ST LOUIS DESIGN ALLIANCE

Duane Thompson, AIA, has renovated his own old brick home in St. Louis and was very interested in my project from the outset even though it would not bring in much money for the Alliance.  He made several visits to my unit and revised our plans twice until the proposed layout--converting a 10-ft X 20-ft galley into a three-walled rectangle with stove and seating at a new island--was exactly what we want.  Duane's CAD drawings, with exact measurements, will enable our contractor to buy and install exactly the right cabinets.  He also had me drop by the office to speak with their interior designer about tile treatments for the backsplash, at no extra charge.

St. Louis Design Alliance understood my needs and budget and gave me a high quality final product at less than half the cost of the competitive bid. Every individual I have dealt with at the firm has been professional and helpful. Even after meeting my contracted needs, they have continued to make suggestions that have greatly assisted in the implementation of the plans they designed. Highest recommendation!

This was a very positive experience for us. They incorporated our "wish list" of features while keeping an eye on the bottom line. They helped us to look to our future needs as well as our current needs, suggesting, for example, putting in a full bathroom on the 3rd floor in light of the fact we have 4 daughters who would turn into teenagers! We have lived in the house now for 12 years and have no complaints at all about the design.

I had a little bit of trouble getting the architect on the phone at first, because of my unusual work hours. I kept calling in the morning, when he was in a meeting. Once I told them my work hours, they were able to meet with me at times which were convenient to me. I made an appointment for him to come to my house. He listened to what I would like to be able to do with the house, and then presented some ideas. I chose the one I liked. Another architect came by to photograph the place and take measurements. Then they drew up some plans. They suggested some contractors, since I didn't know any. They also drew up a contract for my contractor, and were able to talk him into accepting a payment schedule instead of making me pay for all materials up front. After work started, one of the architects came by to see how it was progressing.

They were very professional when discussing any details of our addition. They listened and used some of our ideas in the plans, along with their own ideas to make sure we were happy. They were responsive and timely in getting the plans done.

VERY GOOD.