The transformation of our backyard has been a delight. As I gaze at the beauty each morning, I am so glad we did this renovation. The simplicity is much more artistic. The water feature gives it a very Zen feeling. Upkeep should be very easy. The gentlemen he employs for the labor are truly professional and hardworking; they always make sure the details are perfection read more

This was my second project with Design Exteriors. This project was the removal and replacement of concrete stairs and landings leading up to my front porch. It also included some updated landscaping and outdoor lighting. I am very happy with the result and have received several complements on project. The design incorporated changes that really improved the look and "feel" of the access, and improved drainage away from my house. The work was done on time and on the proposed budget, which was about $20k. I'm looking forward to more projects with Design Exteriors in the future. read more

Cedric and Design Exteriors did a fabulous job designing and creating my new backyard space. I found them easy to work with, especially given my budget. I have a plan for when I can do more and still have a wonderful backyard to enjoy now. read more

If you have a yard that needs a magic touch and an expert's eye, (Cedric) Sonny and his team are the crew for you. We worked with them starting in spring of 2024, for a complete backyard renovation - down to the dirt in the entire yard, and we LOVE our new space. During the design process, with meet with Sonny several times to go over what we wanted, take measurements, etc. He listens very attentively and seeks to understand your exact needs. He masterfully came up with a design that included every functional element we wanted, and transformed space that had formerly been no man's land into useful, useable yard. He phases the project (if and as needed) to fit budget limits, and really tries to maximize what's delivered. During construction, his crews were on site, on time, every day they were supposed to be. This is rare in our experience. Sonny too was on site frequently to ensure things were coming together as expected. We of course kept eyes on the progression, and as things came up they were quickly dealt with. His crews were respectful of our property and kept it tidy (all things considered). At the end of the project, this was the shortest punch list we've ever had, and all (very minor) items were taken care of quickly and correctly. Things you should know: this type of work is expensive. More expensive than we would have guessed. Sonny is very transparent about pricing for every element of the project, but it adds up, and things will likely come up that no one could have precisely anticipated. He dealt with them quickly and openly and fairly, and I feel we ended on very good terms. He really works to get and keep things within the budget, so knowing your budget helps that process. This type of work (depending on project size, and ours was a complete yard and deck redo) takes time. We started the design in Spring, work started just after the 4th of July, and sod was laid in late September. The end product is worth it though! Id suggest getting on his radar late fall/early spring before you want the project executed so that you're early in line for busy season (they're a relatively small company). All in all, we would work with him again. It's an expensive undertaking, but when you're working with Sonny, you're getting the value of his design experience, relationships with his crews, and his attention to detail. This is a wonderful small, local business to support, and the relationship and partnership developed during the process is authentic and genuine, in addition to the quality of design and execution delivered. read more

Sadly I felt I had to write this review. Think very hard before you sign with him! I had previously shopped around and had two other competing bids for landscaping my small front yard. Both provided free estimates and both came in around the same amount. So I met with Cedric and he wa very charming, and had some great ideas. And against my better judegement I signed with him (he charges just for the quote). We talked about several different options over several weeks and he finally provided a rough draft but without any pricing. I didn't want to waste his time or mine, and kept asking him how much it would cost and he kept putting that off. I finally had to tell him what my budget was and he seemed shocked (my budget was around what both of my other quotes had been). He then said he would go back and redo the quote with this in mind. Several weeks later he finally provided me the updated quote - and it was three times my budget! Not even close. Not even slightly reasonable. Three times what others had quoted me. So no, I did not have him do my yard. I hope this prevents someone else from wasting their time and money with him. read more

We wanted to decrease the amount of grass and improve the curb appeal of our front yard. Our goal was to increase the size of the driveway, add a walking path, and add decorative rock beds. Cedric came up with the perfect design and brought it to life. He and his crew, including sub contractors, did an excellent job right down to the smallest detail and everything was guaranteed. The work was completed in fall 2024. Spring and summer brought beautiful color that we continue to enjoy in the heat of August. We couldn't be happier with the finished project and have received many compliments. Thank you Design Exteriors for a job well done! read more

After getting a number of bids to completely redo our backyard landscaping we chose Design Exteriors. Although Design Exteriors does "design and build" work, their proposal and quote were quite competitive with all of the other bids we received and presented the most customized value, quality, and confidence of all the bids. Sonny was fantastic to work with and worked with us to best figure out how to approach the specifics of our lot. He helped us arrive at a plan that not only fit our space, but also reflected the personality of our family. Sonny's team is absolutely fantastic, easy to work with and focused on flawlessly delivering the plan on time. We actually quite enjoyed working with the team members that handled the specific projects (pergola, shades, plants, irrigation, concrete, etc.) Sonny was always easy to get a hold of and was attentive to our concerns and thoughts throughout the process. We've had nothing but great follow up from Design Exteriors. We would absolutely use them again! read more

This is our second time working w/Cedric (Sonny) and we are just as happy w/our results as the first time we worked w/ him a few years ago. I was delighted when he agreed to be our landscape architect again. Cedric is very easy to work with. He is honest, communicative, and always inspecting both the work in progress and the finished work, to ensure he is satisfied w/it. Cedric also always followed up w/us to make sure we were happy with how the project was progressing as well as the end results. Additionally, he is a good listener and his ideas are very innovative. Cedric's crews are kind, timely, hard-working, trustworthy, detail oriented and do a great job cleaning up. For our current project, we hired Cedric and crews to remove a brick patio and brick walkway from the front of our house. Cedric's crews did the demolition, poured a new sand-finished front walkway, built a stucco and brick wall where the brick patio used to be, planted a tree and installed walkway lighting. The results are fantastic and we've gotten several compliments from our neighbors on how nice our front yard looks. We spent approximately $36k for this job. Next Spring Cedric and crews will return to do more landscaping in the front yard and along the front walkway as well as some landscaping in our side / backyard. I wouldn't trust our landscape design projects to anyone else but Cedric....he's that good! read more

Cedric and his team at Design Exteriors were responsive, professional, and efficient with their work. They answered all of my questions and always left me knowing exactly what the plan was at each phase of the project. Cedric took the time to really understand what my wife and I were looking for, and always followed up when necessary. They didn't cut corners which gave me peace of mind knowing our backyard was in good hands and will last for many years to come. I'm so pleased with the finished product and would highly recommend their services. read more

We utilized Design Exteriors to help us remove our current landscaping and replace with something that fit our needs better. Cedric and his team were very receptive to our wants and helped us create a few options for a new backyard. We had several questions and went through a few rounds of fine-tuning the design. Throughout that process, Cedric was clearly listening to what we wanted instead of pushing us in a different direction. Right near the project start date, we came up with a slight change to one area. Cedric jumped on it and get us a new plan and adjusted the team conducting the work without much effort from our part. Our project has stood the test of time and has resulted in a yard we use much more frequently. read more

In 2012 my family moved into a tri-level home built in 1960 in Littleton. After staring at it for nine years, we realized not only was this a job too big for us to do ourselves but also we had NO ideas on how to improve the home's appearance. Tri-level homes are bland and everything is on a slope. I did not go into this project with very high hopes. Cedric really listened to what was important to us and presented us with truly amazing designs. Then we watched as he masterfully executed the designs in two phases. Cedric's expertise in planning, building code, material quality, landscape design and project management blew us away. His artistic creativity, craftsmanship, and attention to detail is unmatched. He took our house, which was one of the ugliest on the block, and turned it into a house that STILL gets compliments from neighbors, friends, family, and random visitors. We spent a lot of time and money on this project, so when I say it was worth every second and every penny I hope it carries the intended weight. I cannot recommend Cedric strongly enough, I wish so badly he did INTERIORS as well. read more

Cedric at Design Exteriors did a terrific job landscaping our front and back yards. He offered great suggestions to improve our design and continued to check in on us even a year after the work was complete. read more

Design Exteriors has a culture of professionalism and care, starting from the top (Cedric) to everyone who worked on our project. Cedric is an artist who expects his projects to look beautiful for both his customers and his own standards. I watched him instruct his team to redo two parts of our patio, put his fingers to his lips and blow, and explain it had to look perfect. This professionalism was visible in his staff (both Marks) and all the guys who did the work. They set timeline expectations and met them. I was also appreciative that Cedric was sensitive to our budget. He'd happily build you the Taj Mahal, but was flexible to more creative, affordable solutions. Picking a contractor is a leap of faith that things will be done right. I'd highly recommend the team at Design Exteriors and will be enjoying our patio for years. read more

Design Exteriors - Concrete pour - Landscape Architects or Designers Near Me - Lakewood, Colorado

I had removed a gone-to-seed garden in the backyard of the 70's-style ranch I'd recently purchased. There was grass on one side of the yard and dirt on the other. There were four trees, including two Colorado pines. There was no rhyme or reason to the yard. Sonny designed the entire space and his crew did the work. With apologies to Cedric a/k/a Sonny for posting this review a long time after the work was done, Design Exteriors was a delight to work with. A family reunion was scheduled in mid-June of 2015 and the focal point was to be my house. Many of the guests were staying here and most of the events were held at the house. I hoped to have the project completed by the end of May to allow time for new plantings to mature a bit before the event. We were expecting 40-45 people of all ages to gather under a rented tent in the back yard. I contacted Sonny in the fall of 2014. He spent an hour or more that first appointment, measuring and stepping out my back yard, asking my preferences, educating me about the job and the plantings. He showed me pictures on my computer of the various plantings he was considering. He came back a few days later to check some measurements, etc. Sonny delivered final plans in the fall of 2014. I scheduled the work to commence as soon as the weather warmed up enough in the Spring. Spring came and with it the 2015 monsoon. It was cold and rainy all through April and May. Sonny kept a close eye on the project throughout that wet season. His crew worked tirelessly to meet my deadline even though pressure was building from all his other clients. As a rainy May turned into a rainy early June, I panicked. The guys kept at it under unpleasant conditions and spent many late days as the deadline loomed. On June 20th, all was cleaned up and beautiful, just in time for the guests to begin arriving the next day! I love Sonny's thoughtful design. I appreciate that he worked with my desire for xeriscape and low-maintenance plantings. My budget was limited and he patiently told me options to consider and advised me where I could save without compromising style. As the work progressed, he paid attention to every detail, including things I would probably never have noticed. I couldn't be happier with the whole process of working with Design Exteriors. Sonny is a gentleman and was patient to accept my ideas, and to explain why they wouldn't work when necessary. Now, almost five years later, I find the yard is low-maintenance and beautiful. There's rhyme and reason! I'm enjoying it very much. read more

I have a large landscaping project that we already had plans drawn up for but needed to engage a contractor to execute the plan. I reached out to Design Exteriors via Home Advisors and connected with Kristi. As we discussed our project, Kristi referred me to a couple of contractors who would best be able to execute our vision. I really appreciate her professionalism and the courtesy. It was a very good experience. Everyone should be so professional! read more

We highly recommend Cedric at Design Exteriors! Fantastic design insight coupled with attention to detail delivered the wonderful outdoor living space we were looking for! Thanks for everything Cedric! read more

This is the second time I have used Design Exteriors for work on my landscape. Last year they helped me with a patio - which receives rave reviews from all of my guests. This year I had them work on my very tired front lawn. Again, I am receiving great compliments from neighbors and friends. They took a very tired landscape and made it fresh and appealing. They also helped me with things that will make yard maintenance much easier. Sonny and the rest of his team are the consummate professionals and a pleasure to work with. In particular, Sonny was sensitive to my own design ideas and budget. There is no doubt the work done by Design Exteriors has helped to raise the curb appeal of my house and its value. read more

If I could give this company a review of more than FIVE STARS then I would. Everyone at this company, including the owner and everyone who works with him, stand behind their work more than any other company with whom I have ever worked. They took the time to look deeply into an leaking issue that didn't even turn out to have anything to do with their original work at all! Unbelievably outstanding customer service. Even after the issue was fixed by the true at-fault party, the people of Design Exteriors followed up with me until the problem was fully resolved to my satisfaction. I truly cannot say enough good things about this company. You will never be sorry that you hired them for your project! read more

What a great experience! Sonny was so easy to work with. He was creative, kind and flexible. We came into the project knowing exactly what we wanted, then turned around and changed what we wanted . Sonny did not miss a beat. He helped us to find the perfect design that covered all of our needs within our budget. Once the project began, Abby kept us organized. She was quick to communicate with us through emails and phone calls. She made sure to get all of our questions answered and relayed information to Sonny and the construction team. And speaking of the construction team...the team was professional, helpful and solved many problems with me right in the moment. In our final walk-through, there were a few clean-up items that did take some time to get back to, but once completed, our yard was immaculate. The work was well done by all of the crews, with only minor items found. I would highly recommend Design Exteriors for your full landscape project. We had grading, hardscape, construction, sprinkler layout and repair, plantings and more. I will use them again for the front yard! read more

Cedric was extremely knowledgeable and professional throughout the duration of the project. He walked me through many options, fully explained the work and the how the system would work... He was responsive and took the time to coordinate with my other contractors in efforts to make the project a higher quality end-product for me. He comes highly recommended. Respectfully read more

There is no way that these other reviews are by actual customers. Please don't waste your time or money on this company. As I can see with Cedrics rebuttals, he will blame us for his lack of professionalism. This is on par with the many excuses that we heard from him on why he didn't do one thing or another. If I could give this place 0 stars I would. Cedric charges by design time no matter if he is the one who designs the plans or not. He is extremely unorganized and unprofessional. Each time he came to our house he came unprepared and forgot what we spoke about in the meeting before, but made sure to charge us for the meeting time. My husband and I had to repeatedly bring out previous meeting notes to keep him on track. He would take lengthy personal phone calls during our meetings as well. Even when we were on track, he didn't listen to what we were trying to accomplish with this job. During this same time, we interviewed other landscapers who shared that the plants that Cedric had recommended would never work for our acidic soil. I never shared with these landscapers that I got these plant ideas from another contractor either. We were also given alternative plant choices by these other landscapers for free which Cedric charges for. As I said in my first comment, please keep researching. Cedric will give you the investor presentation during your first meeting, but after that it will just go down hill from there. read more

Sonny is a great visionary, and we instantly connected as busy general contractor myself Sonny was willing to collaborate on our large landscape project and pull his resources together to complete out project a on a very firm deadline. It appears we will meet the mark and the quality and craftsmanship far surpassed the initial expectations. We are looking forward to doing more projects with Sonny and his wonderful crew of guys, in the future. Feel free to contact me for any further references Brandy Ranshaw read more

I needed to replace a border to my vegetable garden that had probably been in place for 20 years. The border was made of redwood planks and hollow in the inside. The in-ground portion was rotting and, on occasion, provided a home for rodents. After searching for contractors on the web and getting a couple of estimates, I settled on Design Exteriors of Denver, which had consistently excellent reviews. Cedric (Sonny) Shoebridge, owner and lead designer of the firm, visited, made careful measurements, and provided a detailed proposal for a new border consisting of 4"x6"x8' rough cedar planks, capped by wider 2"x8"x8' redwood boards for seating. The proposal was clear about possible variations in cost. The wood was to be coated with a top-of-the-line oil-based stain. Cedric suggested that I buy a plank and partially stain it with the color of my choice, just to make sure I liked it. Later, when he and his foreman were purchasing the rest of the planks, he asked for photos of my plank so that he could match the wood color as closely as possible. Enrique, the foreman, and his brother Jose did most of the work. They removed the old redwood border, including several concrete footings, laser-levelled the trench, then poured 3" of gravel footing into the trench, installed four courses of cedar planks in an overlapping pattern, locking them together with rebar and capping them with the redwood boards. The result is a very sturdy and handsome border with an amber stain that will probably outlast me. Enrique and Jose did a final pass through the garden, and removed wood and concrete debris. Construction had occurred in soil wet from melting snow, and our sidewalks and driveway were covered with muddy footprints. Enrique power-washed the concrete before departing. Kristi Tyler, Client Services Manager, was very pleasant and helpful from start to finish. The final bill was less than the original estimate, and I received a generous credit for the plank I had bought. I was extremely pleased with all my interactions with Design Exterior employees and more than satisfied with the result. It was money very well spent. I highly recommend Design Exteriors for outdoor landscaping and architectural renovations. read more

We were extremely impressed with Design Exteriors, specifically their lead designer Sonny. Sonny was amazing with his consultation and design for our landscaping. Not only did he give us a perfect design he made the overwhelming process easy and fun every step of the way. He also went out of his way to consult on other areas of our property and we have found all of his ideas and recommendations to be extremely helpful. Not only was he professional, helpful and enjoyable to work with but he and Design Exteriors were also extremely understanding and flexible when we suddenly had to cancel our project at the very last minute. They could have made that very difficult for us but instead showed nothing but support and understanding. When we are able to do this project, we will most definitely hire Sonny and his team to do it as they have demonstrated nothing but professionalism and integrity. We would highly recommend their services to anyone. read more

We used Design Exteriors to install two underground downspout extensions to ensure drainage away from our house. Additionally, we had them move a group of sprinkler solenoids out of a window well in our backyard and in a sprinkler box away from the house. Sonny was great to work with and very knowledgeable. Eduardo came out for the estimate and was helpful as well. I was impressed with the level of service and these guys knocked the work out to our satisfaction. I will definitely be using them again in the future. read more

I see great reviews here, so I must have had the B and C team on my job. Very disappointed and would not have back on other jobs (and we have plenty of work left). Mismatched pavers on patio, was only given option to not do job or have different color pavers than pre existing pavers. Broken sprinkler line, left for me to discover water shooting everywhere. They did fix. Wanted drainage all buttoned up, the whole reason we called. tied into old drainage line without testing to make sure it worked. Doesn't work, leaks right next to foundation. Have to now pay more to make work! Putting the yard back together took a few complaints until the sod was finally done right. Bid on doing some inside repair work. Took awhile to finally figure out they didn't have time to complete. Could have had another contractor in sooner. read more

We used Design Exteriors for a front yard remodel to include rebuilding a front porch and landscaping. Sonny and his team were extremely easy to work with, and extremely responsive to any concerns we had. The quality of the work done by Design Exteriors was excellent, and Sonny has an excellent eye for design. Overall we were very happy with the experience and are using them for a backyard project. read more

Great! Sonny and the team are absolute professionals from start to finish. They are very responsive, flexible with scheduling and communication, personable, and do great work. No delays or concerns throughout the project and it was completed on time. I'm confident that the same project through other vendors would have cost more and taken significantly longer. read more

I chose Design Exteriors and Sonny much in the same way you are now searching - an internet search. It was my true good fortune that I was drawn to the photos of work done by Design Exteriors. Sonny spent time with me learning my thoughts on what I wanted in a new patio. He was attentive to my needs. He also gently guided me to a far better plan than I envisioned - his expertise helped me appreciate good design. The team was terrific in the way they built my patio. Professional in every respect and a great attention to detail in both the construction and planting of landscaping. The proof is in the final product. I have three patios and the work done by Design Exteriors has now become the favorite of my guests. Everyone gravitates to the new patio instead of the other two. When it is just me, I luxuriate in the peaceful setting and enjoy the firepit and fountain. read more

I hired Sonny and Design Exteriors to design the landscaping for my newly remodeled home. Sonny far exceeded my expectations in design, professionalism and punctuality. My corner home is now the neighborhood's showcase. I highly recommend Design Exteriors for any landscaping project. read more

As an owner of a water damage clean-up company, we often get clients who have issues with water invading their basements and crawl spaces. We refer Design Exteriors to all of our clients in this situation - he's extremely knowledgeable and we've received nothing but good feedback from our clients. read more

I had work done to level out and shore up a brick patio that had sunk and was uneven in areas. Sonny is wonderful. He communicates well and was great to work with, his pricing was fair, and his hard working team did a great job. They all care about quality work and satisfied clients. Highly recommended. read more