Universal Designers in East Montpelier

“Greg did a major renovation on my 1974 ranch house. He was fantastic. The work was top notch--careful, intelligent, clean. When he thought something could be done more economically, he told me. He's SMART and thoughtful and also he's got great taste. I trusted his sensibilities. He was also easy to LIVE with, which is, essentially, what happens during a home renovation. He's just a lovely person.”

“Steve Frey of Arocordis Design worked with me through a year and a half of hard decisions and amazing outcomes. We began by discussing plans to build a home out of shipping containers. He researched and incorporated green building techniques to keep within my low budget of 150K-200K. When the designs were in their first stages, he shopped them out to a couple known shipping container builders. He gently broke the news to me that getting the containers to Vermont was cost prohibitive used too much energy, defeating the purpose. We moved onto a simpler wood construction and through a few sit-down meetings we collaborated on the design, wants and don't really need kind of stuff , to establish a full blueprint. During this time he found my Realtor and set up interviews with 3 builders (newer guy into green building, established middle of the road kind of guy, and a top green builder). The only hitch was not being able to find a reasonable bit of land for the right price in the right spot. Steve was great at letting me know when it was time to take a break, give it time, and move on the next opportunity. I eventually decided to buy an existing home, an 1840's farmhouse, that need work, but had great bones. Steve went back to the drawing board and did 4 elevations, an addition design, and reworked the interior for more open concept. Since I had decided to partner with Jacob Rogen at Rogen Design Build initially, Steve graciously handed the reigns over to Jacob, who has done a masterful job during the 1st phase of renovations. I thankful for Steve's support and professionalism throughout this process. He knows his industry and is constantly looking to learn more and keep on top of new discoveries. Our time during the design phase was so productive and he listened to what I needed. He took what I had to say and interpreted it in the designs with perfection.”

“I would highly recommend Dovetail Designs! We wanted to do a complete kitchen remodel but didn't have a clear vision of what we were looking for. Jenny came to our house and spent a considerable amount of time with us going over what we wanted in a kitchen and asked questions about our cooking style, etc. She then set to work on developing a kitchen design for us which truly turned out incredible and put all of our ideas into a true vision. Even after we had settled on a plan, Jenny would take additional time to work on the design to find even more ways to perfect it. The end result was a beautiful, well designed kitchen that far exceeded our expectations!”

“Our company has had the pleasure of partnering with Andrew Volansky on multiple construction projects, residential and commercial, and most recently with the Volansky Studio, on a lakeside traditional Scottish style cottage. Andrew’s attention to detail and open-minded approach to design, guided the project, along with his ability to problem solve and communicate effectively. Upon completion, the home’s fine architectural details and finishes, combine modern convenience with cozy 17th Century charm. We hope to continue collaborating with the Volansky Studio on future projects and highly recommend their professional services to home owners.”

“5 or 6 years we made a decision to relocate to Vermont and build. We interviewed several designers/architects and almost instantly had connection with Ray, he seemed to be what we needed. Our process was a long one, but Ray stuck with us. We stopped the project after for a while after we started with Ray and wasn't sure we'd come back. After a year or so we knew we wanted to jump back in. Ray picked us back up immediately. His attention to detail you'll find unmatched. He is great at suggestions and also adapting to his clients ideas. Soon after we started back we lost our builder. He helped us set up interviews and select a new builder. We started back up at the beginning of the covid pandemic , but Ray worked with us and we managed to visit door/window, flooring, countertops and cabinet vendors with his assistance. he was with us every step of the way. We were lucky to get one of the better builders in upper Vermont and he was very complimentary of Ray's attention to detail and guidance. Ray saw the project to its completion. We've been in over a year now and could not be happier with our finished product.”

“When adding a new addition to our traditional farmhouse, MaryBeth did an excellent job addressing our concerns of keeping the historical aesthetic . Easy to work with, creative and professional, we'd definitely recommend her to others who are looking to add onto an existing home and wondering how they can remodel and not lose the "feel" of their original house.”

“This review comes from Guy and Shari Violas-Guy has sold 1200 plus homes in Los Angeles over a 30 year career and Shari Insures hundreds of Celebrity Clients homes around the Globe. In my humble opinion, Pete designed the most Amazing Lake Front Home of its' size on Canandaigua Lake, Western New York. Pete is extremely calming, very thorough in his approach in designing a home with timeless elements and character. He is honest, cultured and a pleasure to work with. Rock Star!”

“Working with Tina is a pure joy! From start to finish, she is the consummate professional with a compassionate ear and a talented eye. Her designs for our basement were thoughtful, beautiful, and reflective of our goals for space usage as well as our budget. I would highly recommend Made Up Modern to anyone!”

“Ward is great to work with. He has excellent design ideas that include original ways to enhance the end product. He is very good at working within a budget and adhering to deadlines. Ward made this project SO much more manageable by being the liaison with the contractor. His relationships with some contractors are an asset. After receiving bids, we chose an excellent builder that Ward has worked with previously. He advocated for us on cost and timing issues. He was patient with our process and I also found Ward's fees to be reasonable.”

“Jen Lane provided both creative and practical advice for our remodeling project --(addition/garage). Jen was respectful of our ideas, and tailored her designs to meet our requirements. I was impressed with Jen's ability to meet deadlines and stay on budget. Jen was also a good source of information on local contractors. I have already recommended Jen's work, and will continue to do so.”