ESSARC East Side Studio Architects

We hired Julia to help with the renovation of our 1890 Georgian house after seeing the beautiful design of her own renovated farmhouse. Julia brought a larger vision for the master suite than we had imagined, restoring the integrity and symmetry of the large spaces that had been chopped up into small rooms, turning the sleeping porch into a library with a whimsical loft connecting to the children’s rooms above, and creating a light-filled closet and bath. She helped us to restore a dated three-season porch to the original outdoor porch, adding removable screens. We now spend long hours in this space that overlooks over our lawn and pool. Julia’s respect for the historic architecture while introducing modern elements, as well as her sensitivity to our needs as a family, created an outstanding result. We recommend her highly.

As interior design and decorative paint business, tin bird studio has enjoyed a wonderful working relationship with Julia Miner over the years, collaborating on projects for each others’ clients. My husband and I have also hired her firm for several of our own renovation projects. Julia is easy to work with, energetic, and has a great sense of design. I recommend her highly.

We've been delighted with Julia Miner's work ever since she designed the renovations for my mother's two story Boston apartment thirty years ago. Her quick response resulted in the design of flexible space suitable for one person or entertaining large groups. Fifteen years later we hired her to finish out the attached barn of our summer home in Maine. She helped solve structural and water issues, and the open, light-filled spaces have served everyday life and large gatherings beautifully. Recently, Julie helped with renovations for our home in Elsah, IL, designing a creative solution for a stair in challenging space. All three projects involved historic dwellings. Her sensitivity to historic detail coupled with clean, modern lines creates dynamic, timeless design.

Julia served as the architect on our project from start to finish, and her thoughtful guidance throughout the entire process enabled us to realize our goal. Because we were adding a room onto an already renovated Victorian house as well as expanding a dormer in another room and altering a bathroom, this project required both aesthetic vision and a sense of the feasible. Julia produced a full set of exterior drawings, which was very helpful in getting us past the rather strict Cambridge zoning board. Julia was also adept at addressing issues as they came up and in coming up with appropriate and value-adding solutions. She deserves praise for creating a strong contract and for ensuring that the contractors were held to it during the construction phase. Julia’s experience, aesthetic sensibilities, and communication skills made her a good match for the project, and we are thrilled with the final results.

Julia's pre-design "Story Board" service was really helpful. I LOVED her sketches. Not only did they capture the feel of what we wanted to do with our renovation - they made me (and everyone I showed them to) say "WOW!" And it was great to get her input on our budget and the investment in our property. Julia was generous with her time and gave us prompt service. I look forward to working with her further on our house.

Julie is friendly and personable with a great eye for color and design. She carefully listened to my needs and concerns for my home and came up with ideas that perfectly addressed them all. She devised a beautiful solution to maximize space while still staying with my town's tight setback constraints. It resulted in the incorporation of a bay window in the dining room that every single person who sees it comments on how lovely it is- both for the visual appeal it added to the exterior as well as the feeling of openness in the interior of the house. I feel like I have a whole new home!

Before we bought the farmhouse that Julia Miner had recently renovated for her family, I never dreamed I’d live in this beautiful a house. She did a remarkable job of maintaining the charm of the original old house and combining it with new, open spaces that work so well for our busy family of six. It easily accommodates a crowd and also feels cozy and comfortable when we are just with our family. Julia was very accommodating with our move-in process and since we’ve lived here, she has responded promptly and generously to our many questions about paint colors, equipment, and mechanical systems. I would highly recommend living in a house by Julia Miner and imagine that the design process with her would be delightful.

When I was expecting my third child I hired Julia Miner Studio to add a bedroom/office to our house. Time was of the essence and Julia responded right away, listening to our needs and designing a beautiful and efficient plan that exceeded our expectations. She brought just the right contractor on board. The project unfolded without a hitch, harmoniously and in plenty of time before the baby came. I’ve also admired the combination of historic preservation and open, modern spaces that Julia designed for her own house just up the road from us. I will definitely hire Julia again for a larger project we’re contemplating and I’d recommend her highly.