The Most Honest Thing I Can Do for You Is Tell You the Truth
Most design processes are built around keeping the client comfortable. Mine is built around telling them the truth — about their budget, their ideas, their house, and how I charge
The Green Monster on My Street
A regular 1960s house on my street just got torn down and replaced by something that has nothing to do with where it is. This is what happens when a lot gets treated as a transaction instead of a place.
Renovation Mistakes That Kill Your Home's Resale Value
Some renovations add value. Others quietly take it away. Here are the mistakes that cost homeowners the most when it is time to sell — and how good design avoids every one of them.
Constraints Make the Design
Every project has limits that won't budge. A budget. A zoning box. An existing structure. A site with grading that won't cooperate. The difference is in how you move around them.
How to Interview a Contractor — And the Red Flags Most Homeowners Miss
Hiring the wrong contractor is one of the most expensive mistakes a homeowner can make. Here is exactly what to ask — and what to watch for — before you sign anything.
The Addition That Didn't Add Up
You skipped the designer to save money. The contractor built exactly what you asked for. So why is the permit taking forever — and why doesn't the new space feel the way you expected?
How to Read a House — What a Designer Sees That You Don't
The moment I walk into a home, I am reading it. Not the finishes — the bones. The light. The flow. What the house is trying to be and what is getting in the way
Five Things That Make a Renovation Feel Cheap (That Have Nothing to Do with Budget)
Frank Lloyd Wright built Usonian houses for families of modest means. Decades later they still feel extraordinary. Most builders today can't say the same — and here's why.
What AI Can't Solve That Your Designer Can
AI can generate a beautiful image of your dream home in seconds. It cannot tell you why that dream might not work — or what would work better.
The House That Forgot It Was a Ranch
They called about a kitchen. When we visited, we knew the kitchen wasn't the problem — and it wasn't even in the right place.
How to Keep Your Home Renovation Within Budget Without Sacrificing Design Quality
Budget and quality aren't enemies. Here's how to keep your DMV home renovation on budget without cheap compromises—from someone who's done it hundreds of times.
The One Thing Every Home Addition Needs: Connection to Outdoors
The best home additions share one thing: real connection to outdoors. Here's why it matters in the DMV and how to design it right. Plus free design guide.
The Ridge Retreat: Modern on the Mountain
Where three generations gather for winter breaks and summer weekends. Owners of a mid-century home build a modern mountain retreat designed to last the next century.
No, We Don't Just Draw
"So you just draw the house?" If only. Here's what people get wrong about what we actually do.
The Real Cost of a Home Addition in the DMV
Everyone asks "how much?" but nobody gives straight answers. Here's what a home addition actually costs in the DMV—and why the number matters less than you think.
How to Add to a Mid-Century Home Without Ruining It
The hardest part of adding to a mid-century home? Not destroying what made it special. See how we extended a North Bethesda post-and-beam gem while keeping its soul intact.
When Your Home Opens to the Forest
There's a house in North Bethesda that doesn't feel like it's near the woods—it feels like it's part of them. Discover how we transformed a classic ranch into a light-filled retreat that celebrates its forest setting
The First 1% of Your Project Determines the Other 99%
Why the most successful projects don't start with a drawing, but with a series of hard questions.
What Does a Home Addition Cost in the DMV? (2025)
Real costs for home additions in Montgomery County and Northern Virginia. Kitchen additions, master suites, second stories, and renovations - actual 2025 pricing from experienced architects