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“Smith & Vansant is a phenomenal architectural firm. In fact, working with them renovated not only my house, but my life! After 15 years or so of living with the property more or less as I found it, my tiny 1850 Cape needed long-overdue renovations -- including improvements to all major systems, solutions to a big water problem in the basement, a new kitchen, a new roof, adding working and living space, and a home office, along with extensive site work and landscaping. From a design perspective, they are simply brilliant. They have a fantastic aesthetic sense; know how to integrate old and new in a way that is pure genius; and are skilled problem-solvers. I wanted the house to be more liveable and comfortable, while still honoring the antique details that had drawn me to the property in the first place. Pi Smith and Stephen Branchflower in particular not only listened to me all along the way, but heard me. They gave me exactly what I had hoped for. From a practical perspective, I needed to live in the house while this was going on, and they were sensitive to my need to carry on amidst the upheaval. They worked closely with the contractor, Lud Leskovar, to assure that I was comfortable and inconvenienced a little as humanly possible while the work was being done all around me. Smith & Vansant, Lud Leskovar and I worked closely as a team. The kept me informed as to costs all along the way and helped me make decisions that took into account my both budget and my dreams. They were endlessly patient and always kind. Everyone in this close-knit firm is a pleasure to work with, operates with the highest integrity, and knows what they are doing. I can't recommend Smith & Vansant highly enough. For photos of this project, see "Houzz Tour: Beautiful, Hardworking Cape Renovation" on this site.”

“Thank you Kate for helping us to brainstorm ideas, design and assist in creating our forever dream home with your thoughtful and mindful architectural suggestions! You listened intently to our vision to produce a structural design that would work with our existing home, built in 1985, and stay within waterfront protection restrictions and open up striking views of the water from nearly all directions. With new windows and wall of glass sliding doors, we can’t believe how much natural light has been added to our home. We wake every morning seeing and feeling the warmth of the sunrise to start our day peacefully, calm and stress free. We now feel so connected to the outdoors, being able to view all the wildlife in their natural habitat. Many of our neighbors also comment on how beautiful and tastefully done the exterior of the home is and how it continues to fit into the charm of the Henniker area despite the large additional footprint. You are an extremely talented and trusted local professional gem who is creative, easy to work with, and very responsive given the timeline and budget for our project. We are very proud of and love the work you did and highly recommend you to manage any project large or small. You proved to us and the contractor that you are able to successfully handle any challenges, changes, or curve balls that come your way and make it all work out beautifully.”

“Chris brings a brilliant approach to home design. He quickly delivers a plan by capturing the desires of the owner. His design signature is unique and a breath of fresh air to the custom home market.”

“After meeting Gavin for the first time, I know our kitchen would be in good hands! We wanted to renovate our entire kitchen area, entranceway and at the same time, make it modern and practical for a family of 6. He gave us several different drawings and ideas and we collaborated on the final design. Through the entire process, his "designer" brain is always on! He is constantly trying to find the best fit for our needs and situation. He has a broad knowledge of not only architecture, but the entire design, permit, build, construction process. This is also why we loved working with him because he has a great sense of the cost required to complete our design and stay within our budget. Throughout the entire process, he was available by phone and email to coordinate, plan or fix small details. He worked seamlessly with the city to get our plans approved and permitted. It felt to us that our project was his only project and he knew every single detail probably better than us. We absolutely love our new kitchen and will for years to come! We will use him again for our stairway and upstairs renovation. I highly recommend Gavin for his amazing ideas, architectural skills, and positive attitude.”