MARK DOWNING - Atelier LLC

I'm VERY happy with the outcome.  It went better than expected in some areas and not in others as is the nature of remodeling, you never know until you open up an area.  He kept me in the loop throughout the process.  When something went well and didn't take very long, he reduced his fees to reflect that. When we encountered a problem he laid out my options and gave me his opinion.  As a first time homeowner with no previous construction experience I appreciated the ethical guidance I received.  Mark is very knowledgeable, creative and intelligent.  He took his time to educate me and shared resources along the way.  His resources have ended up being great as well. 
Other than feeling happy about the outcome, I enjoyed the process of working with Mark.  One thing I found rare about Mark was the feeling that he wasn't trying to squeeze money out of me at every turn.   He respected my need to save money and accommodated the modifications I needed to make and allowed for portions of the project to be done by me or cheaper vendors.  Mark was a dream to work with and I would happily hire him again!

The final product - a new Studio and greatly expanded storage areas - turned out to be far more beautiful than we had ever envisioned.  We approached Mark asking him if he could make our old pole barn more usable for ourselves and the general public who come to our retreat center.  At first I thought we'd just put up some sail cloth and lighting, roll out some gym flooring, add a
wood stove, replace the sliding metal barn doors with retractable store-front garage doors -- and call it good. He was game and gave me places to investigate sails, etc.  He would come over and we would talk and explore ideas together.  He would listen, sketch spontaneously to see if he was getting my thoughts right and offered his own.  He continually examined the integrity of the barn bringing various important issues to my attention.  Over time, he would come back with more ideas and possible plans or directions we might head together.  This collaboration went on for a few months until I decided to invest more money in the project and make it a more professional and usable space.  I am so glad I did!
Mark proceeded with our agreed plan.  In his reliable manner, he kept us informed about what he was doing, why he was doing what he was doing and approximately how long various stages of the project would take along with the corresponding costs.  He coordinated the necessary sub-contractors, all of whom were a pleasure to work with.  He made sure no one arrived before 8am (at our request) and that no one worked over the weekends or interfered with our guests on retreat.  He protected our time, privacy and property.  He consulted with me at every decision and made sure I was happy with each step.  It was an evolving project that
took many lovely turns and iterations.  I consulted with him about my aesthetic choices and repeatedly trusted and enjoyed his eye as an artist and designer. My attention to detail and high standards for excellence can be challenging to work with.  I appreciated Mark's consistent willingness to stay patient with me and painstakingly go over various processes even when I was irritable or anxious about the project.
 Our new Studio turned out beautifully.  Some of my favorite unexpected results, that Mark made possible, where his finding the exceptionally beautiful $600 used windows at Rebuilders, suggesting and designing the gorgeous carriage house doors,  building the elegant trellised and cedar planked ceiling entrance, adding the wrap around roof and cement slab for our car and additional outdoor storage, sorting out the best, most cost-effective heating source that would address the high ceilings and open room (2 ductless heat pumps), suggesting elegant wall sconces and transforming our exposed insulated metal-roofed ceiling and rustic trusses into a creative, expansive space.
 Months after the project was completed if we had any difficulties or issues Mark addressed them in a timely and professional manner.  All issues were minor and easy to fix.  The only major issue we had was about a year later when we noticed some condensation/moisture (dark spots) seeping through the ceiling insulation.  Mark came out to inspect the dark spots right away.  He called the sub-contractor who installed the insulation (Tom of Knez, who was wonderful) and they began to problem solve
together.  Within a reasonable time, the issue was resolved.  Knez paid us the necessary funds that Mark calculated it would take to redo the ruined areas.  We proceeded to rectify the problem and decided to also remove the metal roof and replaced it with a new composite roof. 
What could have easily turned into an unfortunate (yet common) battle between contractor/sub-contractor/owner fighting over who was responsible for what - resulted instead in superior enhancements and most importantly our continued and even deeper respect and trust in Mark's capacity to traverse the most challenging areas of construction while maintaining integrity,
professionalism and genuine care for everyone he works with.
Mark's a gem.  
 

We could not be happier with how our project turned out. We were working on a very restrictive budget and Mark Downing was extremely accommodating and easy to work with in this respect. In addition he helped teach us how to be a part of the project and take on several steps on our own to help keep the cost down. He was punctual, conscientious and very clear with his communication. We ended up with a gorgeous kitchen with custom western Maple cabinets complete with Greene and Greene detailing, flush mount doors and drawers and ebony peg detailing. We would certainly use Mark again for our next project.

We have wanted to build a pottery studio in our backyard for many years.  In 2010 the Oregonian dedicated an entire section to backyard ?sheds?.  With one exception, the pictures were of structures that really were sheds.  The exception was a beautiful ADU/studio that Mark built that looked similar to what we had imagined for our studio. Here's the article: (http://photos.oregonlive.com/oregonian/2010/09/shedzip_54.html)  

We met with Mark and looked through his portfolio.  It was a bit intimidating because much of his work was grander than our meager budget would allow.  We explained our somewhat vague plan??something about not wanting it to look like a converted garage.  Mark did a great job of guiding our thinking and suggested creative, inexpensive elements (e.g., front porch, columns, antique sink, doors and windows, etc.) that made it into a lovely studio.  He also did a great job of matching it to our little, old bungalow. It looks like it's always been there!  He drew up the plans, navigated the permits and went to work.  Everything was so perfectly timed it felt like he orchestrated a symphony.  He had provided us a detailed timeline and completed the project on time despite some extra effort required for the permits.  Mark does flawless work and has a keen eye for detail.  Nothing was left undone.  We came in a bit over budget but that was because WE changed/added items during the construction.  

I should also mention that Mark went above and beyond during the permitting process.  The Bureau of Environmental Services required us to channel the water from the studio's roof to our existing rain drain.  This was uncharted territory for all of us and Mark heroically navigated the system for us.

Called Mr. Downing for a bid.
He came over, took measurements, and had a bid to me within 24 hours.
I accepted the bid, and we moved forward.
Mark purchased the wood, and built the frames.
He then allowed me to use his shop to paint and primer them myself, saving me money and him time.
He then ordered the glass, put the final touches on the windows, and installed them all in 1 day, and we love them. Great work. highly recommend.

Because it was the front door and windows above it, the window space had to be covered in plywood while the work was being done in Mark's shop.  When the windows were installed, they were exactly what we had wanted and were of very find crafsmanship.
The whole job took less than a week and was finished on schedule and on budget.

We would hire Mark again and have recommended him to relatives who are also pleased with the work he did on the house they had just bought.

Mark Downing was punctual, professional and very easy to talk with.  We are currently figuring out how to proceed on our project (addition/remodel or move to a larger home).

We have worked with Mark before and know that he does what he says he will do and when he says he will do it. He made an estimate, did the work and coordinated all of it with our schedule. We are delighted with the result. He did a kitchen for us ten years ago with outstanding results. We will use him again for our next project. Mark has done outstanding woodwork for the Japanese Garden and is well respected in Portland. My husband serves on the facilities committee for the garden, so we know Mark's work from several perspectives.

When we first met Mark, he immediately impressed us with his professional, attentive manner and capacity to truly understand what we wanted. He really took the time to look at the site to determine how to best maintain the integrity of our natural setting, create what we envisioned and stay within our budget. He could view the project as both an artist/designer and builder/contractor. As the job unfolded, he drew up new plans for us that we loved even better while maintaining our pre-approval from the county to build. A commendable task. We spent hours together at the county making sure everything was being done correctly and to everyone's specifications. His communication skills were far beyond anything I had ever experienced with any contractor, ever. Over the last 10 years, I have remodeled 3 different projects and build new twice. I was rather anxious about this building project primarily due to my prior unfortunate experiences with other contractors. However, Mark was superb in how he listened to me and considered my concerns every step of the way. This helped me enormously. As the project unfolded, he let me know what he was doing, what I could expect and was open to genuinely listening and considering my feedback and needs. Mark took many extra precautions that I would not have known were needed (ie, when the slab was poured in December he made sure it was specially protected from any potential freeze; he added copper sheets to protect 2 exposed beams over the entryway from degrading/weathering over the years at his cost, and so much more.) His subs were all professional, timely and reliable. His painter and tile-setter were particularly exceptional. Whenever a new design decision needed to be made, Mark consistently offered wonderful ideas, often drawing them out on-the-spot on the nearest piece of wood or on his lap-top. We worked on the design for the shower for months as new information came in from the county, etc., that we had to re-work. The final design is stunning! Mark personally installed all of the wood-work, classic craftsman window and door trim and hand-carved our mahogany sink counter from a raw piece of wood we picked out in the lumber yard. If we were unhappy with any of his, or his subs, work, he made sure he, or they, returned and completed the work to our satisfaction. An outstanding example was when the concrete floor's acid stain finish was showing every small scratch and needed to be re-evaluated. Mark had Jeff Bach (Mark's sub who did the beautiful concrete staining) come out and upon seeing the problem, Jeff offered to redo the surface at his cost and put a more flat finish on the floor. It now looks excellent and wears perfectly! Thank you to Mark and Jeff both. This was the kind of professional, exceptional work Mark was committed to. The final product is beautiful. All of our guests who stay in the guest house are very impressed with the overall peaceful feel and the remarkable aesthetic integrity Mark has created. They consistently remark about his wood work and attention to detail. I would hire Mark again without hesitation. He's a gem.

Mark is just unusual. It is hard to reference him in the usual manner. He is absolutely honest, reliable and unusually talented. One day, at Parr lumber, I heard a couple of workers talking about him. One finally said, "if you want to know what's happening around Portland in woodworking, follow Mark Downing". I agree. He is a big fan of Carl Larsson, Green and Green, and MacKintosh.

Mark was an essential part of the planning and construction of our $1M home. I am an experienced woodworker and have done numerous remodeling projects, but this was my first time serving as general contractor. Mark is a former contractor and is familiar with all phases of construction and remodeling; more than that, he is a true artisan in wood and has achieved serious recognition for his work in Oregon. His help in the planning stages was timely and helped save time and money. He helped keep an eye on the framing crews work, co-ordination for the finish work to follow. He led the framing and finish crews of up to 4 workers and was instrumental in setting the highest possible standards. I recommend Mark in the highest terms for projects that put the emphasis on creativity and quality. He did not bid complete jobs, preferring to charge a modest hourly rate.