Building Designers in New Troy

“Hired to select and evaluate potential sites on our property adjacent to a wetland. After site selection designed a rustic modernist cabin that was environmentally conscious and leveraged the views and available light. Was a great process from the beginning. Truly an amazing, thoughtful and considerate, Fred is an amazing architect and craftsman. We hioghly recommend him.”

“Nothing but praise for Helman Sechrist Architecture: we are in a home we couldn’t even dream of (better than a ‘dream home’) - designed by Helman Sechrist! We had a design challenge - leaving behind two homes that we loved, and combining into 1 new home that would accommodate my family (husband and 3 kids) and my mom, ensuring space for everyone and universal accessibility. We looked at a few homes in our area, then we spent months looking at plans, and realized that nothing pre-drawn was going to work for our family. From my first conversation with Jeff Helman, I was confident that he understood our unique situation - he agreed that we would need to start from scratch. I realize now that this is how they design all their homes - designing spaces around the needs and wants of their clients, spaces that function perfectly and are beautiful! The journey was amazing - their process ensures they are aware of all the functions you want to accomplish in your home - before any plans are drawn. We met extensively with Jeff and Brad (Sechrist), they were alway patient and a pleasure to work with even when we were not at our best - ( imagine how hard a project is to coordinate between two people - then add a mom / mother-in-law to that mix). The staff at Helman Sechrist was there for us throughout the project - They helped us with the bidding process, helped us pick the right builder, made sure that the house was on the lot where it should be, and even talked us through the inevitable rough spots. I cannot express how much we love our new space, how perfectly it is working for us. The spaces that we are living in are just the right size, very spacious - but still cozy; never cavernous or cold. If you want a house that fits your family and your needs - not a house that you have to fit into - Helman Sechrist is well worth the investment.”

“We interviewed 3 architects and chose John Allegretti based on his previous work and enthusiasm for our specific project. We wanted to go from a 1-1/2 story, 2 bedroom, 1-1/2 bath to something more. Our lot size is 33 x 132 ft. which isn't much to work with. Our location on lake Michigan's Silver Beach is extremely desirable but our home was not allowing us to take full advantage of available views. John created a full second story complete with a master suite (bedroom, bath and living area) and walk out second floor deck. This deck offers privacy and another beach view perspective. We now have expansive views throughout our home. (John used glass railings throughout.) We ended up with a more spacious home than we had envisioned. John also presented our project to the local planning commission (we needed variances), and remained engaged throughout the project which was a big help to us. We would work with John Allegretti and his associates again.”

“After a few false starts with others in the area, Keystone has been a breath of fresh air, with timely service, reasonable rates, and great customer service. It's also clear that Keystone's technical advice is very sound. Being an engineer, my curiosity can be unwelcome in technical areas, but Ven has helped me fully understand the merits of his work. He's also helped our builder bring solid plans to reality, with little of the friction you might expect between architect and builder. Working with Keystone has been a rare pleasure in today's world; not only has the quality, cost and thoroughness of Keystone's work been excellent, but their sense of urgency has helped keep our rehab project timeline intact.”

“As a Chicagoland kitchen and bath designer, I have worked with the dSPACE group on a number of residential kitchen and baths. They are a talented and professional group. Great ideas and inspired designs flow from the studio on Lincoln Ave. A pleasure to work with on every job.”

“Kil Architecture/Planing was recommended to me by an esteemed colleague in the Notre Dame School of Architecture. I'm glad I took his advice. We worked closely together over several months to develop a unique house that suited me very well. Sam Lima did most of the detailed work, and did an outstanding job researching and realizing the prairie style. We did have a hiccup with the woodwork that necessitated some do-over, but I'm glad I did it. After five months in the house, I think the product is fabulous. I really appreciate the fine scale detail work and quality in the design.”

“We really enjoyed our experience with Spalding Design Group. We presented our ideas of a 3500 sf addition on to an 1870 farm house with both thoughts and pictures. John picked up our vision right away and honestly we met with him one other time to finalize....Spalding got it right from the beginning. The attention to space and flow, not to mention combining the old house with the new really showed the expertise that is offered. We highly recommend Spalding Design Group”

“Jesse Hibler is an excellent architect, talented and responsive to concerns. We built a home with his guidance over the last eighteen monthsa And we are extremely satisfied. His design captured the feel we were looking for, and we Feel he came up with a plan that suited our needs, both in style and function. Jesse has a fun personality and we really enjoyed the design phase of our project.”

“Melissa has helped me with COUNTLESS projects right now and her touch has made each one elevated. From something as small as selecting just the right paint color for my new bathroom or recommending cabinet pulls for my kitchen, to designing my yoga studio’s logo and blade sign, creating elevation visuals and even designing a back patio - she has been a godsend. Her simple approach speaks to my more minimalist side but it also somehow ended up being cozy and cheerful. I think THAT is real talent!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND Indigo Ink (but not during one of my projects., please!)”

“I had a custom lake home built in 2018 and chose Cripe Design as my architect. They did an outstanding job! Dan Cripe and his team were a pleasure to work with. They have a very high attention to details and have great design ideas. Their help made the whole project a whole lot less stressful! I would definitely use them again and highly recommend them.”