Custom Home Services in Granville, VT

“Nancy Leary did a beautiful redesign on my 1850's VT farmhouse. She seamlessly incorporated all my needs, in a fashion that was respectful of the original character of the house, but which also managed to incorporate all the conveniences of the 21st century. The project included: restoration of original front porch, design and installation of a new, modern kitchen, total LR redesign including: creation of stove fireplace and appropriate flanking built-in bookcases, design and installation of new windows and exterior door in LR, relocation of front door, and realignment of beams under original pine plank flooring to eliminate serious buckling and slant. Besides doing a basic basement rehab, a including a new concrete floor, new windows and insulation, upstairs Nancy also did a new insulation of many exterior walls, and in the master bedroom, the installation of new gas fireplace and incorporation of old mantel . Her attentiveness, humor and care throughout the project made her a pleasure to work with. I recommend her highly.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Sam helped us create a beautiful and highly functional building that met many needs - a library for our book collecting, a home office, guest quarters, kitchen, garage and utility space and a shipping and inventory room for our fine art and book business. It is a separate building from our home and Sam cleverly joined the buildings with an Italian inspired courtyard surrounded by gardens. He brought a wealth of knowledge and creative thinking to the project based on a long and illustrious career. We finished on deadline and were within budget. Sam was always willing to listen to the input of others and was a collaborator with all - not a slave to his own ideas.”

“John Connell is a genius. He is creative, knowledgeable, innovative, brings incredible energy to a project, has a great sense of humor (defusing any conflicts during the building process) and designs your home to fit YOUR life. We built a house from scratch with him, he was attentive to detail from start to finish, and made great recommendations for energy savings. We have been living in the house he designed for years and every day we enjoy it anew. His enthusiasm for show work and his good humor are infectious, making the whole design and build process memorable and fun.”

“In 2012, after talking with several different architects, I selected Karyn Scherer to design my new home. I ended up not only with a lovely, comfortable and well-functioning house, but also a wonderful new friendship. I knew exactly what I wanted…sunlight, air, flow of spaces, cozy but spacious, low maintenance… Karyn listened and understood my ideas and goals. Together, we began the process of designing and building my house. Working with Karyn was easy and pleasant. While discussing all the many decisions and choices to be made, Karyn could explain to me in ways I really understood, what was involved; why we could NOT do A, if I absolutely wanted B and C. Or, she could come up with a different way, perhaps less complicated or less expensive to achieve whatever the particular goal was. Designing and building a new home is most certainly a complicated PROCESS, and I think it’s extremely important that the architect and the home owner maintain a good working relationship throughout. There are always some unexpected surprises and I found that Karyn was able to problem solve creatively any time that happened. Respect, trust, and good communication were the important pieces in our working relationship. It certainly paid off…I really love my house and I consider Karyn a good friend !”

“We hired Rudy to redesign our mid-century cape house in Burlington and could not be more thrilled with his work. He seamlessly incorporated our ideas into a vision we never could have come up with on our own. Our revamped first floor, with a new entryway and kitchen, is so much more open, flows better, is full of natural light, and is entirely more functional. Our renovated second floor, with a totally overhauled bathroom, now incorporates top-notch materials and has a ton of new built-in storage space. The whole house, inside and out, is now touched by unique, distinguishing details. Indeed, other designers, contractors, and homeowners have stopped by just to take a picture of and gain some inspiration from the work visible to the outside. Rudy and his team have my strongest recommendation and we would use them again in a heartbeat.”

“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.”

“We were extremely satisfied with Mitra's services. What an eye Mitra has! She took a look at our living room/dining room and soon presented us with a plan that was extremely creative and functional. She turned our rather drab living room/dining room into the showcase of our home. The walls of the first floor are lined with crown molding and the colors she picked are absolutely amazing. My wife and I recommend Mitra without reservation.”

“I was the client for the Sugarbush house, and Rob Bast was the architect for a restoration and redesign. He understood my apprehension to the genre of the house, but also understood my desire to honor the original silhouette of the house. He also worked with the contractor to guide him through the unusual structural demands of a house that is suspended above the ground. I love this house, and it is completely experiential. Each and every room reveals the environment in a unique way. Even though it looks cosmopolitan, it is an experience of living in and among the trees and the treetops. I have dubbed the Master Bedroom the Val-Aerie. Rob is gifted in his ability to visualize the structure without, and it's experience from within. His help extended from the structural needs of the roof (which only appears flat), to the layout of the tiles which draw you into the space. From the big concepts to the small details, it was wonderful attention and care.”