ART Design Build

Our neighbors have complimented the exterior design and how well the addition blends into the existing house. The redesigned interior is a gracious and welcoming space. The design is functional and we love the sense of light and space. It makes us very happy every time we walk into the new rooms. We greatly appreciated our project manager's attention to detail, high standards for execution, and overall great "wrangling" skills. He was great at talking us through projected workflow, discussing options, and troubleshooting. He earned our trust through his honesty about what was possible and what was not, his diligence, and overall superior work. We also want to acknowledge and appreciate Art Design's overall commitment to high-quality materials in the construction. We have great confidence in the integrity of the renovation due to both the materials and the craftsmanship exercised in construction.

Art Design Build worked with us to add an approximately 275 sf kitchen and renovate the existing first floor in our 1948 colonial home in Bethesda. From design to completion, our Art team lead by Cindy, Mike and Craig were punctual, professional and responsive. Most importantly they did exactly what they said they would do, in the time frame that they outlined for the cost they quoted. Speaking of cost, while they were not the least expensive quote we received, we feel there was significant “value” in the work they did because the quality and service was top notch. The project was slated to start at the end of March 2020, but was delayed at our request due to the lockdown. Mike and Cindy were accommodating of our health concerns and made every effort to adjust the project schedule to allow us to work through Covid at our comfort level. Once we decided we were comfortable moving forward with construction in July, Mike and team then outlined a 3 month construction schedule and executed on time and on budget. We are very pleased with the outcome of the project and our decision to hire a local contractor with decades of experience building in the area. Their small size was an asset as we received strong focus from the owners of the business. Further, Cindy designed a fabulous space and Craig brought it to life. I would recommend the Art team to anyone looking to complete a complex renovation project in the DC/MoCo area.

The team is fantastic. They were able to recommend solutions for problems we didn’t even know we had! I would definitely hire ART again.

We had a fantastic experience with Art Design Build and would highly recommend them. Our project was a fairly significant renovation of our first floor (removed walls, completely new kitchen, new bathroom, replaced one exterior wall with a huge new picture window and another with sliding doors, turned a three-season room into a lovely covered patio, etc.). We worked with an architect so did not use Art for most of the design decisions, but our architect had worked with them before on the actual remodeling piece and highly recommended them. Friends of ours also used them (in conjunction with the same architect) a few years ago, and they also highly recommended Art. We got several bids but Art’s stood out for its detail and reasonableness. All of our quotes came in over our budget, but Art worked with us to identify places to cut back to get us to where we wanted to be, which was super helpful. The work Art performed was extremely high quality -- truly top notch. Any problems that arose were met with thoughtful and effective recommendations for addressing them, and we were consulted on everything. They also provided great advice on design elements that we had not thought through in advance. They did not cut corners and were very attentive to detail. We felt in extremely good hands throughout the entire process and the end result is fantastic. Everything truly looks perfect. The workers themselves were punctual, pleasant, professional, and very tidy, and Al and Dave (our project manager) were incredibly responsive and kept us in the loop on everything. Except for moving out during the demolition, we lived in the upstairs two floors of our home during the renovation, which worked out fine. The workers were there when they said they’d be there (every day!) and everything moved along at a nice clip throughout. If not for delays on our end (e.g., an appliance we wanted was on backorder) I think our project would have been done on the early side of Art’s estimate if not before. We ended up adding additional work as we went, and making changes to a few things we’d initially planned to do, and Art was very flexible and their pricing was consistently fair and reasonable. Dave was onsite daily and did a great job keeping things moving. We never wondered what was happening – we always felt in the loop and could see the progress being made daily. We consistently felt like everything was being done extremely well and in a timely manner. Overall, we feel we received excellent value for the money we spent on our project and are absolutely thrilled with the results! We would hire them for any future work in a heartbeat, and enthusiastically recommend them for home renovation.

We had interviewed a number of builders for home addition project, and were about to decide on one when we came across ART Design Build. Their reviews were stellar, so we thought we would meet with them, and, after meeting with Cindy, their designer, we were convinced to work with them. Working with Cindy was great. She listened carefully to what we were asking for, but also provided excellent guidance. When the time came to actually begin our addition, we began to work with Dave, their project manager. Dave was a skilled, resourceful, and constant presence on site, supervising sub-contractors and crew and presenting us with options as needed. The crew was extremely pleasant, and really impressed us with how clean they were able to keep the site during the project. The project has been finished for about a month, and we continue to be amazed with the quality and attention to detail that ART Design Build paid to all aspects of the work. There was never a moment where we felt they were cutting corners or not being extremely open about what was happening as the work progressed. The bottom line is we couldn't be happier with our new addition, and would not hesitate in recommending ART Design Build for your project.

Art Design Build was the general contractor for our interior/exterior two-story addition for our home. The professionalism of the employees was exhibited from the owners to the crew. The quality of the work was excellent. The On-site PM stayed in constant communication with us regarding the work. At the end of each day, the crew did a great job cleaning up. When changes to the project were required, the owners of Art Design Build were responsive and provided multiple recommendations on the best approach to address the required change. Art Design Build worked with us to meet our request to live in the home during the project. We were also pleased that Art Design Build stayed within the planned timeframe of the project.

Art Design Build was the general contractor for our interior/exterior two-story addition for our home. The professionalism of the employees was exhibited from the owners to the crew. The quality of the work was excellent. The On-site PM stayed in constant communication with us regarding the work. At the end of each day, the crew did a great job cleaning up. When changes to the project were required, the owners of Art Design Build were responsive and provided multiple recommendations on the best approach to address the required change. Art Design Build worked with us to meet our request to live in the home during the project. We were also pleased that Art Design Build stayed within the planned timeframe of the project.

Art Design Build was the general contractor for our interior/exterior two-story addition for our home. The professionalism of the employees was exhibited from the owners to the crew. The quality of the work was excellent. The On-site PM stayed in constant communication with us regarding the work. At the end of each day, the crew did a great job cleaning up. When changes to the project were required, the owners of Art Design Build were responsive and provided multiple recommendations on the best approach to address the required change. Art Design Build also worked with us to meet our request to live in the home during the project. We were also pleased that Art Design Build stayed within the planned timeframe of the project.

ART Design did a complete redesign/renovation of a large portion of our house. Amazing attention to detail and incredibly responsive. The team far exceeded all of our expectations and we would immediately turn to them if we were to have any additional renovation needs. This group is full service -- from creating the design to following through in making it exactly as it was planned. Everyone at this company, from the person answering the phone to the owners, care and work hard to make one's renovations go smoothly.‎

We recently completed a remodel of our kitchen in addition to adding a dormer and master bathroom. We were extremely happy with ART Design's professionalism throughout the project. Most importantly, they completed the project on budget and on time! The quality of the work is top notch and we're very happy with the outcome! Cindy and Jenna were fantastic with the design piece and Craig, our site manager, was experienced, knowledgeable, and addressed and resolved any issues that arose during the renovation. We whole heartedly recommend ART Design Build!!

The team at ART Design Build helped us build a large screened-in porch on our house. They were very responsive to questions and issues in the design process and their price was extremely reasonable compared to other vendors. Their team was friendly, skilled and keep the worksite clean every day. They worked us into their schedule on evenings and weekends to start the job earlier. Dave, the Project Manager, was excellent and helped usher the job through amazingly well. I would strongly recommend them!!!

After many months of deliberations and having worked with other contractors on projects in Washington, we hired ART Design to work on our complete kitchen reconstruction.  The project was extensive, included engineers and an architect, and had lots of moving parts.  Mike and Al were very thorough in their evaluation of the project and came in with a project budget that, while it exceeded what we were hoping to spend (as did all of the bids), was absolutely transparent.  They took care that we saw other work that they had done, understood their pricing and were flexible about making changes in the initial process to align with a feasible budget.  I also valued the fact that, in certain areas, they were able to create value through proposing alternative solutions to the ones drawn by our architect that did not impact ultimate aesthetics, but did achieve cost savings.  That said, they defended certain line items as absolutely necessary and I believe, as I did in our initial discussions, that they gave us excellent guidance.
Our project came in on budget excepting a few changes which I, the client, initiated.  I've never had that experience before.
I cannot say enough good things about our project manager, Craig.  He was creative, resourceful, a fantastic manager and, simply, a pleasure to have around for 4 months.  He took care to leave the space clean, to communicate with us and our architect, and to present options and possibilities as needed and in a timely way. I always felt that he took pride in his work, that he wanted the work done well.  And he redid things readily if I pointed out small flaws.  He also went beyond the call of duty in working with a refrigerator that had been a showroom model that I purchased and that arrived without parts.  I was awed by his patience, curiosity, and generosity of spirit, both with his team and with subcontractors.
Ultimately, we are very happy with our kitchen.  We get tons of compliments.  And we would unhesitatingly use Art Design on another project.

Working with ART Design/Build was the best experience I have ever had with a contractor. From the design phase through the final inspection I really have no complaints. When the work started, the project manager and other workers arrived every single day, M-F, at 7 AM and worked until 3 PM, as promised, until the job was done. Every aspect of the job--design, carpentry, dry wall hanging, painting, tile installation, electrical and plumbing work--was performed by highly skilled, meticulous, craftspeople. I'm sure they are not the cheapest guys in town, but their work is exceptionally good.

In both cases, the team was flexible about handling our family's schedule, helpful in minimizing the disruption to our lives, and extremely respectful and clean. ART worked with the specific materials that I requested, even though they were unfamiliar, and at times challenging. Both project managers I have worked with, and both construction teams were pleasant to have around, helpful, and responsive. They accommodated my (inevitable) change requests gracefully. I would not hesitate to call ART again when it is time for my next project.

Everything went well until the range arrived and that is when the project soured.  The slow response, ridiculous options, and then leaving us to deal with the range situation on our own was simply unprofessional.  The project manager told us that they normally work on large projects and that ours was very small.  The whole organization ultimately treated us like we were small, or should I say, insignificant.  They did not follow through.  In fact, I had to remedy the situation on my own.  Now I have a 36" exhaust system with a 30" range underneath.  Not even close to what we wanted.

I have to begin by saying how absolutely terrific our experience has been with both Cindy McClure/Grossmueller's and the ART Design Build Team.  Simply put, we couldn't be happier.  They are terrific, and we would use them again and recommend them in a heartbeat.  Our project manager was Craig Shaw, who is a masterful project manager. 

Our design process took about 3 months, and the building of the addition took almost exactly 3 months - just as we were told and had anticipated.  Cindy's design, combined with the terrific interior kitchen design work of Mike Bliss at Cabinet Discounters in Gaithersburg, MD, was terrific.  Cindy and Mike are extremely detailed oriented, professional and easy to work with.  They listened to all of our needs, made great suggestions to us based on our family needs and their experience, and integrated our wishes into the design.  We never had an argument or disagreement because of the professional way in which they operate and work with clients.  Our design and the subsequent build was done in top-notch fashion.

From day 1, our project manager - Craig Shaw - was on top of everything.  He is detail-oriented, extremely affable and likeable and a perfectionist.  He would anticipate questions we had, address any and all issues before they became issues, and was always solution-oriented.  He managed the project on-time and on-budget, and there were no unanticipated costs that arose.  The only additions or changes made after the contract signing were made at our request because we wanted the crew and subcontractors to do additional work since they were already in the house.  Their subs were all professional, but it was Craig who managed them - not us.  That was what we wanted in a design/build firm, and that is exactly what we got. 

Craig is a take-charge, unflappable project manager who is also extremely skilled in construction.  We can't say enough good things about him and the way Mike Johnson runs his company.  They are all professionals, and their work, work ethic and manner with which they work with clients demonstrate that.

While our project cost a substantial amount of money, we believe that it was well worth it.  We not only paid for the building of our beautiful space which we absolutely love, but also for the most hassle-free and professional experience we could get. 

We highly recommend Grossmueller's/ART Design Build to anyone for any project - large or small. You won't be disappointed, and we think you will very pleasantly satisfied.  I doubt there are many people who could speak so confidently and glowingly about their contractor.  We are proud to do so.

We worked with Cindy McClure as our designer and Al Moses as our Project Manager. They told us the project would take 6 months -- and we were back in at 5 months.  We had a couple of bumps in the road, but nothing that derailed the project or caused us to question the decision to use ART.

We cannot say enough good things about the project or about Cindy and Al. We would absolutely recommend (and already have) ART to our friends considering remodeling.

We dealt with Al Moses, who was at all times professional, prompt and good natured.  He gave us several design options and was very open to our "minimalist" preferences.  The demolition went well, everything was covered but there was some dust residue on walls and back room furniture.  There were some minor production delays but overall things happened as planned.  The oak staircase was very well constructed and arrived in one piece.  After it was installed it really opened up the room as we had hoped.  The open risers and beautiful natural wood really make the basement a more elegant airy space.  The iron railing took away slightly from the minimalist look we wanted, but really is an essential component for safety and it was perfectly designed for the opening.  All in all the steps are beautiful, sturdy and look they were always there.  We're very happy with the new addition.

There were several sets of workers who came in and out of our home throughout the process and all were prompt, pleasant and competent. Many times work was done while no one was at home and we had no concerns.  

At all times the people involved in the project were clean, polite and responsive. Some aspects of the job were made difficult by the weather and had to be delayed. There are a couple of details which must be completed for various reasons. 

Art Design Build has won many awards but we hired them after hearing the praises & seeing the work for neighbors, friends and family over the past 15 years. Their craftsmanship, attention to detail, and good taste has stood the test of time. They are smart, organized, efficient and ethical. I come from a family of architects and grew up in custom homes, and recognize that Art Design Build is a top quality outfit. It was a pleasure to work with every member of their team from day one. We will continue to hire and refer them as long as we live in the DC area.

I started using ART Design Build in 1995 do build a stone patio, design a deck, install a hot tub and create a fishpond. Then we renovated our kitchen/powder room in 1998. Once again we found ADB to be competitively priced and easy to work with. Their design team headed by Cindy McClure is exceptional. In 1999 ADB renovated a comercial retail project for us. The scope of work and timing had to be perfect. We were able to continually operate our store during the extensive renovations. Lastly, in 2008-2009 ART Design Build along with Grossmueller Design gutted our masterbathroom and rebuilt it. This project won a national award. Would I use Art Design Build again? Yes with out a doubt. Their team is always neat, on time and completes jobs in a timely fashion. I have found ADF to be creatively resourcefull and affordable.

The project started out well, with a very punctual and professional design alternative, options and contract development process. Punctuality and showing up until the project was complete was their high strength. We began to have problems 70% through the project, when we noticed that some problems associated with trying to retrofit an old house. Despite leveling concrete being laid, we noticed "waves" in the wooden flooring being laid. It was quite noticeable because there would be gaps and then no gaps between the floor and the baseboard. When I showed this to the contractor, he basically said nothing could be done, this was an old house. We've had subsequent house renovations that did fine with kind of problem it just takes extra work and in this case, it would have required going back to correct the problem. This plus some other issues became a sticking point, one day culminating into a shouting match and threats that "if we didn't like the work, fine, they could just walk away" an impossible situation because where would we have found a contractor to do the remaining 30% of the work? So we sucked it up, but now shudder when we think of ADB because of this unpleasant experience. We've since had other house renovations. We know that old houses always encounter unexpected problems. The problem was with ADB attitude in not letting us know when there were unexpected issues and a tendency to just to the fastest and not best option without letting us know. They are not particularly ingenious about design in even less than complex situations. I would recommend an architect on anything other than simple renovations.

The project started out well, with a very punctual and professional design alternative, options and contract development process. Punctuality and showing up until the project was complete was their high strength. We began to have problems 70% through the project, when we noticed that some problems associated with trying to retrofit an old house. Despite leveling concrete being laid, we noticed "waves" in the wooden flooring being laid. It was quite noticeable because there would be gaps and then no gaps between the floor and the baseboard. When I showed this to the contractor, he basically said nothing could be done, this was an old house. We've had subsequent house renovations that did fine with kind of problem it just takes extra work and in this case, it would have required going back to correct the problem. This plus some other issues became a sticking point, one day culminating into a shouting match and threats that "if we didn't like the work, fine, they could just walk away" an impossible situation because where would we have found a contractor to do the remaining 30% of the work? So we sucked it up, but now shudder when we think of ADB because of this unpleasant experience. We've since had other house renovations. We know that old houses always encounter unexpected problems. The problem was with ADB attitude in not letting us know when there were unexpected issues and a tendency to just to the fastest and not best option without letting us know. They are not particularly ingenious about design in even less than complex situations. I would recommend an architect on anything other than simple renovations.

Very, very well done.

Very, very well done.