Tao & Lee Associates

I hired Tao + Lee to completely renovate and replace the original kitchen in an architecturally significant mid century modern home. Helen Lee did a magnificent job creating a modern space that is both gorgeous and respectful of it's mid century modern roots.

Helen Lee took a photo I had long admired in a design book, and from that expertly designed our pool house to have a similar look and scale, enhancing our 1930's house and pool area perfectly. She is a good communicator and excellent with follow up; qualities that make the design experience quite professional and enjoyable. I would highly recommend her!

Phase 1 of our major renovation began in 2006 and Phase 2 was completed in 20013 . After initially meeting with 3 architects and reviewing their designs, we chose Tao&Lee. Our renovation included over 90% of the house - interior and exterior. Tao&Lee was able to transform a simple Ranch house into a Modern Living Dream House. There were many aspects of the project that were standouts. The kitchen required a 100 square foot 2-level addition, raising the ceiling to 14 feet, creating a space for a 14 foot island, opening the kitchen completely with a sliding NanaWall directly onto a bi-level deck. Our house now has floor to ceiling windows overlooking our beautiful Asian inspired deck (also designed by Tao&Lee) with the backdrop of the woods and creek. Another spectacular creation was the gorgeous open and floating metal-wired stairs. We wanted an unobstructed view to the backyard and did not want glass for a banister and railing. Tao&Lee created a masterpiece with their design. It was simple, elegant and modern. Phase 1 construction was the interior of the house while Phase 2 was the exterior. Our existing wooden siding was destroyed by years of abuse from the woodpeckers. There were at least 50 large holes throughout the siding of the house where the woodpeckers would nest within the exterior walls. Tao&Lee replaced the wooden siding with large sheets of Azek (a composite material, mold-free, too hard for the woodpeckers) to create large panels of siding. Each panel was separated by a groove that from looked like stacked panels. The end result was a unique look that was low in maintenance. The entryway was completely changed. It went from a uninviting very low ceiling, bland and dark entryway to a spectacular raised flat-roof, L-shape design with multiple windows allowing natural southern light into the foyer. Tao&Lee is a very professional architectural design firm. They are meticulous, talented and very easy to work with. Naturally there were changes along the way and they worked with us to make those changes as smooth as possible. Since the original renovation 9 years ago, I still love everything about our house. The peaceful feel of the house, the modern clean lines of the structure of the house and an abundant of natural lighting from all of the large windows makes it into our Modern Living Dream House.

We worked with Tao and Lee through the entire design and build process for a major addition and renovation to our 90 year old home in Clayton. We had an wonderful experience. The Tao and Lee team were attentive to our needs and came up with very creative solutions to several difficult design and build problems. Helen also worked closely with us on the interior design elements of the project from wallpaper to paint colors. We had a great working relationship with Peter and Helen throughout the year long project.

Tao Lee did a wonderful job redesigning our house. This was a complete gut, with the inside space being totally reconfigured. We shared some photos of spaces that we liked and ideas that we liked (the not too big house), and from there they put together several possible floor plans and several possible concepts. We were delighted with the outcome for which they won an award. So one, we were pleased with the outcome and their design sense. Two, they were very professional and responsive in terms of managing the project. They quickly responded to enquiries, and they were very organized in following through. Three, and lastly, they were fun to work with. This required a fair amount of interaction and time on our part. Always nice to work with someone enjoyable. Everyone in the office was great and always a pleasure to be around.

My company, Higginbotham Bros. Custom Homes and Renovations has been in the high end custom business since 1945. We have worked with many architecture and design firms over the years and have had our favorites. Tao and Lee is at the top of the list. They provide a level of design expertise and organization that is unmatched in our region. Their attention to detail is excellent. Their plans are buildable and new ideas come with a roadmap that can be followed. Helen Lee and Peter Tao make a great team.

Our remodel included a gut and extension of our kitchen, redesigning of our front entrance, and the flow of other connecting rooms on two floors. Importance was placed on period design to enhance our 1920's house but consideration was make to add modern convenience as well. Through detailed inspection of original blueprints and structural design Tao and Lee Ass. were able to use every inch possible to enhance the beauty of their designs and the original beauty of the house. Tao and Lee Ass. were very easy to work with and we would highly recommend them!

Tao Lee is a firm that provides development/planning services as well as traditional architectural service for both commercial and residential projects. As a Contractor, I have found Tao Lee to be very detailed and think through the ramifications of their design. Tao Lee is a partner that works closely with Contractors to resolve construction issues. I have found most architectural firms provide the minimum information necessary to complete the project. Tao Lee is not a cut and paste architect, they closely examine all of the details to insure a project that is buildable and provides a high level of design integrity.

I highly recommend Tao & Lee Associates. The scope of the project they provided for me was a 2000 SF residential renovation/addition. It included a ceramics studio, garage, mud room, library, and extended living room. The exterior was configured into an entry courtyard (not included in square footage). I mostly interacted with Helen Lee and she was terrific in presenting ideas, keeping the project within budget and on schedule. My husband and I are so pleased with the project that the library space has become the favorite area of our home. Over the years I have seen numerous projects of Tao & Lee Associates ranging from residential to commercial. They combine design and functionality with perfection. Peter Tao and Helen Lee are a dynamic and highly creative husband and wife team who are a pleasure to work with!

We have worked with Helen Lee on a full home renovation project , Helen's design concepts and drawings were easily understood , and with the great set of plans that were drawn the project was completed in record time . Helen has been always available for any questions that arose during the project .