Energy-Efficient Homes Services in Starksboro, 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.”

“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.”

“We found Joan via an internet search in 2007 that led to her web site. We were immediately struck by her design aesthetic and scheduled a meeting. Joan was thoughtful, thorough and a wonderful listener so we hired her to design a new home for our family on Lake Champlain. The experience was fantastic from beginning to end, and that is especially impressive as most of the work we did with Joan was done remotely. Joan took the time to ask us how we envisioning using all the spaces in our home, and this lead to a wonderful floor plan and most "livable" home while still keeping a modern and clean look. She was always accessible, answered our questions big and small, and explained her ideas thoroughly. We truly cannot recommend Joan Heaton with more enthusiasm!”

“Cushman designed and oversaw construction of my small inn, sterling Ridge Inn. The design was economical and sited perfectly with the natural beauty of the meadows, woods, and spectacular mountains. Inside, on the porches, or in the grounds, one felt comfortably connected to the nearby natural beauty. Everything, from the convenience of the kitchen to the light and comfort of the cathedral ceiling living room gave great comfort to the inkeeper (me), as well as my guests.”

“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 !”

“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.”

“Harry has a great contemporary eye and will do whatever it takes to turn your dreams into reality. He is very polite, trustworthy and kind. An excellent addition to our remodeling team!”

“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.”

“My wife and I had a great experience working with 154 Design. We wanted to add a garage and office to our home. The designer, Andy Greenberg, listened to our ideas and was amazingly patient as he worked through several design options and revisions with us until we found the right balance of function, aesthetics and cost. Our house was a bit of challenge to add on to and the architecture that 154 Design created for us greatly improves the aesthetics of our home. Andy worked with our contractor and found ways to change the design so the project would fit into our budget but still met all our goals. Our contractor noted that the architectural plans where clear, concise and easy from which to estimate and helped him complete our project. Aside from the floor plans, elevations views, sections, details, etc. that were drawn, we were also provided renderings of the addition that really helped us understand the design. I highly recommend 154 Design!”