to have Leslie consider my thoughts and suggestions and give me pros and cons and her perspective. It was both a safeguard to have her experience and perspective as well as a liberation as she gave me tools to really discover what was truly my style. I treasure our back and forth texts and emails as we explored options and styles and finishes. It documents an incredible process of thoughts and ideas being refined into ‘right’. Not just any designer can do that, let alone with grace and kindness and humor. Our home is just beautiful. It reflects our hearts and history and style in a way we could hardly have dreamed of. It took grace, determination and courage for all of us to persevere through the process. I can confidently say that Leslie Gross is the single most important element of the team involved in the creation of this beautiful whole. We have ended a crazy season with all the stress and difficulty fading gradually. After all is said and done, our home is meant to be a refuge and training ground and gathering place for our family and all those that God calls us to serve. We rejoice that we have the space, and such a beautiful one at that. We sit down in the evening and look at the stairs from the couch and enjoy them. They are so perfect! I fold laundry on the counter in the laundry room and think I’ve never done laundry in a nicer space. I look out from the stove and see the evening light pouring through the front doors, bathing the whole room in calm golden light and think how glad I am Leslie suggested that we have those made 3/4 french doors. Our master bedroom is not a huge room, but the vaulted ceiling and large sliding glass door make it a special room, with an airy feel all its own. I could go on listing the many things about this home that bear the mark of Leslie and her excellence and compassion and her temperance and guidance in helping us express our personal style. We are so grateful to God for Leslie, as a professional, and now as a friend.

Leslie Gross, Constructive Design Services, just completed a multi-month project redesigning our vacation home in TN after a burst pipe led to a huge flood and devastating damage. Our primary residence is in Florida so planning and implementing the work required long-distance communication between Leslie, in Florida, and our contractors in Tennessee. Leslie Gross not only redesigned our home, she drew electrical, lighting and wall configuration plans! She was a pleasure to work with and a multi-talented professional. Leslie made herself available to answer every question and help with resources to fill our every need. She ultimately gave us back our beloved Tennessee get-away home in a refreshed, beautifully-reimagined, updated state. We couldn't be more satisfied with her work or recommend her more highly.

I met Leslie 14 years ago when she was doing an entire remodel job on a house on my street. I was astounded at the vivid transformation into a showhome of wonderful, livable space and so beautifully appointed.Her next large remodeling job was on a 1920's stone house in Allentown in St Pete. Once again creating an amazing space with period- friendly details. So when my son bought a condo in March of 2016, (downtown St Pete), I thought,immediately, of connecting Leslie and my son to see what could be done to bring the untouched, original condo into the next decade. The most amazing thing about Leslie is that she isn't just a designer, but is a architectural designer as well, a valuable asset in a professional. She can do her own drawings and is able to visualize spacial and necessary functional aspects of the assignment. She did this for my son's condo and completely reevaluated the dark entrance and guest room along with rearranging the master bathroom to include a large bade loft tub and reconfiguring the kitchen ,which had an awkward layout. Every design element of this project was carefully drawn, planned, executed, and brought to fruition. Once the main elements were designed she moved on to the decorating, which has turned out to be more beautiful than we could ever have imagined. Working with her woodworking genius she created a space that is staggeringly beautiful. Her attention to the aesthetic, ability to recognize the gifts in other artesans and to utilize them in her designs, and attention to details sets her apart. I would highly recommend this architectural designer without reservation.

In 1996, my husband and I were meeting with a real estate agent to purchase a house in Marietta. I thought it would be wise to ask a construction consultant to look at the house and inform us of any construction flaws, etc. That person was Leslie Gross. After carefully inspecting the house with Leslie, she pointed out the many flaws. We knew to keep looking. She said if we ever decided to build a house, give her a call and she would be happy to help. And so we did. We moved in our new house Aug, 1999. Thirteen years later, I am still in awe of Leslie's construction knowledge, management skills, organization and professionalism. The planning and construction took well over three years. I could never list all of her many responsibilities and accomplishments managing the construction; but here are several : She advised us on the ideal lot to purchase- positioning the home on lot Exterior and Interior Designs (all aspects) framing, sheetrock,etc Custom Cabinetry- antique ceiling beams, custom built furniture All paint selections,draperies, carpet, art, rugs & kitchen design & appliances- Plumbing, electrical, hardware - landscaping, porches,decks Limestone & stone fireplaces, interior stone wall Extensive Trim and moulding All coordination & scheduling with builder, architect, & sub contractors - including approval of purchases, invoices, payment submittals ***She gave me all documents showing paint colors, appliance invoices,tile and grout colors etc. - all info I can use after 13 years to repaint or replace anything along with warranty info * She also assisted in the design of our seven acre commercial retail office/warehouse industrial park in Marietta including our business office I could never say thank you enough for all her hard work and dedication. We had daily communications and meetings, and she was always well prepared and so pleasant. She listened to us and built us our dream home- so comfortable and yet so beautiful. She expected the best work from the subs and she got it and they respected her. They said they learned a lot from her and were better craftsman after working under her guidance. I would not change a thing in my house- so often, when I see "The Leslie Touch" faux finishes and all the antiques and custom built furniture - I have to smile. After seeing her at work, we began to say "whatever you think is best" !! The home was unique and beautiful and was featured in the local newspaper. More importantly, during this process, we forged a great friendship that I treasure to this day. I would love to have the opportunity to work with Leslie again - a peron with so much talent and integrity.

I sell estate and high end residential properties throughout the Tampa Bay area, and have worked with Leslie Gross for about 12 years. She is the quintessential designer. Leslie has the technical ability to design and construct a new mansion, the creativity to revive and restore historic homes, and the expertise to blend antiquities with modern design in a high rise condo. She can spend years on a project from conception to the final artwork is placed. But she is equally effective with the two hour consultation in which the client is given a multitude of ideas and advice, both constructive and creative. She listens to the needs of her clients and the result is her projects are unique and beautiful, but also meet the needs of the owner. She revived a 1920's ramshackle home in a historic district into a stunning piece of architecture by incorporating the past and adding found salvaged pieces and then constructing a master bath addition that is still talked about years later. To many this home was initially a tear down, too difficult to restore let alone add a "wow factor" in design. Another example is a mundane 1960’s Florida block home on the water that she opened up and moved around the entire interior while maintaining the footprint of the home. Then with a thoroughly island feel in materials and textures, she found a way to incorporate the exterior with the interior, the waterfront was now in play throughout the home and its entertaining area. Another home was a 1935 Tudor that she returned to all its glory from years of pink paint that covered everything. Leslie removed a dated fifties renovation but added beautiful unexpected details like pecky cypress arched bookcases where arched openings with a radiator sat. The new “vintage” kitchen in white with mahogany details of carved shells on the upper doors is so unexpected. She found an old Eastlake Victorian bedroom set and used parts and pieces to complete the look. Currently she was asked to design a condo interior. She had to find a way to take the lifelong collection of arts, accessories and furniture of a man who lived in Embassies worldwide and a large historic home in Florida, and use it within a modern building. Other designers had recommended he edit most everything out and switch to modern furniture throughout. Leslie Gross on the other hand, through listening to the needs and desires of the owner created an interior as unique as he is. It is eclectic, bohemian, a bit eccentric and wonderful! A perfect mix of his cherished collections but edited with a modern bent. Leslie has always created beautiful custom pieces and has an incredible master craftsman who has worked with her for years to build her designs. Describing Leslie Gross's style is difficult as she is multi-faceted and multi-talented; she can literally take any space and transform it to the needs of her client and into a solid quality creative design. She doesn't let trends dictate but her work is instead a timeless appeal to interior aesthetics. She is as dedicated to helping someone select the perfect paint color as she is designing an entire home from construction to interiors. Her talent and keen eye for balance, design and style, as well as her excellent skills with people, makes her one of the most respected designers in the area.

My husband and I hired Leslie Gross of Constructive Design Services to design and oversee the building of our home. We hired her based on the recommendations of several acquaintances and tours of the homes she designed. Leslie was, in short, the reason for the beauty, functionality and atmosphere of our home. She listened carefully to what we said we wanted and added her expertise. I began to trust her judgment and taste so much that I could leave many decisions to her and was consistently pleased at how well it was planned and executed. Her attention to both the big picture and the details was unusual in that she was excellent at both. Her demeanor is a delight to work with. She is a great communicator, friendly yet kept her professionalism over what I believe amounted to almost 4 years of working with us. (Two years of drawings and two years construction) When the home was finished, my husband and I were astounded at how beautiful it was and how, even now after 8 years of living in it, we wouldn't reconstruct any part of it. The house works. It is perfect for living, entertaining and simply looking at. Of all the people involved in this project, we both attribute Leslie to be the linchpin in why it became what it is. She is truly gifted.

Leslie has been a pleasure to work with and a wonderful person. Over many years of working together I have really come to know her and have developed a great friendship. Leslie has achieved tremendous recognition and success with her company CDS and is also one of the most talented interior designers I have ever worked with. She continues to inspire me & all those who are fortunate enough to work with her. Roberto Gomez Valdez Principal Director of Design Studio Wakefield Beasley & Associates

Constructive Design Services has helped me with our decorating needs for over 15 years. Leslie has impeccable taste and an eye for design. She not only designed our upstairs renovation, but she designed from the ground up my husbands medical office. I cannot say enough about her abilities! She is a pro through and through. You won't be disappointed hiring Leslie for all your decorating needs.