In 2010, as I was approaching sixty years of age, I found an amazing old (and run-down) homestead…read moresite near the southern tip of Puget Sound, and began imagining a house and studio. I've been a designer and fabricator of furniture and sculpture for over forty-five years, so it wasn't difficult to start developing ideas. As I dreamed I began looking around for assistance with the process, and found Artisans Group. I didn't go to Artisans Group looking for an industry-leading eco-home. I came because I saw a couple of their projects and loved the clean modern style Tessa Smith and Randy Foster were putting together. They were realizing designs that seemed to me to be far beyond what other design/build groups were creating. Architecture has been a fascination most of my life, and what I saw in the lines and volumes Tessa was producing was a natural feel for proportions, for minimal and unique details, for the flow of life patterns in a home, and particularly for the play of light, natural and artificial, as it enhances and defines spaces and the experience of living. With Tessa and Artisans I got all of that plus a great experience of collaboration in design, and a house that always surprises me--because it is somehow more "me" than I would have designed by myself. It's a "world house," designed with details and technological solutions that are distinctly European and soundly ecological in a way that just makes sense. The house stays at comfortable temperatures with the air always fresh while using a tenth of the energy of my last house. The biggest surprise was when I moved in and found the experience to be more physically comfortable than I would have--or could have--imagined. The house seems to have its own body temperature, and wears like a glove. The Jewel Box (as we nick-named it during the design process) was designed to be a home and gallery. It has become a museum of my life's work and remains so comfortable and inspiring that I stay home wondering why I would want to be anywhere else. Artisans did it right, and I moved in a month before that sixtieth birthday. Over eight years later I'm still daily grateful that I get to live here. I love this place. -Don Freas (donfreas.com)

After a year of house hunting in the Olympia area to no avail, I reached out to Artisans Group to…read moredesign a home for my family. I ended up finding a not-so-perfect home in the perfect neighborhood and knew I wanted Artisans Group to help with the remodel. This proved to be the best decision I could have made. Throughout the process I always had my expectations met and exceeded, as the team at AG proved to be attentive, genuine, and innovative in their approach to the design of our home. I liked this company so much that after our home was completed, I went to work for them as a designer. Can't say enough good things about Artisans Group, as a client and designer, working with a team that is as passionate about their craft as Artisans Group makes all the difference.

We are pretty close to maxing out the space in our home and are trying to look at all the…read morepossibilities because we really do love our home, but it's now just too small. I did a search for architects in Olympia, called Linda and left a message, she texted me back within just a few minutes and we set an appointment for a call. She was friendly, asked me a lot of great questions, and gave me a ton of information and food for thought. I'm not sure which direction we will go just yet, but Linda is on my short list if we decide to expand our current space!

From the owner: Listening to clients and helping them create their living spaces is something I love to do and am…read moregreat at - whether it is remodeling or adding to an existing home or designing a new custom home. I am passionate about making homes beautiful, comfortable, healthy, and energy efficient through quality design work and excellent service.

They were great to work with, fast, flexible and very conscientious. I had my plans within days…read more Thank you!!

I recently needed measurements for my kitchen remodel and called on Michael. I couldn't be happier…read morewith the result, a very detailed kitchen plan, showing the measurements and position of countertops, appliances, sink and storage. This plan will help me determine the materials I need to purchase and how much I need. Michael was quick and efficient. Would highly recommend.

I hired this company to complete an as-built and a build-out, and the experience has been nothing…read moreshort of frustrating. My main contact, Joe Pascua, has been completely unresponsive and constantly procrastinating on the project. At first, they claimed they couldn't start until they received more information once they got it, they added another four weeks to the schedule. After I submitted payment, communication became sparse and inconsistent. Joe repeatedly promised updates and completion dates that never materialized. This ongoing lack of communication and follow-through has cost me hundreds of dollars per day in delays, and continues as I have yet to receive the finished permit-ready drawings. I would strongly caution anyone considering this company they do not deliver on their commitments or communicate in a timely manner. If you don't have money to waste stay away.

Hands down the best experience I've had with a company! Joey Pascua was a pleasure to work with,…read moreand to be frank, he deserves a raise! He was extremely knowledgeable, kind, and offered advice when the government was illegally trying to hold us up on our project. They by far have the best prices in the industry, and a company has never looked out for my interest the way these guys did! They did a wonderful job on our shop inspection, and the home design they are doing for us is coming along beautifully. I can't recommend them enough, whether you need an architect, structural engineer, designer, or anything in between, whatever your home needs are go to these guys! They will take good care of you! P.S. If you see this same review for Rueppell Home Design/Design Build NW, it's because the companies are related and I wanted to give these wonderful guys a shout out everywhere I could!

A client of mine was looking for a good Architect to consult with concerning the feasibility of a…read moreremodel/expansion of his single story home in Bellevue. He had contacted several Architects who didn't seem to want to be bothered with this small of a project. I recommended Michelle Linden of atelier a+d and she has been stellar. She determined that the addition of a second story is in fact feasible and they have moved into the design phase. As Michelle is just starting her own practice (after working five years for a PNW Architectural firm as a registered architect) she is accommodating and affordable. But don't let that fool you - she knows her craft. She has strong technical, aesthetic and communication skills, all desirable traits in an Architect who is charged with translating ideas and dreams into a built space.

We recently bought a condo that needs a complete remodel. We hired Michelle to draw up the designs…read moreand also to take us throught the permit process. We are thrilled with the plans and are very impressed with how efficiently Michelle guided us through permitting. She took care of every last detail, freeing us to do the work we do best.

​Anthony and his crew are great people to work with. Anthony, as a general contractor, is…read morepersonable and an excellent communicator--qualities that are incredibly important. When issues inevitably arise, he works diligently to resolve them and keeps you well-informed throughout the process. ​Our project involved a water-damaged utility room that was also due for an update. As our only downstairs bathroom and the one guests would use, we wanted it to be both functional and welcoming. We particularly appreciated Anthony's ability to create his own drawings, which helped us visualize the final product. His woodworking experience was a big reassurance that the custom elements would look great. He sources quality products at fair prices and achieved a seamless match between the built-in components and our purchased cabinet. ​We're very happy with the outcome and look forward to tackling our upstairs bathrooms and kitchen with Anthony's team next.

Anthony of Crex Construction built these gorgeous custom stair railings for me. He was awesome to…read morework with -- responsive during the planning, really fast at getting the job done, and the price was very fair. He also installed some doors for us and built some custom trim. Anthony makes doing construction on your home more fun than stressful, since he is so comfortable with construction and you know you are in great hands.