HP Rovinelli Architects

Paul has been a great person to work with and been a great partner in helping us refine our vision and make it real. We are in awe of his talent in Architecture.

Paul did a great job in designing and overseeing upgrades and renovations to our 1840s home in Weston, Vermont. Key elements included design of a dormer at the back of the house which perfectly fit the style and character of the house; combining a series of small rooms into an open kitchen/ dining space; and reallocating space between two full, downstairs bathrooms into much more functional master and hall bathrooms. Paul expertly coordinated among us, the contractor and kitchen/ bath supplier. We couldn’t be happier with the service and results.

Paul's design for our kitchen additon was extraordinary! He took a century old beach house and added a comfortable, bright kitchen living area to the back of the house all while retaining the original character of the home. Kudos!

Paul was absolutely fantastic! He completely re-imagined the layout of our house. The new spaces feel open, modern, and beautiful. This was our first renovation project and Paul did an excellent job helping us navigating the process. We could not be happier with the final result!

Our project was a total gut renovation of a 2 family home to a 1 family home in Cambridge, MA. We hired Paul immediately after our initial meeting with him. Paul came to the meeting well prepared. He had done research on the house and the surrounding area. He had examples of similiar projects he had done. Paul was enthusiastic about the project. Paul always responded quickly to any questions or concerns. He had creative solutions to challenging problems. Paul was available to assist in many areas such as interviewing general contractors. He worked well with our contractor. It was truly a pleasure to work with Paul and we would not hesitate to recommend Paul.

We had a fantastic experience working with Paul on our kitchen renovation and we recommend him very highly. He is creative, attentive and well organized. Paul designed the new kitchen for our ca. 100 year-old house with an eye to maintaining the historical craftsman-like exterior while completely modernizing the interior with contemporary cabinets and a clean design Paul had the very clever idea of rotating the entrance door and an interior staircase by 45o so that they would connect visually and practically. He also has a great eye for detail that extends from the lighting plan to the casework. Moreover, he works very efficiently and his fees are extremely reasonable We will definitely use Paul again for our next project!

We sought to do a gut renovation of an 1865 Mansard Roof Victorian that had not been updated since the 1980s. The task at hand was complicated by (1) a limited footprint to work within - the property is in the city and is subject to strict historic society issues, (2) a desire to modernize the space in key areas such as the kitchen while retaining/ redoing aspects that would look like they were original pieces, and (3) some anxiety as to the process that required careful attention to our emotional needs as the scope was revisited, the need to move out addressed, and the process of choosing a contractor, etc. managed. Paul was tremendous in each of these areas. By way of example: Space constraints: we sought to add a bathroom in a first floor while also adding central air. We had more or less conceded there would be a trade off with loss of basement storage so unique for our urban location. Paul identified three or four possibilities that unlocked ways for us to think through these issues. He was patient and consultative. He exudes a quiet confidence borne from experience handling many similar projects as well as different ones from which innovative ideas can be considered. He entirely redesigned the first floor, cleverly changed the second floor to add a third office while expanding the bathroom while maintaining sizable rooms, and created a dream third floor suite. The final product is 'magazine worthy'. Design: we are thrilled to have a very modern kitchen with high end appliances, custom kitchen cabinetry, and the feel of a Soho luxury apartment despite it being within a house. When you exit this area to the living room or towards the foyer, however, he retained the look and feel of the original despite walls being torn down and others being added. A new bookcase looks original but is in fact where a doorway used to be - Paul placed it in the trimming to cleverly disguise it as being new. He also carefully navigated us through issues that were unique and not to be touched for code reasons - insisting we not touch/ remove the beautiful original staircase too much lest it not withstand the change and need replacing at a higher 2015 code height. The suite on the third floor added full his and her walk-in closets, a clever and sophisticated modern custom piece to split the space while retaining its open feel, and closed off the floor with a main window overlooking the floors below to keep an open feeling while providing soundproofing. Coordination with other parties: Paul was very helpful in identifying contractor options and helped us feel comfortable that our choice, while not the most expensive, was a great choice. He also made the AC option possible by identifying from his network a company that cleverly hid units on each floor that aren't noticed because of the design element (eg above shower in master bedroom suite). The unit itself was mounted on the roof - getting around historic issues and a very concerned neighbor who had veto power because our initial choice was on common ground. Overall, we were fully satisfied and consider Paul a friend to boot. He is a kind and considerate guide who understands people / has high emotional intelligence. We were expecting to settle given how daunting the process seemed to one of us. Paul quietly led us through this and got us to the contractor stage where we were able to essentially self-manage the process though Paul was available for emergencies and as needed. He certainly has complete design to build capabilities and I believe this is his most common arrangement.

Our first experience working will Paul, was renovating our kitchen in our 1849 row house in Boston in 2009. The first time I brought him to the space, his creativity came through immediately and he was able to describe a vision that inspired me, but more importantly, a vision that was practical for our family and our budget. We ended up adding a four foot cantilevered bay to open up the kitchen and to this day, it is still my favorite space in our home. Paul worked well with the contractor to ensure all architectural details were incorporated and that it was of sound construction. In 2013, we used Paul again for a larger project on the same home which included: expanding the basement, adding a deck on top of the basement expansion, rebuilding the entire third floor, adding a head house and roof deck. Paul was extremely helpful navigating the city zoning process, developing various levels of detailed drawings together with the structural engineer, developing the fixed price contract with as few allowances as possible and most importantly he worked well with the contractor even in difficult situations. At times, the contractor wanted to veer from the plans and Paul was able to carefully steer him back while maintaining a good relationship with all parties involved. It was a difficult construction project and honestly, it would not have turned out well if Paul had not been there to help us. He supported us in so many ways. He provided reality checks on change orders and he brought in valuable past experiences to help us navigate unforeseen issues. He did an amazing job. I would use Paul again and I absolutely recommend him to anyone who is looking for a creative architect who will help you through the entire process as well act as your advocate.

Our first experience with Paul was when he designed a summer lake home for us 15 years ago that was--and still is--absolutely perfect for us. The entire process was fun. Paul listened, brought us creative ideas, and provided guidance throughout the process. He not only worked well with us, but also with our builders. One thing he did that was especially valuable was spec all aspects of the house right down to the toilets. While we had not selected everything, it enabled him to insist on a fixed price quote for the project. When we selected something different than what he had spec'd, there was no surprise or disagreement about the price adjustment. As a result, we had a stress-free relationship with our builders and the project came in on budget. We are now using Paul for a major renovation of our deck house. We heartily recommend Paul!

Paul was a joy to work with. He was responsive, enthusiastic about and engaged in the project. We did a gut renovation on a 1935 house. He provided full architectural plans, and also provided recommendations on interior finishings and products. He took the time to listen to us, understand our vision for the house, and to understand how we would live in the house so as to incorporate designs that would best meet our needs. He was very accommodating, as there were multiple changes that we requested throughout the design and construction process. He was always very respectful of our budget and our tight deadlines. He worked well with our contractor to find solutions to typical problems that arose in the construction phase. With the help of his expertise, a dark, compartmentalized, dingy house was dramatically transformed into a beautiful, open, airy, bright, modern home that met all our needs and desires. We would highly recommend Paul to anyone.

Paul Rovinelli has worked with us to design a home which has now been built in the Berkshires, west of Boston. We have found Paul to be a joy to work with. He is a rare combination of creativity, discipline, timeliness and a thoughtful and flexible approach. The house he designed for us is lovely and functional, and exceeds our expectations. His design is very special, creative and the structural integrity of the home is outstanding. I would recommend Paul without hesitation as long as what you value is quality, creativity and integrity...that's what he brought to our project.

Provided comprehensive services for new construction of pool house and expansion of existing house. Provided introductions to an excellent designer and a kitchen design and installation company. Attended meetings with all parties and helped guide decision process, particularly where there was disagreement. Extremely responsive, professional and thoughtful. Made us aware of cost implications throughout the project. Overall a pleasure to work with.