ileana schinder

Working with Ileana has been a breeze. Her design was beautiful and working with her and her staff was even more lovely. From where I sit as the client, the permitting process was a breeze - great timing and little sweat from me. I can't wait to see the finished project. Thanks Ileana and Nadege.

FineCraft has had the pleasure of working with Ileana Schinder, and we can say without hesitation that she is an exceptional architect and a true professional. Ileana brings a rare balance of strong design sensibility and real-world practicality. Her concepts are thoughtful, elegant, and well-resolved, but never disconnected from budget, constructability, or client goals. She understands how drawings translate to the field, which makes collaboration during construction efficient and productive. From a builder’s perspective, her documentation is clear, her coordination is thorough, and her responsiveness is excellent. She is proactive in addressing challenges, open to collaboration, and focused on solutions rather than blame — qualities that are critical to delivering successful projects. Most importantly, Ileana consistently advocates for the homeowner while maintaining respect for the construction process. That alignment results in smoother projects, better outcomes, and clients who are genuinely happy with both the design and the finished product. We value our working relationship with Ileana Schinder and look forward to many more successful projects together. We would confidently recommend her to any homeowner or professional seeking an architect who is talented, collaborative, and dependable.

Ileana is a great choice when it comes to home design, renovation, ADUs, and SO much more. She is very easy to work with and realy knows how to make houses into homes with her designs. From small projects like bathrooms to large scale home renovation, she is your gal. Her team is also amazingly helpful when she is not available and always takes care of any little doubt or question when needed. She is the RIGHT choice for a home transformation.

I had a fantastic experience working with Ileana Schinder for my ADU project in Washington, DC. From the very beginning, Ileana's demonstrated expertise in navigating the DC permitting process for ADUs was evident and reassuring. She brought a wealth of practical knowledge to the table, having successfully designed and obtained permits for numerous similar projects. One of the most valuable aspects of her service was her ability to resolve significant design challenges that arose. She approached these issues with creativity and a deep understanding of building codes and best practices. Beyond just solving problems, Ileana developed a comprehensive plan to facilitate clear communication and establish effective guidelines with our chosen builder. This proactive approach was instrumental in ensuring a smooth and efficient construction process. Throughout the project, Ileana's communication was excellent. She was responsive, attentive to our needs, and readily available to answer any questions. Her knowledge of ADU design and construction in DC is truly impressive. I initially discovered Ileana on Houzz, and I'm so glad I did. I highly recommend her services to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, communicative, and skilled architect for their ADU project in the DC metropolitan area.

Ileana is one of the most talented Architects I have worked with. She has helped me with a few projects, and her knowledge and attention to detail never fail to impress me. If you need a great Architect for your next project, contact her.

We can't recommend Ile highly enough. She helped us design and build our solar-powered garage, which is not only functional but beautiful. When undertaking a meaty project, it's a pleasure to have a talented architect one can trust.

We once were lost, but now we're found... thanks to the amazing Ileana Schinder! Her keen eye, personality, and professional acumen are helping to transform our 1935 home with the 1979 kitchen into the forever home we've always dreamed of! Good or bad, word travels fast- we are her third project in my neighborhood, and I've already recommended her to another family, Excellent experience!

We partnered with Ileana to help scope, design, and permit an ADU/Guesthouse in Silver Spring, MD. Ileana was easy to work with and had lots of ideas, took our input and created multiple versions of our design to allow us to fit the best design with the architectural and engineering requirements. Unfortunately, the Montogomery County Department of Housing is not the easiest to deal with and the permitting process took much longer than expected. Ileana helped us through it. There were several times when we might have otherwise given up, but Ileana was able to walk us back and continue to brainstorm and problem-solve. Ultimately we ended with a design that fit all the requirements of MoCO and still held most if not all of our original requirements.

Ileana was very helpful in her assessment of our DC row house in determining what was better or more affordable in renovation/construction options. I’ll definitely be moving forward with her and her team.

Ileana did a great job designing our ADU, and was very helpful with the getting the exemptions approved by the zoning board.

Ileana was fun to work with, and eventually we arrived at the plan that we wanted after a lot of feedback from us. There were some hiccups along the way, and sometimes she did not seem to listen to what we were saying, but we got there in the end, and that is what counts. She recommended some great contacts to do corollary work in engineering.

Very competent. If you need a pro to help with permits, Illeana can help! Very thoughtful and communicative. She provided good alternative views. Jamie