Garage Designers in Galveston

“Simply put, M Architecture is the only firm we use! I can confidently say that Megan is exceptionally meticulous, wonderfully creative and extremely knowledgeable!”

“We worked with Kennedy Architecture to build our home. From day 1, Troy was always available to answer questions, make changes, help with design and decor decisions, basically everything I needed. He would help me with ideas, color choices, etc. He created 3D renderings so that we could better understand what he was creating. He is a top notch professional and I highly recommend him for your home design! Thanks so much Troy for everything! Andrea”

“The short version of my review is: Sam is FANTASTIC, and I highly recommend him to everyone I know! The long version is.... I currently live in an old 2 bed / 2 bath 1920 Heights cottage. While preparing for the birth of our first baby, we realized that we would need more space before we had a second (at least one modern-sized closet would be nice!). Alas, our new home search began. I wanted to stay in the Heights, and after actively looking for >1 year, I realized that there was nothing on the market that would fit our growing family's needs - in our price range, that is. I eventually found a 1920 bungalow on Harvard Street in need of some serious TLC. I interviewed a few designers and decided to go with Creole. Sam (the owner) came and walked the space with us and had some great ideas already (this was all before we chose him as our designer or paid him one cent). I also liked that he lives in an old 1915 Woodland Heights home and has been in the Heights since the 1970's. He used to do combo design/build, but now focuses on just designing. He has done hundreds, if not thousands?, of home designs - both rehabilitation/additions and new construction. Over the years, I have seen his signs all over the neighborhood, and I always liked the look of his properties and his attention to historic detail vs other neighborhood designers. I also liked that he charges based on a fixed fee (per framed foot), when other designers charge by the hour. With all of the unknown costs associated with a 1920 rehabilitation, having as many costs certain vs unknown was very important to me!! Also, because Sam has been on both the design and construction side of things with these old houses for so long, he is very aware of how much building things actually costs. Therefore, it was very comforting to me that while going through the design process, if I wanted to add something, he could tell me if that was something expensive or not a big deal. As someone who's never done this before, at least I knew with eyes-wide-open what I was designing! How the process works: You do all of the design sessions with Sam - in his cool, old house, interactively sketching by-hand on see-through tissue paper, on top of an autocad drawing of the existing house (to me, this was: "practical free-handing"). This was FUN, and a very effective way to do it b/c you can easily make changes and/or start over as you discuss through making your needs/wants possible. Then he hands off the sketches to one of his 5 or 6 employees that work on autocad (they all sit in the garage apartment of the house, 15 ft away). You have one of them specifically assigned to you, which works more efficiently than not having a specific individual (another designer we interviewed said we'd have access to everyone, which sounds good in theory, but likely wouldn't have worked as well when I changed my mind back and forth more than I ever thought possible). Throughout the process, Sam was very proactive in communication and setting up design sessions with us. He always reinforced how important it was to get the designs as-right-as-possible on paper and didn't make me feel bad when I went back and forth, changing things big or small several times - "it's much easier/cheaper to change it on paper NOW than when you are under construction." He listens very well and was the perfect balance of providing suggestions and listening to our needs/wants - which resulted in something better than I ever could have ever come up with. Also, he met with us after our workday ended, which was very important when you have a small baby and both parents work! So LONG STORY LONG, I couldn't be happier with the plans of my "new" 1920 dream home! We are currently in the City permitting process and will start construction when that is done soon. I am so excited to see my dreams become a reality and have been recommending Sam to friends left and right!”

“Very professional and skillful. We have worked on multiple projects and they consistently delivers within the time frame & budget. Always accommodates suggestions/revisions.”

“I cannot give enough praise to Hellenbeck Architects. Brad and Karen have helped us design our dream home. Brad can actually design a "feeling". Karen has the most impeccable taste. We searched for the right Architects for over a year; going to every open house, every Architectural tour available. Every time we were overwhelmed by the beauty of the design it would be a creation by Hollenbeck. They are down to earth, easy to work with and extraordinary knowledgeable. I would recommend them to anyone wanting to design their dream home.”

“I'm a professional electrical drafter, but architecture isn't my area. I bought a set of house plans that was similar to what I was looking for and at the recommendation of my GC, hired NewHaven for the changes. She did an outstanding job incorporating what I was looking for and had great ideas for the upstairs. Holly provided me with sketches of 3 possible options. Once I'd made my decision, her drawings were amazing. I saved thousands of dollars on my new home design by hiring NewHaven and a structural engineer, rather than an architect. It saved me a lot of time and money, in that I knew roughly what I was looking for in the floor plan. I lived in my home for more than 10 years before selling. It was a very livable and open space, that showed extremely well. It was also an ASID show house in fall 2001. I've recommended NewHaven to family and friends ever since.”

“I had a problem getting building permits for a home addition. Great job in helping me get building permits for a home addition project.”

“I worked with Ed a few years ago and his staff. They did plans for a 6 unit project in the Galleria. The quality of the drafting was amazing, and they ask a lot of questions in order to provide a very detailed set of plans. This attention to detail is rare, and helped to provide me with an absolutely beautiful project. Without that level of detail I am sure we would have run into many more problems; because a 2D set of plans can create a lot of 3D problems if not coordinated properly. And Ed and his team asked all the right questions to get the information they needed to ensure the 2D plans translated into a 3D set of homes without issue.”

“Morningside Architects designed a 2,000 sq ft addition to our home, including kitchen, dining room, living room, den, office, powder room, and laundry room. The finished home is exquisite, with architectural details such as columns and an open-beam ceiling look that I would not have thought to ask for, but was offered by Gail and Tim. They also proposed sliding barn doors that we love. In short, our home would not be nearly as delightful without their input and ideas. Traffic flows easily from space to space, and entertaining is a breeze. Morningside Architects was also able to connect us to a builder who was just as good to work with. The whole project from start to finish went smoothly, on time and on budget. Morningside Architects gets my highest recommendation.”

“Chris has impeccable taste!! Very helpful and collaborative. A concise review of Chris-- I could add more words but they'd add nothing!!”