Home Remodelers in Ellsworth

“Smith & Vansant is a phenomenal architectural firm. In fact, working with them renovated not only my house, but my life! After 15 years or so of living with the property more or less as I found it, my tiny 1850 Cape needed long-overdue renovations -- including improvements to all major systems, solutions to a big water problem in the basement, a new kitchen, a new roof, adding working and living space, and a home office, along with extensive site work and landscaping. From a design perspective, they are simply brilliant. They have a fantastic aesthetic sense; know how to integrate old and new in a way that is pure genius; and are skilled problem-solvers. I wanted the house to be more liveable and comfortable, while still honoring the antique details that had drawn me to the property in the first place. Pi Smith and Stephen Branchflower in particular not only listened to me all along the way, but heard me. They gave me exactly what I had hoped for. From a practical perspective, I needed to live in the house while this was going on, and they were sensitive to my need to carry on amidst the upheaval. They worked closely with the contractor, Lud Leskovar, to assure that I was comfortable and inconvenienced a little as humanly possible while the work was being done all around me. Smith & Vansant, Lud Leskovar and I worked closely as a team. The kept me informed as to costs all along the way and helped me make decisions that took into account my both budget and my dreams. They were endlessly patient and always kind. Everyone in this close-knit firm is a pleasure to work with, operates with the highest integrity, and knows what they are doing. I can't recommend Smith & Vansant highly enough. For photos of this project, see "Houzz Tour: Beautiful, Hardworking Cape Renovation" on this site.”

“Sonya Misiaszek came highly recommended to us by friends who were satisfied clients. It was very important to us that we had an experienced architect who would complete the job in a timely manner, would listen to our needs and wishes, had a good working relationship with the general contractor and his subs, and who was sensitive to the pristine wooded lakeside setting in which our 5,000+ sq ft home was to be constructed. We lived several states away from the project and were very pleased with Sonya's management of the design and construction and with her help in making decisions from afar. Sonya incorporated all of our unconventional ideas that made this house unique and dearly loved by our family. She included secret spaces for each of our children, two screened in sleeping porches with panoramic lake views, a loft on the second story looking over the kitchen, two stone fireplaces, a large walkout basement with ample storage space and a large boat room. She helped us select natural finishes that gave the house the interior "golden glow" for which we were hoping. We also specifically asked for the house to have a "camp like" feel, and Sonya's familiarity with New Hampshire inspired her to add camp sinks in the kids' rooms, painted floors and horizontal pine paneling (some distressed) and ceilings throughout, and stained rustic skirl siding on the exterior. This house is solid, and there is nowhere that we feel safer. It is very cozy, virtually pest proof, and it not only fits into its natural surroundings but also feels like a true reflection of us. The property came with a number of building restrictions and environmental protection issues. Sonya's patience and persistence kept the project moving, and it was completed in less than 14 months. Our expectations were exceeded.”

“Don Bladja and his team at Koal PLLC have provided remarkably professional and creative work product for our home development efforts. It has been a joy to see our vision unfold with Don as he deftly works with our builder, his structural engineering partner, our cabinet maker, and others on our complex project. He has taken a very rough plan, started by another architectural firm with which we were unsatisfied, mixed in quite a number of unique and complicated requests from us along with forbidding site restrictions and has turned it into a detailed set of drawings that has "wowed" all with whom we have shared. Our builder and his tradesmen have easily implemented our shared vision straight from Don's plans. Many of our complicated requests, including a float room, sauna, elevator, and golf simulator/theater/business conference room combination (to name just a few) started as simple ideas scribbled on a napkin. With Don's expertise and experience, he quickly showed us many alternatives; turning our crazy simple sketches into detailed plans that worked within our uniquely challenging house footprint. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Don and his team. We only wish there were more than 5 stars to rate Koal PLLC, so you would more fully understand how impressed we have been!”

“Karina is a joy to work with! My husband and I consulted with Karina to try to figure out how to make our house work for us, my in-laws and our growing family. She had some wonderful ideas about how we could make it work. Ultimately, we decided to buy another house but are looking forward to working with her on my dream kitchen remodel once we get settled. I highly recommend working with her! She is so easy to get along with and really takes the time to understand what your vision is and advise you on what may or may not work. I was also impressed that she didn't want to advise anymore work than was within our budget, saving me the heartbreak of falling in love with something I couldn't ultimately have.”

“We had Randall Mudge & Assocs. design an extensive new master bath and closet for our existing home. Construction has not yet been undertaken, but we were very pleased with their work. It was innovative and carefully thought out.”

“Thank you Kate for helping us to brainstorm ideas, design and assist in creating our forever dream home with your thoughtful and mindful architectural suggestions! You listened intently to our vision to produce a structural design that would work with our existing home, built in 1985, and stay within waterfront protection restrictions and open up striking views of the water from nearly all directions. With new windows and wall of glass sliding doors, we can’t believe how much natural light has been added to our home. We wake every morning seeing and feeling the warmth of the sunrise to start our day peacefully, calm and stress free. We now feel so connected to the outdoors, being able to view all the wildlife in their natural habitat. Many of our neighbors also comment on how beautiful and tastefully done the exterior of the home is and how it continues to fit into the charm of the Henniker area despite the large additional footprint. You are an extremely talented and trusted local professional gem who is creative, easy to work with, and very responsive given the timeline and budget for our project. We are very proud of and love the work you did and highly recommend you to manage any project large or small. You proved to us and the contractor that you are able to successfully handle any challenges, changes, or curve balls that come your way and make it all work out beautifully.”

“Chris brings a brilliant approach to home design. He quickly delivers a plan by capturing the desires of the owner. His design signature is unique and a breath of fresh air to the custom home market.”

“I worked with Anita on interior design/decorating decisions after buying a new house. This included selection of interior paint colors, furniture, upholstery, and light fixtures, as well as furniture placement. She was professional and thorough and most importantly very attuned to not only my style and taste but also to my needs as a mother of small children. I also appreciated that she helped me source almost every item locally and was sensitive to the budget. I will definitely be working with her again in the future.”

“Sam helped us create a beautiful and highly functional building that met many needs - a library for our book collecting, a home office, guest quarters, kitchen, garage and utility space and a shipping and inventory room for our fine art and book business. It is a separate building from our home and Sam cleverly joined the buildings with an Italian inspired courtyard surrounded by gardens. He brought a wealth of knowledge and creative thinking to the project based on a long and illustrious career. We finished on deadline and were within budget. Sam was always willing to listen to the input of others and was a collaborator with all - not a slave to his own ideas.”

“I have wanted a kitchen for years that represented my Victorian home. The design work and construction was meticulous. The time spent gathering together all elements of the project was done professionally and encompassed areas beyond my range of knowledge. My questions and concerns were listened to with an excellent attitude and explained to the fullest. The functionality of the kitchen is amazing. The work was done to our agreed time frame and within our budget. Gosselin Design worked with all the vendors in a professional manner and acquired the products we ordered as timely as possible. They dealt with issues beyond our control. I am very pleased with the exceptional work done on my project.”