Designed for Your Life.

Designed for Your Life is our philosophy that a home must be functional whether large or small.  We focus on efficiency and quality as well as craftsmanship and professional customer service in both remodeling and new construction.  By listening to your needs and asking the right questions, we can craft a home that is comfortable and efficient—in the energy used, the size, and the features. 

We proudly build and remodel using Energy Star® and Green Built® standards.  We build with the Intelligent Wall system and we help you evaluate options to balance cost, comfort, and efficiency.  We help you consider the technology and the finishes.  We will ensure your home is healthy, beautiful, and enjoyable. And when you view the vistas surrounding your home through exquisitely designed Andersen® windows, you will smile knowing that their energy efficiency will be easy on your pocketbook.

Designed for Your Life can mean dramatically transforming a nondescript home with the elegance it deserves. Sometimes it is as simple as creating a nook to hide the cell phone chargers and cords in the kitchen.  Often it is design considerations that encourage visitors to use the front door while providing a comfortable built-in cubbies in the family mudroom.  Always, it is thoughtful. 

Intelligent, elegant design to fit your life.  That’s Designed for Your Life.

How to Get Started:

There are many differences between remodeling and building a new home.  After you contact us and we talk on the phone for a few minutes, we’ll mail you additional information in advance of our first meeting.  Our Project Development Agreement sets out the steps to coordinate the development of conceptual plans, develop the project specifications, assist with product selection, and develop construction documents for your building or remodeling project.

The steps to develop a remodeling project include:

1. Client interview & needs assessment.  We will discuss your needs and the proposed budget in further detail, and assist you with interpreting your desires. We will consult with you regarding your needs & desires, traffic patterns, and other individual considerations. 
2. Site assessment.  We will assess the existing conditions, measure the existing home, and examine slopes, trees, sun locations, views and privacy needs, and other design considerations.
3. Preliminary plan.  This concept will allow you to visualize the general shape, feel, traffic flow, and appearance of your home through plans, elevations, and 3-dimensional views. 
4. Plan revisions.  We will provide plan revisions on an as-directed basis billed at the Hourly Design Fee.
5. Home Performance Testing.  The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR consultant will interview you and test your home to identify correctable flaws, to specify the HVAC system size and anticipate the future energy efficiency. 
6. Bidding plan.  This is the plan with proper information to have the job quoted & bid from the trade contractors and suppliers.  It will help to raise any questions that need to be answered for the final construction plan.  Key plans being developed generally include all foundation and floor plans, exterior elevations, building sections, wall sections, electrical & lighting schematics, conceptual cabinetry design, and site plan.  Bidding plans may need to be revised if the design or selections significantly change and require re-bidding by trades or suppliers.
7. Specifications & product selections.  We will coordinate and assist with your product selection from our trade contractors and suppliers.  We will work to determine completeness of trade & supplier scopes of work and will help you determine how these selections will affect your final budget.
8. Construction Proposal.  A fixed investment dollar proposal and project agreement will be provided at the completion of Specifications & product selections. 
9. Construction plan.  The final construction plan incorporates final specifications and product selections.  Further plan development may continue during the project to clarify structural or finish details at additional Hourly Design Fee.

The steps to develop a building project include:

1. Client interview & needs assessment.  We will discuss your needs and the proposed budget in further detail, and assist you with interpreting your desires. We will consult with you regarding your needs & desires, traffic patterns, and other individual considerations. 
2. Site assessment.  We will assess the existing conditions of your building site, the slopes, trees, sun locations, views and privacy needs, and other design considerations.
3. Preliminary plan.  This concept will allow you to visualize the general shape, feel, traffic flow, and appearance of your home through plans, elevations, and 3-dimensional views. 
4. Plan revisions.  We will provide plan revisions on an as-directed basis billed at the Hourly Design Fee.
5. Bidding plan.  This is the plan with proper information to have the job quoted & bid from the trade contractors and suppliers.  It will help to raise any questions that need to be answered for the final construction plan.  Key plans being developed generally include all foundation and floor plans, exterior elevations, building sections, wall sections, electrical & lighting schematics, conceptual cabinetry design, and site plan.  Bidding plans may need to be revised if the design or selections significantly change and require re-bidding by trades or suppliers.
6. Specifications & product selections.  This phase includes the Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Homes “Based on plans” rating to specify the HVAC system size and anticipate the energy efficiency of the home.  We will coordinate and assist with your product selection from our trade contractors and suppliers.  We will work to determine completeness of trade & supplier scopes of work and will help you determine how these selections will affect your final budget.
7. Construction Proposal.  A fixed investment dollar proposal and project agreement will be provided at the completion of Specifications & product selections. 
8. Construction plan.  The final construction plan incorporates final specifications and product selections.  Further plan development may continue during the project to clarify structural or finish details at additional Hourly Design Fee.