My wife and I hired Remodel Boutique to execute a complete remodel of our home, and I'm so glad we…read moredid. We wanted a partner for our contractor that understood we wanted to stay involved throughout the process. Michelle and her team quickly understood our vision and goals and did a fantastic job executing. Elizabeth, Mingo, and the rest of the team were fantastic in their attention to detail both in things you can see but also behind the walls. After moving in, we are constantly saying how much we love our home and still receive compliments on how beautiful it turned out. Great team, and thanks for all your hard work, RB!

The only thing we love more than our primary bed/bath/office addition was the experience working…read morewith Elizabeth, Michelle, Mingo, Becca and so many more at Remodel Boutique to make it happen! From day one everyone was incredibly clear and realistic with cost and timeline expectations, communication was prompt and thorough, and everyone we interacted treated our project with the care you would expect someone to extend only to their own home. I especially loved how they gathered materials on-site during the planning and permitting stages so when we were given the go-ahead everything was already here to expedite the process and go full steam ahead. Basecamp is such an excellent communication tool. Everything being in writing and accessible at any point in the project is worlds better than relying on quick phone calls and memory. They worked with me to find cost-effective options where possible--I'm looking at you, glass block window--and supported me indulging in my must-have splurges. It was so fun to be able to put together a truly custom look with folks who had the expertise to bring my eclectic wishes together. As with any project, there were hiccups here and there. The RB difference is that _every single time_ the priority was resolving the situation promptly to my satisfaction, not shifting blame, upcharging or cutting corners. We enthusiastically recommend them to anyone and will 100% reach out again on any future projects.

Austin has a lot of talented designers but Element 5 is a favorite of ours for lots of reasons…read more Nick and his team are true professionals. Our collaborations on specs and customs always produce amazing results. Architecture is form and function and Element 5 nails both. They are multi-faceted, excelling at infill and suburban/rural design-build, modern and craftsman. Element 5 does a great job of keeping up with rapidly changing trends, building code, and green building/building science. Their expertise, passion, and thoughtful design always makes for great projects that serve our homeowners well. Element 5 always does a good job listening to and incorporating their client's feedback. They aim to understand how the client really lives in their home and their lifestyle.

My wife and I worked with Nick Mehl at Element 5 on the design of our new 4BR / 3BA house. Nick was…read moregreat to work with, very thoughtful and full of great ideas, like using the space under our stairs to make the pantry space in our kitchen as large as possible. He also paid very close attention to detail, like how the window trim should be framed and communicated his vision clearly with our builder. This house construction project was the largest personal expense I've ever incurred and so many things could have gone wrong at multiple points along the way. None of them did, and I give Nick & Element 5 much of the credit for our success.

We worked with local, family-owned CG&S on an exterior renovation - updating our 1940s home to…read moreCraftsman style. Our home had no original details, but did have a lot of the original exterior materials. The team had to meticulously remove our particle board siding in sections and reseal as there were no exterior walls/wrap and our insulation was just under the siding; shim the roof level while regarding interior drywall as we don't have attic space; shim walls to align with varying depths of windows hung by another company; re-run electrical; and then add wood siding, two new decks with detailed craftsman woodwork, a custom front door, and other finishes. Working on our older home was harder than starting fresh and they handled it with care. Handling permitting was also in their remit and we were glad it was. Our architect handled forms for historical buildings/neighborhoods, city arborists, easements, and other zoning debacles. When we were limited by the city's requirements for expanding our porch, our architect adjusted our plans as best she could to still have a beautiful outcome. We also appreciated most of the subcontractors selected for the job. While the budget was hard to talk about up front, we didn't have any change orders due to surprises - unlike our interior reno project. With any long term renovation project it was important to stay in communication, keep notes, and ask questions and most stressful moments were quickly addressed by the team. The CG&S owners still invite us to their annual tamale dinner and treat us like family. We hope to do another project with them some day!

My wife and I highly recommend CG&S for any home renovation project.  We hired them to do a total…read morerenovation to our 20 year old home and both the process and the final product were outstanding.  Very highly qualified, friendly personnel and great communication from day one through the end of the project.  We moved out for nine months so that we could take the house back to a new starting point and then build it back the way that we wanted it. We couldn't be happier with the quality people and the smooth process.  The project was delivered on time and on budget - a rarity in today's crazy world!

I had a light remodel done by Komal and her team back in 2017. The project was a little bumpy (the…read morebacksplash Komal chose was very tricky to install and her tile guy didn't really know how to do it). Anyway, it's now 5 years on and I needed to add some window blinds and wanted to match the products Komal selected. I emailed her multiple times and received no responses, I tried the manufacturer but unfortunately it's one of those "call your dealer," type places. The stickers that might have had the info we're all sunbleached and unreadable. I finally gave up and ordered something that doesn't match. Not how I imagined this would work when I hired an expensive designer. Also, we just discovered Komal's contractors who installed our sink/kitchen faucet didn't cut out sufficient space for the faucet collet. So now the whole thing has come loose and is falling over, I paid Stand Brothers to find out that they can't fix it until I hire someone to cut into the drywall and open up the correct space. Frustrating. I didn't think I was paying for cheap work but here we are.

I'm fairly artistic, but I struggle with interior decorating to the point that a former Realtor…read moretold me that my house looked like a man lived there. I'm assuming she meant a utilitarian, straight man who still had his college furniture. On the bright side, I'm not constantly redecorating, and my husband is happy. So we finally decided that our house needed some color besides the neutral brown/beige tones bestowed upon us by our manly builder and our love of natural woods and leather accents. The only problem was that, having the decorating knowledge equivalent to two men, and the budget equivalent to a couple with two expensive children, we hesitated every time it came to decisions. I ran across a Groupon awhile back for a color consultation from Spaces Designed, and I decided to call in a professional. The young woman who showed up with swatches and color strips was calm, professional, and kinder than my Realtor had been, by far (maybe it helped to have long since given away my college furniture?). She asked me questions about what colors and styles I like and don't like, and then she confidently whipped out her tools like a magic wand and laid out a color plan for me. Within an hour, I had designer colors for my pseudo man-cave that actually made me happy, because they weren't brown or freaky pink or any other risky colors that scare me. They were an array of muted grey-greens. I hesitated a bit when the painter was working, because I wasn't used to color on my walls, but I bit my tongue. And when it was all done and everything was put back where it belonged, my house was beautiful. I know this, because several of my female friends with actual decorating talent told me so, and rather convincingly at that. So if you're ready for a change, even you don't have the budget or the stomach for a total remodel, you might want to check them out for something as simple as a color consultation. I know they do a lot more than this, and if I have the budget in the future, I'd give them a call again.

I can't say enough wonderful things about Janice Hanks of Next Level Austin. Next Level Austin…read morespecializes in interior (and exterior) design in home and office remodeling and in new construction. My husband and I worked with Janice four years ago with a complete remodel of the 1980s home we bought in central Austin, which had "great bones" but was very dated and needed a total overhaul. (Peach colored padded raw silk walls in the formal dining room, anyone?) Janice was involved in every decision -- from paint colors to flooring (new wood floors, tile and carpet throughout the entire house), lighting, plumbing fixtures, new granite countertops, down to helping me select new cabinet hardware for the entire house. The kitchen was a major part of the project -- walls were moved, an island added, new appliances, new granite countertops, and many other changes. We had a tight timeline since we were still living in our previous house, which we had already sold, and the buyers wanted to move in. We worked with a fabulous contractor and between Janice and our contractor, we got the entire project completed in less than three months. We updated the three bathrooms, but we left the old, small shower and bathtub (which we never used) in the master bathroom. Late last year, we decided that we were ready to do a total remodel of the master bathroom, with the main goal to get rid of the old shower and turn the bathtub space into a large, walk-in shower. We contacted Janice again and worked with her to design the new bathroom (the old bathroom was completely gutted). As with the prior remodel, she thought of wonderful little touches that really made the new bathroom gorgeous; things I would not have thought of. She helped us select the paint and tile and made sure everything pulled together seamlessly. Every time I walk into it, I can't believe how beautifully it turned out! Janice is truly gifted, and her ability to choose colors and textures is phenomenal. She is able to look at a dated house or room and visualize what it *can* look like; something I have a hard time doing. She works with her clients to learn their tastes and style, and she then pulls it all together to create a space that is perfect for the client, whether the client's taste is classic, modern or something in between. I would recommend Janice Hanks and Next Level Austin to anyone who needs assistance with design. Check out the website; there are many gorgeous photos of her work (including some of my kitchen and new bathroom!).

Janice Hanks shows up at your door as a classy, highly sought after professional designer, but I am…read moreconvinced that she wears a superhero costume underneath that business attire! Where do I even start? I have worked with Janice on numerous occasions/homes, from paint colors and staging to "whole house" top to bottom projects. She has been a game changer for my business and my own home. I am a Realtor, and when I bring Janice into a listing, I assist my sellers in selling higher and faster than the other homes in the neighborhood. Anything she touches turns to art, and she has left my clients speechless by her results. On a recent listing, I sat down with an amazing client who said "We hate this house- get us out of here". The home needed a new roof, new paint, and updating everywhere and would be considered a "handyman's special" if we listed- and we had a very small remodel budget. We also needed to sell this home high to get the seller what she needed out. I immediately called Next Level Austin. Janice picked out roof singles, exterior paint, interior paint, staging, door handles, and everything in between. With my listing strategy and Janice's magic, we were able to list high and receive 3 full priced offers immediately. The only hiccup was when the seller fell back in love with her home after she was under contract with a buyer- Janice is that good! I promised her we could use Janice on her new home when she invests in one, and we both got excited. Working with Janice is a blast! I did the same thing at my house. Having the wrong "feel" in your home is frustrating. I called Janice in and did whatever she said. I trust her this much. My home feels like a showcase, and my investment was less than half of what I expected it to be. Janice is the best in her field and works with your budget. Working with her pays itself back twenty fold- I tell my clients when we are focused on their bottom line, we cannot afford NOT to call Janice- and I mean it.

After researching different architects, we decided to work with Spencer & Pierce who was…read moreprofessional, within our budget, and responsive. Our first meeting on site was with with Stephanie, who was knowledgeable about the architecture process, timelines, and most of all honest about pricing. We were then paired with Kwok who designed and worked with us throughout the rest of our process. Kwok was amazing and we are grateful to have been able to work with Kwok. He was able to handle all our back and forth decisions, adapt to all the changes and restrictions we encountered, and communicated with all the vendors on our behalf. We are grateful for his patience, honesty, and guidance that helped us have a pretty smooth design and permitting process. Kwok was also very responsive through our countless calls and emails to each other, while being organized and remembering all the little details. We are happy to have worked with Spencer & Pierce for our business!

Hubby and I wanted to add on to our house as it is less than a mile from the new apple building and…read morewe thought it was a great investment. We were referred to a different architect initially and when I described my vision she asked "Do you expect this to be a free service?" Yikes. no ma'am, but I did expect it to be a fun and exciting process. So I started looking. And looking. Annnnd looking. When I came across Chris and Gina's web site, I knew I had found 'my' people. Fun, whimsical, one-of-a-kind, not mass production. When we spoke, we were disheartened that they advised us the cost to add on far exceeded the value added at resale. Wow! What a stark and wonderful contrast to the other folks. If we ever do need an architect, there is no one else I would consider.

Some Assembly Required is awesome! Nearly 8 years ago they designed an amazing addition and…read morereconfiguration of my 1950 cottage style home, I absolutely love everything about the transformation. Bonus: working with Chris and Gina is the best! If you're considering making changes to your house, or looking at purchasing a house that might be great with a little (or a lot) of a tweak, Chris and Gina will be an invaluable asset and worth every penny. They made the process fun, and the house is a perfect fit for my needs, even as those needs have changed over time.

I highly recommend Lankerani Architecture without reservation for anyone seeking an architect for…read moretheir custom modern home. We did our due diligence to find an architect who focused on modern homes and Rez delivered. He is not one who advertises modern and ends up drawing hill country modern or Spanish contemporary. He does truly modern custom homes, and he does them well! The attention he gave us made us feel like ours was the only project he had (which was not the case). I was thoroughly impressed with the uniqueness of his design and how he was able to seamlessly incorporate the structure into the surrounding environment-accounting for the grade of the property, lighting and shading based on the sun, and integration of features that provided form and function. His design was excellent, but his delivery was superb! He was present at every single builder meeting and gave insights to us and the builders without being confrontational or overbearing. Rez was incredibly responsive to our questions, concerns and requests for revisions with an incredibly fast turn-around time. He responded to most questions within 24 hours and often gave updated 3D renderings for suggested changes. Dealing with Lankerani Architecture was the absolute best part of our new home build. Rez has an easy-going demeanor that underscores his incredible artistic vision and architectural expertise.