Universal Designers in Perkinsville

“Housewright Construction did a great job on our kitchen. We had a wall removed, the ceiling had to be patched and painted, and we had new cabinets refinished. They did a great job, we are very happy with the results! You can't tell where the ceiling was redone and our cabinets are beautiful!”

“We have been living in our Northcape built house for over 2 years now,and couldn't be happier. The process of designing and building the house was delightful, the finished product our dream come true. Designer/decorator Pat Westgate was so easy to work with, accompanying me to granite, tile, appliance and plumbing showrooms, all of which were totally overwhelming. She gently guided me to the best choices, gave her opinions when asked, whittled choices down when there were too many, etc. She was also a great resource when choosing lighting, always difficult for us since my husband and I have different tastes in that regard. She and Project Manager Jim Goin suggested some design changes that we are very happy with. Friends comment on how "solid" the house is--so well insulated from outside noise. It's an exceptionally well built house, with great attention to detail.”

“I have worked with Charity on decorating several rooms (paint, window coverings, furniture arrangement, lighting, etc.). She's a pleasure to work with. Good about working within your budget. Creative. Beautiful fabric choices. Always timely with input and answers to questions. I would definitely work with her again on future projects.”

“Paul Rovinell and I first worked on a project together over 10 years ago. Paul hired me to design a kitchen. He has since hired my firm to collaborate on many more kitchens throughout New England. I always admired his restrained aesthetic and his efforstless falir for modern spaces. When it came time for me to transfrom my UGLY 1960 time capsule Paul graciously accepted the challenge. We had so much fun designing it! He listened and delivered. My husband and I were THRILLED with the result. Paul is an architectural force. So orignianl and creative - I cannot say enough - Paul is a true talent.”

“Right from the start (telephone, meet and great) through design; cost estimates; meeting owners of Yankee Barn Homes; choosing a contractor; Yankee Barn follow-up; quality control: and quality of the staff...by far a fabulous experience. An now the fabulous experience continues with living in this spacious, beautifully designed home. The feedback from friends and neighbors says it all..."WOW...it is beautiful." Thank you, thank you to all of the Yankee Barn staff. You are simply the very best.”

“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.”

“Since purchasing a second home in Vermont several years ago, Mary Jo has done a phenomenal job putting together great finishing touches as well as doing a complete design and decoration of our basement! We absolutely love it!! What I appreciate most about Mary Jo is her ability to proactively seek out options and keep our projects moving forward even though we are not in the same state. She sends us samples and puts together a completed vision board so we always know where we are headed and what the final look will come out like. I personally like taking a very hands-on approach to these types of projects and Mary Jo has been extremely willing to participate in the collaborative nature of that process. I also appreciate The combination of quality and affordability that Mary Jo is able to source in the vendors she chooses. Mary Jo has great ideas and is very talented. She is brace in her use of color, texture and pattern while not going over the top. Mary Jo has been excellent to work and any issues were dealt with promptly and professionally.”

“"My wife and I had pursued several options as we developed a plan for our home. In many cases we were frustrated with the input we were receiving, so we began looking at timber frame plans because of their openness and creativity. It seemed that an architect familiar with timber framing had a special eye for the type of features we were looking for in our home. We contacted them and we were pleasantly surprised when they informed us that they were happy to assist in designing a home that accommodated our needs. We were frustrated because we had general design ideas but couldn't put it all together and needed the creativity of an architect. Bonin Architects did a wonderful job in working with the best of our ideas. They assisted us with difficult site issues and we are now able to go forward with the construction of the home confident the home is filled with our ideas and their expertise.””

“I have worked with Cheryl on several projects over the years, first as a Decorative Painter and more recently as a kitchen designer for Crown Point Cabinetry. Cheryl is easy to work with and has a great eye for detail. I would highly recommend her for you projects.”

“We took on a big renovation project in Vermont, while living out of state. We hired Pricilla Cotton as our designer and David Cotton as our Architect . From the get go we knew this was a very wise decision! Together they were able to help us envision what the home would look like and were able to make our dreams a reality. They were creative, with a terrific eye for detail, color and overall design. They always presented several options and were willing to work with our suggestions. They frequently checked on the project in our absence and sent pictures, allowing the project move along at a better than expected pace. In addition, they were mindful of our overall budget, making tactical suggesting along the way to contain costs. Overall, we are thrilled with the final project and both David and Priscilla terrific help along the way!”