Cathleen Curtin Architects LLC

When we decided to embark on a home addition and renovation we were overwhelmed with where to begin. Cathleen was recommended to us and after our first meeting we knew she would be a fantastic fit. She spent time with us to talk through how we would use the space and made recommendations we had never considered - nor thought possible. She presented a variety of designs that kept with the feel of our house (midcentury modern) and enhanced our space in a way that felt it was always meant to be. To say the end result is beyond our wildest dreams is an understatement! But what truly sets her apart is her ability to not only be an outstanding architect but her ability to serve as project manager and liaison between us and the construction company. From walking through the first bids, to picking out tile, fireplaces, and flooring, Cathleen was phenomenal. She was always reliable and was there to walk us through every decision and construction hiccup. Whenever there was an issue - big or small - Cathleen called or texted us back within the hour. She kept us informed throughout the process - from submission of designs, to county permits, to deliveries, and walkthroughs. We stayed within budget (which is something with this kind of project!) and much of that was due to Cathleen negotiating with our contractor and ensuring we were receiving the best quality for our budget. We can't say enough good things about Cathleen. Her work ethic, creativity, and commitment to her clients is just amazing. And the work speaks for itself. Our neighbors and family are amazed by the transformation of our home. Just look at the pictures! :-) We can't recommend Cathleen Curtin Architects highly enough!

Cathleen did a terrific job for us. We did a kitchen addition/renovation. Cathleen worked with us from conceptualization through design, construction, finishing, and follow-ups. She worked with us on our basic design plan, including solving some structural challenges inherent in our ideas. She suggested some elements that we had not thought of, which we now really like. She designed all of this to fit in with the existing midcentury modern style of our house. She supervised the construction and made sure that it was all done to a high standard. And, then, when we had some problems with a couple of the appliances we had selected, she followed up vigorously to see that the problems got resolved. The end result is a stunning new space in our house. Everyone who sees it is impressed. All in all, we were delighted at Cathleen's work.

Cathleen provided excellent direction and help throughout my project, from innovative design, to dealing with city committees, identifying a range of possible contractors, and working closely with them when I had made my choice. This ranged from designing a 2-bedroom addition to the house down to details such as checking the latches on the kitchen cabinets. Highly recommmended.

Cathleen managed a long and challenging project for us, as well as creating a great design for our addition. Alongside this she worked well with the contractor and her communication with us was excellent. Thank you Cathleen

Again, I can’t thank you enough for the OUTSTANDING job you did on Dad’s house. Not only was the finished product fantastic but getting to work with you was a true highlight. Your attention to detail, your professionalism, your choices of materials and styles were all incredible. But most importantly, just having you as a trusted ally who I knew would make the right call every time was essential and invaluable. With everything I had going on, not having to worry about that project was worth twice what I paid you. THANK YOU!!!

We are so delighted with the end results of the renovation designed and managed by Cathleen Curtin. Expanding the kitchen and upstairs bath and adding a half bath to the first floor has totally rejuvenated our 1939 Cape Cod. The initial meetings with Cathleen paid off since she was able to internalize our vision and style, which was completely reflected in the final product. Cathleen was very mindful of cost and always presented us with choices of finishes and accessories from a range of price points. Her design sense is absolutely exquisite and she suggested things that we never would have thought of. This was our first renovation and it included more construction than we had imagined, so Cathleen was very good at explaining to us where we were in the process and what to expect. It was not an easy undertaking, but Cathleen was patient throughout and helped us through the rough patches. We would definitely work with her again.

I have been a Kitchen and Bath designer for over 30 years. It has been a pleasure working with Cathleen and her team for several years providing cabinetry and design collaboration on numerous projects. I have found Cathleen to be highly talented, creative and detail oriented. She is committed to listening to the client and providing solutions to make their dream project come together. Timely communications with her clients are very important to her also. Cathleen is very professional and develops a trusting and comfortable relationship with her clients.

We are still working on our project with Cathleen Curtin, thus, this is not a complete evaluation. Our project requires her to be considerate of the style of the existing home (1939 Cape Cod) while adding all the modern conveniences and efficiencies of a renovated kitchen and bath (adding on a 1/2 bath). She has had a lot of great ideas in addition to being attentive to our own thoughts as to what we like. One extremely positive element of her work is that when we talk about the selection of something in principle she goes out and finds several examples of our options, this frees us from searching through 1000's of choices that are inappropriate and a waste of our time for what we were envisioning. Her diagrams have been well done and very clear. She has been quick to get the general contractor any changes based upon what was discovered after removing the floors and dry wall. The general contractor and her seem to be forging a good relationship (this is her first time working with this company since all her other previous general contractors were busy doing other jobs); we found this one on houzz.com). We will provide a more detailed evaluation after the work is completed in April.

This was our second time working with Cathleen Curtin as she did a beautiful job on our addition of a master bedroom suite, game room, deck and patio. When it was time to remodel our kitchen there was no doubt we wanted Cathleen to be our architect. She is professional, cost conscious and always responsive. She also provides options relative to design and contractors. She is thorough from start to finish and my husband and I highly recommend her services. Our new kitchen is beautiful and we are also still enjoying our home addition!

Cathleen Curtin designed and managed our kitchen / dining room renovation. This is the first time that we ever used a designer in the capacity of managing a project. We were very happy with the results. Not only did Cathleen provide us with a superior designed project, including a lot of guidance on material recommendations, color and fabric coordination and insights on design optimizations and current design trends, but she also managed the job cost effectively (we believe well under competitors prices) and she was a stickler for details. As we were around for the last half of the project when the finishing details were being done, we would sometimes have questions regarding the way something was done or the "quality" of the work. In our regular meeting with Cathleen, when we brought these issues up, we were delighted to see that Cathleen had already addressed them and had them put on the "to be remedied" list. During the entire construction process, she seemed to be that "one step ahead of us". We never had to discuss a concern with the construction workers. Cathleen was a delight to work with and we have strongly recommended her to many of our neighbors who have subsequently utilized her services as well.

Cathleen helped us designed and built a walk-in closet in our master bedroom and other miscellaneous projects. Cathleen was a delight to work with and very professional. She is a great listener and has great ideas. She also finds great contractors and follows through on the details.

Cathleen has now led my husband and I through two major renovations on our Arlington ranch style home built in 1952. Her architectural vision and her attention to detail produced a beautiful, “cottage-style” home with a wonderful front porch that we are very proud to live in. Not having a clue what we were doing the first time, Cathleen truly led us through the process of design, contractor selection and construction phases with the patience of a saint. She gained our confidence quickly and we trusted we were in good hands. Cathleen is a real pleasure to work with and I would highly recommend Cathleen as an architect to design and renovate your home.

We needed advice and help involving engineering and structural issues with our home. We contacted our favorite architect to guide us through the process She brought us together with the people we needed and worked with us in guiding them to accomplish the tasks necessary. We found Cathleen Curtin to be exceptionally efficient and effective in solving our problem. She is the ultimate professional, knowledgeable and innovative. FIVE STARS!!

Great Service, Project Management, Subcontractors, Design, Communication, Material Selection, and Follow-up. I am one year out from the completion of the complete renovation of my "flat" in Old Town, and I could not be happier with the outcome, and with the overall service I received from Cathleen Curtin and her team of professionals. She came up with a great plan, executed it beautifully, allowed for new ideas mid-stream and in the end, I was thrilled. What more could any one ask for?? !!!!

Ms Curtin designed 2 beautiful wooden screens on which we could display artwork. They needed to hide an ugly gas meter but be accesible to turn off outdoor water in case of a leak. They stand over 7 feet tall and each weigh at least 100 pounds. The art work looks great and makes a real statement . This was a very small job but it came out just as we wanted it to.

Cathleen rocks. She starts by listening, actually listening, not pretending to listen. She digested what we said, we had a real exchange of ideas and she delivered a set of great alternatives to redesign a cramped, unfriendly kitchen into a showstopper -- all within the confines of a budget. As well, she helped us "clean up" tired features throughout the house. Specifically: - She has a great sense of materials and an elegant design aesthetic. She knows color, form, fixtures, countertop materials - She didn't "roll over" and give us what we asked for, nor did she force things on us. It was a truly collaborative process. - She brought us bids from excellent, qualified craftsmen -- construction, HVAC, stonework and others - She oversaw the renovation with a firm hand On top of all that, she is a pleasure to work with, unfailingly in good spirits, on time, and realistic. She is everything an architect should be.

Ms. Curtin worked on several projects in my home to make it ready for selling. Her design and managment of the construction crew to update a powder room with new counter tops, fixtures, paint and mirror transformed a dull, dated powder room in to a sparkling asset in my home. She also managed the rennovation and updating of the 4th floor loft bedroom and bathroom. This rennovation included the demolition of a wall unit, installation of skylights, new lighting fixtures and paint. Again, this work improved the appearance and value of the home. The work was performed on time and under budget. I am very pleased with the results.

Really great recommendations, advice for my project which was reviewed thoroughly and options were offered and discussed that I did not think of and also provided great advice on pulling the project together from painting to decorating.

I have worked with Cathleen on three different projects, and she was a joy to work with on jobs that demanded professionalism and dedication through difficult times. She was always up for a challenge, willing to see things through to the end (a satisfactory one), and always bring new ideas to make it even better. Witty, inspiring, and a team player. Oh, as well as beautiful and always fashionably dressed. Love to work with her again!!

If you are considering a home addition, or upgrade to your home, then you must consider Cathleen Curtin, RA, AIA as your architect. My husband and I highly recommend her for any home improvement project, renovation, or addition. Cathleen designed our new addition (master bedroom and bathroom suite, game room, outdoor living space including deck, screened-in porch and walk-out patio) and was actively engaged throughout the entire project including assistance with selecting the contractors, the build, and even selection of products. We love our addition, it is beautiful. The kitchen is next on our list, and of course we would only consider Cathleen for this project! Very happy clients.

Where to begin with my comments about Cathleen Curtin, the positive side, or the negative… well, that’s easy! There is no negative, so here are the positives!! Having scaled down a good bit from a larger home, and now residing in my interesting apartment in Old Town, Alexandria, I needed to make improvements and changes that would make this small place my haven. It began with getting bids on a bathroom renovation. Having contacted other architectural services and builders in the area that I knew, I found that the recommendations (and the pricing) were all over the place, and I really couldn’t tell what they were going to do. I also felt that they were not listening to me regarding the need to connect the bedroom space and my master bathroom. From the minute I ran this idea by Cathleen, she “got me” and she listened to me and she responded quickly. Within a couple days of our first meeting, she was back to me with a clear and concise overview and pricing. I was impressed with her level of detail, as well as her efficiency. And, this impression never changed thru out what became a much bigger project. Where the others all were going to expand my bathroom and take away space from my bedroom, Cathleen Curtin was able to give me all that I wanted, AND MORE, in the same footprint – saving money, time and probably a lot of unknown issues in this old building. Her creative use of space and layout resulted in a bathroom that I absolutely love, and others marvel at. Once deciding to work with Ms. Curtin, I realized that I felt safe and comfortable to do more of what really needed to be done to my living space. She gave me that comfort. Having had some experience with such projects in the past, it was knowing that she was not only the Architect, but also the Project Manager, that gave me the confidence to take this on. Always available for questions, and always quick to find solutions to issues as they came along, she drove this project hard and fast, and with a fabulous outcome. The project included not only the master bathroom, but a new laundry room, leveling the floors in my bedroom, insulation where there was none, built in cabinetry that eliminated the need for furniture in the bedroom, re-doing of floors, adding hardwood floors where they did not exist, brilliant storage cabinets, new lighting thru out, a life changing gas fireplace, creative kitchen solutions that make me love cooking again, a very special powder room, and so much more. I am thrilled in my new space – and enjoy it more than I ever dreamed possible. Cathleen was a joy to work with, a consummate professional, a willing ear, a great production manager, and attended to each and every detail of the project. On site every day, often several times, staying ahead of all contractors with selections and materials, and kept me informed with clear and consistent communication. Running a busy enterprise, I needed this style of professional oversight, and feel that not only did she give me a wonderful new home to enjoy, she gave me great service and great value in a time that we often do not get what we expect. With Cathleen, I got more than I ever expected!