WM Design Studio, LLC.

We had the pleasure of working with Wendy Mellinger on our second-floor remodel, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the results. From the start, Wendy proved to be an exceptional architect and a true advocate for her clients. Several local builders told us that our vision—a new laundry room, an enlarged primary bath with a soaking tub and a WC—would require an addition to our home. But Wendy had many other layouts for us. With her expertise, she designed a thoughtful solution that incorporated all our needs within the existing footprint, eliminating the need for an addition. Beyond her design talent, Wendy was a strong advocate throughout the entire process. She worked closely with the builder to ensure our vision was fully realized and helped us stand firm on what we wanted—making sure we didn’t have to compromise. Her attention to detail and client-focused approach made the entire experience seamless and rewarding. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome and highly recommend Wendy Mellinger to anyone looking for a talented, creative, and client-focused architect.

Wendy provided a spectacular service. She exceeded our expectations and we were thrilled with the end product. We really cannot say enough good things about her. Wendy was responsive, efficient, and transparent. It truly was a collaborative experience and she always placed our interests first. We highly recommend Wendy’s services

Just call her. My wife and I were on a short timeline (self-imposed) and Wendy was able to help streamline the process. We were able to get our alteration application approved in 2 days using the permit set that Wendy provided! Wendy listened to what we wanted and created pretty and functional designs. The subcontractors all thought her designs and schematics were wonderful. We will definitely be using her again for future projects. Backstory: My wife and I just bought a house and wanted to remodel the master bathroom. We had no idea what we were doing or where to start. The permit office suggested that some people use architects to draft plans for their permits. We called Wendy on a Thursday and she was out at the house on the following Monday. When she walked in, she knew the house better than us, she showed us her draft too. She was ready to go and we felt like she could complete the job we needed in the timeframe we wanted. She had a structural engineer come out that Friday and she returned the following Monday to do final measurements and review the engineers notes. Two days later she sent us designs. She made our life hard because all of the designs were so great. You know how sometimes you wish there was only one obvious choice, this was not the case. Her advice was to imagine living in the space however, we could imagine ourselves in each design! Do you remember that feeling you got the first time you saw the twist in a M Night Shyamalan movie? You think "how did I not see that it's so clear and obvious!". That's how we felt when we saw her designs, they were so natural and perfect for the space and our needs. After we agreed on a design she had our permit set ready to go a day later. Thank you so much Wendy!

What are you looking for in an architect? We were looking for someone that would get us to a decision point on a ground floor remodel that we'd long discussed but couldn't quite agree upon. Someone that would listen to our ideas, challenge them, offer alternatives, be creative and then get us to consensus. That's who we found with Wendy. She was a delight to work with. Met with us at out home three times. Always came prepared and walked away with a clear plan of action. The end result was detailed plans for our kitchen and living room remodel that we are now in the process of implementing. I'd highly recommend Wendy.

Wendy created the overall design and accompanying plans for an upcoming kitchen and bathroom renovation. She came to take measurements in person and listened to our thoughts and priorities and then presented us with different options for making everything work in our space. She helped us to understand the advantages of each design and suggested additional ideas we hadn’t considered. She was communicative, creative, very fun to work with, and met all established deadlines. We hope to work with her again in the future!

Ms Mellinger was very responsive. We were shopping for a new home and needed to know if a specific property could be modified to meet our needs. This was a combination of a permitting question, a cost question, and a practical modification question. We needed these answers right away as we were in competition to purchase the property and could not afford to buy a property that we could not ultimately live in. Ms Mellinger accepted the challenge and with a wave of her magic wand was able to secure a copy of the planning plat in two hours, where the county had told me it would take 10 days. She met us at the property on short notice, bringing sketches of possible and illegal extensions of the structure so we could understand the limitations. She provided realistic time and cost guidance that enabled us to make the right decision. She was very personable and was able to provide builder recommendations as well as architectural guidance. I could not be more pleased with Ms Mellinger's professionalism, responsiveness, and the concern she evinced for my family.

As a contractor, we pride ourselves in completing a task to the best of our ability. Having an Architect/Company that will pick up the phone when the need arises is imperative. Working With WM design has given us the ability to move through this project with direction as detailed plans were laid out for us with clear and concise direction. While most contractors may not like the details, the job sure does deserve every detail. Without WM Design, we couldn't have come close to this getting this project done.

Wendy is an excellent professional. As part of my home remodeling she designed my entire kitchen, including cabinetry, back splash, appliances, sink and faucets, gorgons island and counter-tops. She met the deadline within budget. She promptly responded to the contractor's questions. There were no change orders. My family thinks the kitchen is drop dead gorgeous!

I recently bought a house and was looking to undertake serious renovations in the master suite. I also thought I wanted to change flooring, put in additional lighting, install built in cabinetry and possibly gut and redo the basement. It all needed to flow and I knew I’d need to tackle it strategically. I am a project manager by training, and knew if I had to I could manage a construction site with 42 elements. However, I also know I’m strapped for time, and I did not want to program manage my personal life. I wanted someone I could trust their judgement and control of the project. I interviewed several interior designers, but in the end chose Wendy because instead of a phone interview, she showed up with architectural drawings made from the real estate listing. She was ready to listen to what I wanted, and gently corrected my ideas into better decisions. This go getter style impressed me and I knew she was right for me from the start. After a walk through with her recommended general contractor, I felt comfortable in her advocacy, schedule, cost control, and efficiency. Since then she has exceeded my expectations in availability, ability to track and manage my 423,000 questions and requests, remain professional, and communicate my wishes logically and timely to the contractor. She has earned my trust with patience and direct honesty. So far we have tackled electrical (which was no small undertaking-2 floors of recessed lighting and 6 light fixtures ) and are headed into the master suite renovations. I have no doubt that I can cede decision making to Wendy, when I’m not available and she that will make the right decision that is code compliant and aesthetically pleasing. She can handle a variety of design projects with logic and purpose. I’ve asked her to complete things as easy as picking out a mailbox slot; medium tasks such as spacial recognition with furniture lay out and design elevations; to the full master suite bathroom renovations, which required plumbing, electrical, flooring, and finishes be designed. She has done all of it simultaneously, without missing a beat. She is administratively organized and timely in responses. I never thought I would feel as calm and stress free with this much renovation and chaos around me. Wendy has been worth her weight in gold. I can’t wait for the next phase of my renovation work with Wendy and would recommend her for any job that you want done well!

We needed our house staged with very short notice. Wendy picked up our call and immediately began working to make our deadline. Her professionalism, eye for design, and hard work produced four beautifully staged areas in our house by our deadline. And we received a full price offer after being on the market for only one day. We would highly recommend Wendy for any of your staging projects. She is such a pleasure to work with and her work definitely gets results!

I recently bought a house and moved very little furniture from my former home. I sought out Wendy's advice in order to validate some preliminary decorating ideas and find perspective/inspiration for a formal living room and casual family room. Given only a basic floorplan and asking only one or two simple questions, Wendy developed and delivered a design in one day. Despite the speed, it was thoughtful, taking into consideration function, flow, light and other information I never shared. I'm so happy I sought out Wendy's input - she is a pro's pro!

Wendy’s eye for design and approach to every project is one of the best. It’s a thoughtful and long-term approach that is suited for the need of the client and the space. We really enjoyed working with Wendy.

We hired Wendy to help us with our kitchen remodel. We were doing most of the work ourselves and using Ikea design services, but we really needed a professional to ensure we were making the best use of the space. She created several floor plans and helped us bring a professional, polished look to our project. She made many important recommendations about the flow of the room, lighting placement, and location of appliances. We're thrilled with the design and with our (almost complete) renovation.

I contacted Wendy for design advice on a home that I had listed for sale in DC. Wendy was very prompt in responding to my request. She provided a quick summary of the service she would provide at various price levels. Once engaged, Wendy proceeded by delivering a thorough report with her proposed strategy. Immediately upon diving in, Wendy truly seemed invested in my success and provided the valuable advice needed for this project.

Wendy is the ultimate professional and will work with you to design the perfect space - one that reflects your personal taste and is practical given your lifestyle. I admire her keen eye and professional approach to her work.

I have hired Wendy this year to help give professional guidance staging two homes that I was preparing to list (I'm a Realtor). Working with the sellers to highlight their fine and fun furniture and artwork, her trained eye helped pull together areas and make terrific first impressions. The results were so positive and helped big and small spaces show their form and function. Wendy also helped a client move into their custom home after a long distance relocation to Vienna VA. Her analysis and careful inventory of their artwork and furniture, allowed her to direct movers and set up rooms within days of arrival at the new house. This was a tremendous time saver and allowed the client to place valuable artwork immediately in predetermined rooms. Overall a great experience that was personalized and unique in Northern Virginia.

Wendy Mellinger organized and oversaw the move of our 8000 sq ft residence in Brentwood, TN, to our 6500 sq ft residence in Vienna, VA. I will never move again without first engaging her services, and when we move our professional offices in the coming year, I will engage her to oversee that move as well. Wendy inventoried our furniture, carpeting, and wall and tabletop accessories and created the visual plan for where each of those items would be placed in our new home. She recommended which items we could do without, and she recommended, and sourced--at a steep discount--the items we required in the new house, such as a suite of dining room chairs and a teen boy's new bedroom set, bookcases, and desk. She reviewed the color scheme in the new home and advised us on palette. She visited the new home prior to our arrival to be fully familiar with all measurements and conditions in the house prior to our moving van arriving and offloading. She oversaw the offloading and unpacking of the moving van. She then directed the moving team as to where each piece of furniture and each accessory to be unpacked immediately--for example, large hall mirrors and large rolled oriental carpets--should be placed, and ensured that the plan she developed on her design software worked IRL in the house. She spent three full days at the new house assisting me with unpacking and placement of smaller items and the hanging of art and pictures and mirrors and wall lighting once the movers departed. She is unflappable and cannot be flustered. Our movers were hours late and worked until after midnight. She puts her foot down when she has to, and manages the movers efficiently. She is an excellent communicator. She cheerfully hung in with us until the van was empty and pulled away. Then she was back the next morning, and the next, to work side by side with us as we got settled. I have moved our household of five from Vermont to Syracuse to Tampa to Nashville to Virginia, and this was by far the smoothest, most enjoyable move, and the quickest to complete, because of Wendy's skills. I interviewed four home moving experts in Wendy's category. Only she was a professional architect and designer. She was the most responsive and the most knowledgable of all I interviewed. She provided me with detailed lists of questions to consider as we planned our move into the new house, and her observation of various features of the house and how to best manage them for our family saved me thousands of dollars and more than paid her very reasonable fee. Kindly contact me at ruthderedita at gmail dot com if you would like to speak in more detail about my unqualified, and grateful, recommendation of Smartly Staged by Wendy Mellinger.

Wendy went above and beyond staging my listing in River Creek. I would never hire anyone else and I have dealt with other stagers before. She is overqualified as she is an architect by trade but that is another advantage of hiring her. Her furniture was of the highest quality and perfect for the home. I believe the home sold because of her efforts.