Design-Build Contractors & Firms Near Chelsea

“We knew we wanted to work with Michael Klement and his team at Architectural Resource after hearing his philosophy on reimagining smaller homes, and green design. Our experience with them, and the outcome of our home redesign exceeded our expectations. Living in Ann Arbor, we set out to renovate our former rental home in Bellevue, Washington, before making it our retirement retreat. Michael gave us confidence that the project could be done successfully - remotely. Michael and his associate met us at our Bellevue home and spent two days surveying the space, and listening as we shared its pain points, our lifestyle needs, and our vision for entertaining family and friends. They led thoughtful discussions on key aspects of our remodel—sustainable design, healthy living environments, and aging in place—even climbing onto our roof to assess its potential for solar energy. Their meticulous approach helped uncover the home’s possibilities and maximize our use of space—all without expanding its footprint. A few weeks into the design process, COVID hit. The transition from our in-person Ann Arbor meetings to remote sessions was seamless, yet despite the shift, it always felt like we were right there with them. Each week, we witnessed their extraordinary skill as they presented thoughtful design solutions. For example, they replaced a wall separating the living area and kitchen with a freestanding tunnel gas fireplace, creating a visual division while maintaining an open, connected feel. Through their expertise in 3D modeling software, they helped us truly experience the space before it was built, making the design process both engaging and immersive. When it was time to move from final design to construction, Michael helped us identify potential contractors in the Seattle area and collaborated seamlessly as needed with our chosen contractor throughout the build. Seeing their design come to life in our remodeled home was pure joy. Their meticulous planning not only reimagined the space but also infused it with a refined aesthetic and innovative approach, completely transforming how we experience and enjoy living in it. Our experience with Michael Klement and his team at Architectural Resource was nothing short of extraordinary, and we give them our highest recommendation. Their professionalism and collaborative approach made us feel part of the team. We are thrilled with our home's redesign, and wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again.”

“I approached Meadowlark with the need for a significant renovation to transform a poorly laid out bathroom/spa into a safe, first floor accessible bathroom suite for an elderly client/friend following a fall and broken hip. I laid out an aggressive goal of compressing the design/build schedule as my friend would need to remain in a rehab center while the project was completed. The following business day Meadowlark’s President Melissa Kennedy met me on site and brought their head of construction, and project manager ready to get to work. (I was impressed). I provided them with a clear scope of work and challenged them on how much they could compress the schedule as we needed the project finished yesterday. Eight weeks later we brought my friend home from rehab to a much safer, redesigned home. The eight weeks included both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. At the top of the list of Meadowlark’s strengths are their people and leadership, and willingness to challenge themselves. Most contractors would have politely explained that my goals were unachievable. Second would be their handling of inevitable issues that arise in any remodeling project. I can’t say enough about Sarah Petersen, our Project Manager, who was key. A firm is only as good as their employees and pool of contractors, especially in our circumstances, and Meadowlark has a pool of high quality contractors. As we neared the completion concerns arose about everything being ready for a safe return home, and Melissa and Sarah met me onsite on a Sunday morning to review remaining work. The relationships Meadowlark has with their contractors became clear by how contractors responded to insure final details were completed. Meadowlark was also able to include refinishing the home’s wood floors and incorporate a new powder room and laundry facilities to the project scope without delaying the schedule. Due to the circumstances the project was structured on a time and materials basis. There are few contractors I would trust with this arrangement on something this size. While transparency could have been improved I am satisfied with the resulting total costs and Meadowlark deserved every penny of the margin earned on this project. Overall A+.”

“My husband and I were just crazy enough to go through a complete kitchen/first floor renovation with two children under the age of 5. Up until February 2020 the Forward process could not have been smoother. Chad called me and asked all the right questions and just made me feel at ease. I knew my shopping was done at that point. Later, we met Carly who deserves a medal in Client Reassurance for all the times I said "Are you sure about this?" and she would say "Just trust me, that’s what I’m here for". Every time, Caryl was right! The design process was so collaborative and I always felt like I was being presented with well thought out design concepts based on the needs of our family. In Feb 2020, construction started and for a solid month we were plugging along full speed ahead, in fact, we were tracking three weeks ahead of schedule! I came home one day to find Brian leveling our ceiling so our crown molding would be straight and as he explained the whole process to me I just couldn't help but marvel at his keen sense of detail and exceptional skill! March 2020 rolled around and COVID happened. Yes, even a firm as exceptional as Forward couldn't work around the fallout of a pandemic but they still put their best foot "forward" and made us feel like we had not been forgotten. Our Project Managers Brian and Tim checked in with us at least once a week to see how we were doing and if there was anything they could do to help us keep our sanity. They kept me informed of plans to resume as soon as they possibly could and reassured me that this delay in time would not at all alter the price or the product. There were many times I thought to myself "would any run of the mill contractor be able to handle this kind of problem as flawlessly as Forward did?" I believe the answer to be, no. There were no delays in Forward getting back to work once they were able to. My family of four lived through the construction from May to August and while you hear horror stories, our experience could not have been better. All of the Forward carpenters and sub-contractors were beyond respectful of our home. There were many nights I walked through the construction area with no shoes because it was that clean and safe! I happened to be off of work one week and Jon was there working and he was just the nicest person you could hope to have in your home. He would ask me questions on how I would like something installed, give me some tips on how to use something, troubleshoot/problem solve with me on the spot, and he was available if I had any other random questions. Forward Design Build gets a 10/10 from me. I am a particular person and this project was no exception. As a female, I often feel like I'm made out to be a "Diva" or annoying if I ask for things to be a particular way and I NEVER felt that way from any of the Forward team. They would always say "Absolutely, we can figure something out" or "you're right that isn't quite right" or "You're paying a lot for this, we want it to be perfect, too!" Hire Forward! They are a polished company that knows what they are doing and they do it well! Many friends gave us tips and suggestions and every time I asked Tim or Jon about them they both would say "oh yea, we already did that" or "its in the plan, we have it covered!" They obviously love what they do and they care about their homeowners. They stayed within budget, they stayed within the timeframe they committed to (outside of COVID), and they were able to gracefully navigate through a pandemic that drastically affected their business. I would never hire another contractor after what I know now.”