Our family worked with Debowsky Design Group when we decided to do a large scale, whole home renovation of a large but dated 1990s two story home. We met with no less than five architectural firms, but decided DDG was the right choice for us. Their prices were not the highest, nor the lowest, but seemed fairly priced considering the proposed scope of work. They came with solid recommendations for local contractors at every price point, and took us to a number of previous client's homes (who they were still friendly with!) to see their work, which was stunning. If you think the photos on their Houzz page are impressive, I urge you to see some of it in person. Super creative, cutting edge, but more importantly GOOD, functional design.
DDG turned a process that is known to be notoriously stressful into one that was, dare I say it, FUN. This is a key point-- when you do a project, small or large, whether its a kitchen, bathroom, or a total gut renovation- you will be spending a lot of time with the team you select. We got to know Stuart, Marina, Chris and Eric very well, as they were all actively involved in working with us to make our Houzz vision boards come to life. They took our ideas and adapted them to the space and style, keeping the integrity of the home and saving what we could of the existing design.
Another thing we especially liked about this firm was their ability to offer a "one stop shop" for everything --Architectural services, Interior Design planning and Project Management skills. Not all Architectural firms offer this, but its a time and money saver that can help you achieve a cohesive and curated look.
Marina Dias, DDG's in house Interior Designer, worked with us making selections for all the materials we would use in our new home. She took care of the ordering, budgeting, returns-- basically the other 90% of the selection process that isn't the "fun part" of actually picking the stuff out. This included all tile and flooring selections, lighting (the jewelry of the house!), plumbing fixtures, paint colors, furniture, rugs, just to name a few. Marina also worked closely with the Millwork company to design and build all cabinetry in the house, from bathrooms to kitchen to closets, and all media furniture. When something wasn't done right, she noticed and had them come back to fix it. For example, when our kitchen hood had to be retrofit due to failing inspection, the team took care of it behind the scenes, never worrying the client (us) with this problem. I should also add that their contact for the millwork came in at HALF the price of the other companies bidding it out. It was the same products-- solid walnut for the built ins, lacquered shaker style solid wood cabinets for kitchen and baths, custom closet--- but at a very reasonable price. DDG also took us shopping at a number of stores that they had strong business relationships with who were able to extend to us good discounts, and these relationships also helped when things went wrong and needed to be returned, special orders and all.
Stuart and his team were cognizant of our budget and helped us choose what to splurge on and where we could cut corners. They also helped us design a three phase plan for our project-- which we ended up doing all at once, after all, because once we saw the finished product we loved it and didn't want to wait to complete it all.
Our finished home has been featured in magazines and on websites, and quite simply, their finished product speaks for itself. We are incredibly pleased with the quality and service provided to us by Debowsky Design Group. Not only that, but they're trustworthy, talented and kind individuals who we genuinely miss seeing now that our job is done.
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