Design Intervention

We received excellent renovation work to a Condo in Little Italy, San Diego. Design Intervention was able to provide reasonably priced top of the line improvements to modernize our space.

I greatly enjoyed working with Kirk – he’s easy going, confident, and concise (not to mention talented, I mean look at these remodel pictures!). He was direct in explaining his project needs, knew which of our products he wanted, and was timely with administrative needs. He was easy to reach with questions and updates, and kept in touch with me throughout the process. Kirk is a pleasure to work with, and I’m eager to partner with him on future projects.

We had the pleasure of working with Design Intervention on a home they remodeled in San Diego. This project is one of our favorites! The design and attention that Design Intervention put into this project completely reinvented the space adding elegant, contemporary touches with high-end finishes. The end result is a warm and inviting living space that is appealing both inside and out. The owners were great to work with and we look forward to the opportunity to work with them again in the future!

So where do I start with the wonderful comments from friends and family or how wonderful and helpful the workers were or the inspiring thoughts, designs and equipment Kirk brought to the project. This was a “labor of love” for my wife to have a 1960 one level house that had not really been worked on since it was built and with Kirk turn it into the “HOUSE”! We all know the joys of construction, and this time lucky enough we did not have to live in house while construction however the professionalism, knowledge, skills and dedication of the all the craftsmen who worked this project was top class. They were there when they said they would be, were flexible to changes in plans as we went through this journey. The variety of choice (within budget) that was brought to us offered us the ability to meet our dreams but also be practical and value for cost. Kirk was always aware of our style and needs however would help as look at alternatives, which would enhance our thoughts! In the end we have a “HOME” which inside and outside receives many positive comments from friends, family and the neighborhood. The project was completed within budget and time even though we added and altered as we went along. So in closing thank you Kirk as we now decorate the home for the Holidays 2018 and look forward to many more

Top-notch work from start to finish! Although I had some other architect draw my original kitchen remodel plans, Kirk helped me make revisions for accuracy and to satisfy the City of Irvine Planning Department. When it came time to select cabinets, counter tops and floors, we traveled together to various vendors to examine samples and coordinate colors. His design expertise and tips were invaluable. His construction workers, Saul and Jose, spent every day of the 8-week project on my kitchen and no other project. They did it all--demo, plumbing, electrical, structural, installing cabinets, laying floors, painting and finishing. Their skills were unmatched. They worked efficiently and courteously. They completed the project on schedule. I enjoyed having them in my home the entire time. Note that if you have absolute color preferences, you'll need to be clear about them with Kirk because his design eye, as expert as it is, may not always match yours. If I had another remodel project to do I would only call on Kirk.

Kirk is an excellent architect, designer and contractor. I feel fortunate a friend recommended him, and after interviewing many others, we chose him! He knows a lot of about a lot of things - from lighting to carpet and everything in between, he seems to know it all! What you don't usually find (unfortunately) is when a contractor really, really cares about the project turning out just right - down to every little detail. This goes not only for Kirk, but Saul, too - his main man. Usually a remodel is a nightmare, runs over budget and over schedule, but I am happy to say we are moving back in right on time into our beautiful newly remodeled home! I highly recommend Kirk!

We hired Design Intervention to be our contractor for our home remodel. The project started out as a medium remodel, but we ended up doing pretty much the entire house. Kirk Nelson and his team are honest, reliable, diligent and friendly.

Thank you Kirk and Design Intervention. We had a great experience working with you on a nice project in san Diego. You were easy to work with and very knowledgeable. I feel i learned from you a lot. We look forward to work with you in the future

Kirk came onto my project after things with my first GC went south. If it weren't for Kirk my restaurant might have never been built. I owe him a great deal of gratitude. My place looks amazing! In all the chaos to get it to where it is today Kirk was always dependable and resourceful.

Phenomenal customer service with creativity and an attention to detail in like any other. What ever you want done design intervention has the right perspective and outside the box thinking to get you the end product you desire.

Right after our remodel was complete we had a neighborhood party. Everyone wanted to know who our designer was. I have recommended DI to all my neighbors. They did such a wonderful job keeping everything and everyone on time. Thank you again Design Intervention!

I hired Kirk Nelson of Design Intervention to design a 2nd floor home addition. My personal opinion, is I like to: 1) Have a designer that is available to meet on weekends, or after work hours, if my work schedule precludes week days during working hours. 2) Deal with a designer who does not go through the design concept phase. Issue an invoice. Then only after the invoice is paid, demand payment of "additional work" which was anticipated from the very first meeting, and included in the concept design phase. 3) work with a designer who does not submit plans to Building and Planning approval without a) my approval b) without providing me a copy of the plans that he is approving (industry standard is an architect provides client with full set of plans and has the client sign the plans before they are submitted for planning approval. Apparently Design Intervention does not follow industry norms in this respect. They seem to believe that the property owner should not have the opportunity to review the full set of plans or keep a copy of what's being submitted. They also appear to be very resistant to having a qualified architect review plans, since my experience was that when I asked for full set of plans for review by a qualified architect, Kirk Nelson would not provide.) 3) deal with a designer who does not receive rejected Building Department Plan corrections, but claim to me that plans are approved, and demand 100% payment. 4) Be in a contract with a designer who gets my review and approval, before he re-submits plans for approval. Instead of one who leaves 15 (yes 15!) of the original corrections un-corrected, and expects me to pay for the printing and expenses costs. 5) work with a designer who does not then falsely claim a second time that building approval is completed and demand full payment a second time. 6) does not refuse to meet with a qualified architect to review plans before payment is made. 7) does not provide a payment schedule in a contract, and then refuse to complete the project until 90% payment is made. 8) does not claim that a contract payment basis is percentage complete, when the document has a clear set of payment schedule steps and payments, and % complete is not specified on the contract. 9) does submit expenses for printing costs, without the requisit receipts or itemization to validate the expenses are valid. 10) does not have a 3 week schedule for work to be completed, and still, a year later, be holding the project up due to unprofessional demands for payment before work is complete. 11) deal with qualified architects, rather than a person who apparently did an architecture degree, but for what ever reason, never did get qualified as an architect. When I have consulted with qualified architects about my experience, and the professional conduct of Kirk Nelson and Design Intervention, the reaction has been very interesting to hear. If you enter into an agreement with a contractor, it is always a good idea to get a construction lawyer to carefully write the performance and payment schedule terms. My personal opinion is that in the case of Kirk Nelson and Design Intervention, after a year of trying to get a simple addition designed, is it is probably better not to enter into an agreement in the first place. But that's just my personal opinion. At the end of the day it is up to the client to decide what type of contractor they want to work with...

We used Design Intervention for our present home and our 3 previous homes! Each home was designed to perfection and really expressed who we are and how we like to function in our space. Kirk was exemplary in his approach of keeping us on budget by providing us with a very detailed budget that reflected the choices that would keep us within our number. When we would begin to stray to materials that potentially could have been "budget busters", Kirk would provide us with an incredible array of options that would accomplish the same vision without killing the bottom line. The fact that he is an artist in addition to his Design/Build talents is what sold us on choosing his firm. All of the homes that he has done for us are unique and feel like works of art. He designs the entire space, ceilings, walls, floors, no detail is too small or ever overlooked. Every ceiling in our home is as beautiful as every other surface. When we entertain people they are in awe of the lovely homes he has created for us. We will certainly call upon Kirk when we are ready for our next home!

We recently contracted with Design Interventions for a complete buildout of a new Kitchen (in previous living room) and new Living Room (new construction - additional footprint to home). We are beyond thrilled with the results - Kirk was able to design a space that opens to the outdoors and fully utilizes the ocean view. Everything from the custom designed cabinets, unique backsplash, granite, and flooring were beyond anything that we could imagine. Project remained in budget the entire time and we actually had a little extra to upgrade our granite!

Kirk is the guy for your job, he helped me build my restaurant in no time and with excellent quality and attention to detail. I highly recommend design intervention and will work with kirk for sure on my next project. Thank you design intervention

They offered the best advice, service for my project and are very professional company. Project was on time and on budget. I will use them again.

I recently had the pleasure of photographing a project for Karen at Design Intervention. I was very fortunate to shoot such a spectacular design and build. They did a fantastic job on this property. There is so much attention to detail, and an enormous amount of creativity displayed throughout the entire project. Many of these photos will be utilized for my portfolio. The design is that good! Their communication is phenomenal, and they are very thorough. I had a wonderful time working with these professionals. I highly recommend them!

Design Intervention went above and beyond in presenting us with choices to refine the vision that we presented. Kirk was proactive in anticipating and being proactive with presenting design ideas and planning the intricate details of the entire form and function of our home. HIs eye for color and detail is a testament to his artistic background. Hours were spent taking me through granite yards, tile stores, and all materials needed to complete our home. The array of resources that Kirk had contacts that made the pricing within our predetermined budget. His crew were always respectful and showed up everyday without fail. After hearing so many horror stories we were thrilled to have such a response contractor and design crew.

My neighbor & I had to replace our joint fence and she recommended Kirk as the contractor. I was expecting a normal, not very attractive fence, and was concerned because the fence is very visible at the entrance to my home. After talking to Kirk and feeling confident in his expertise and experience, I pretty much let him design and build the fence w/o much input from me. I was so happy and pleased with the end result! The fence looks artistic, interesting and anything but normal. Kirk also extensively remodeled my neighbor's home and it looks fantastic in every way. I will definitely use Kirk for any future home improvement/remodeling that I do and highly recommend him to anyone who wants an exceptional contractor with impressive ideas, creativity, and design ability. Kyra Waldron

Kirk Nelson and the Design Intervention team are professionals, and even better, they are excellent advocates for what is most cost and time efficient, attractive, and functional. They could see the best all-around outcome for my property before I even asked all of the questions. I highly recommend them.

We hired Kirk Nelson; owner of Design Intervention to design and complete our renovation. From the beginning of the relationship to the end, Kirk was professional and a complete pleasure to work with. His ideas and suggestions were thoughtful and in-line with our vision and budget. We are absolutely thrilled with the results, the level of workmanship and the quality.

Kirk Nelson's creativity and passion to assit us in accomplishing everything that we set out to do in our remodel/addition was exceptional. Their professionalism and communication kept us on budget and on time. It was beyond our expectations. The construction quality was excellent and detailing comprehensive. We will be coming back to Design Intervention for our future projects and construction.

Kirk Nelson of Design Intervention in Laguna Beach California is a consummate professional who possesses an uncanny ability to develop whatever project he is hired to do into an exceptional architecturally pleasing and unique space. Our Florida home has beautiful lines and intricate ceiling details. This man is able to create a specialized home or office building which not only reflects the project owner's wants and desires but also goes to great lengths to use environmentally sound techniques and products to promote a better healthy living space for all inhabitants. We are so pleased with our home and highly recommend he and his firm. His eye for detail and his care for a job well done sets him apart. When a Florida resident hires a designer from California, that in itself says it all.

We used them to design and build an outdoor living space for our home. They provided us with a thorough and detailed timeline and budget. They also helped suggest ideas to make our vision come to life. Most importantly, they stuck to the budget and timeline more than anyone we have used in the past. We would not hesitate to recommend or use them in the future.

I had my Dana Point condominium remodeled by Design Intervention last year. The work was flawless and the result was spectacular. My kitchen, bathrooms and living room were totally remodeled. Kirk Nelson was so creative and was great at incorporating my desires for the look I wanted to achieve. All of his subcontractors were wonderful to work with, conscientious and respectful. All of my neighbors are so jealous of how beautiful my condominium turned out. The job was done on time and on budget. There were no surprises with the price. Design Intervention provided me with the most comprehensive quote that left nothing out, unlike many of the other bids I received that would have resulted in many upcharges and change orders. I recommend Design Intervention to anyone that wants a beautiful project done well and on budget.

The quality of their work is unsurpassed! Big bonus--everyone we worked with at every level was fantastic--considerate, polite and so easy to work with. The Owner is a joy and extremely creative. The original outdoor project went so well, we added on the addition of a breakfast nook (which was a challenge because of setbacks, the unique shape of the space, and our beach city's crazy zoning regulations) and the remodel of 2 bathrooms. I could not be more thrilled with the finished rooms. We have received numerous compliments, including an unsolicited offer to buy our property from someone who drove by and saw a portion of our outdoor space from the street! I could not be more pleased.

Awesome quality, fast working, respectful to neighbors. We hired Kirk, the company owner, for both the architectural work and the construction too. He also handled the Laguna Design Review process, which is notoriously difficult. The project was a complete tear down and new structure in it's place. Very few issues before, during and after the project. Highly recommended. Countless compliments on the finished project after the fact.

I have worked with Design Intervention for almost 20 years. I have managed large portfolios of commercial projects that were owned by various partnerships including The Irvine Company, The Koll Company and Brookhollow Group. Design Intervention proved to be one my biggest assets on all of my projects as they were able to provide such a variety of services to compliment my work. I worked with Kirk Nelson on design work for interior space planning for individual tenants, design work for common areas and exterior design including paint colors for multiple buildings. He was fantastic with coordination and resources and made each project seamless. Some of my projects were new and we had 20 jobs going on at once and I found Design Intervention to be an invaluable ally. We were always within budget, met our deadlines and they were excellent in their ability to problem solve in the event of any dispute which were few. I highly recommend them for any project as they are professional, very creative and have high integrity.

I have known Kirk Nelson of Design Intervention since 2002 and have followed his work throughout the years. As a stager in Southern California, I staged one of the properties that had been completely remodeled. This home was put on the market for sale and no doubt sold because of the attention to detail used by Kirk Nelson..