Sharon Johnston Designs for Living

Sharon was recommended to us by friends. And I’m delighted they did! Looking at various plans drawn up by Sharon, it was clear that she designed houses bespoke to her clients’ particular requirements. A common gripe we would hear about other designers/ architects was that they designed a house that they wanted their client to live in. Not so with Sharon. She was able to decipher our wish list, likes and needs into a home that we love. After living for nearly 40 years in a characterful Arts & Crafts house which we adored, that was no mean feat! We have now been happily living in our new home for two years. Thanks to Sharon we have the home where there is nothing we’d want or need to change!

We loved working with Sharon, She was great at listening and incorporating our bucket list ideas into our build and she added then so much more to the design with her knowledge .... we are very happy with the end product. We have a beautiful home now that we really enjoy with our family - thanks Sharon

Having seen some of Sharon’s designs online, we were immediately drawn to her style and were delighted when she was able to take on our project. At our first meeting in her studio, she listened carefully to our brief—a practical, compact design that would carry us comfortably into our golden years. She delivered exactly what we hoped for, creating a home full of character, maximising natural light throughout the day, and adding thoughtful quirks that make the best use of space while ensuring future-proofing. Sharon was professional and a pleasure to work with, never imposing her own ideas but always keeping our brief at the forefront. Thank you, Sharon, for designing a home we truly love living in!

Sharon was recommended to us and even though we had not heard of her or seen her work we quickly realised she was a very capable architect. Her initial drawings were impressive as she was able to capture our requirements into her design. Sharon was easy to work with, friendly, willing to please and responded to requests for any minor design changes to the original drawings resulting in a beautiful home. The attached pictures illustrate the reason for our satisfaction.

When embarking on the journey to build our forever home, we were fortunate to partner with Sharon, an exceptional professional who transformed our vision into reality. From our very first meeting, Sharon demonstrated her expertise by carefully listening to our family's needs and providing clear, practical advice regarding costs and spatial planning. What sets Sharon apart is her remarkable ability to collaborate effectively with other professionals. Her seamless coordination with GM Construction and Janice from Alwoods Kitchens ensured that every aspect of our home was thoughtfully executed. Her attention to detail was evident in how she eliminated wasted space while maintaining the functionality we desired. Sharon's forward-thinking approach was particularly impressive in her design of our home's layout. Understanding the importance of accessibility, she incorporated a ground-floor main bedroom with an en suite bathroom, making our home truly future-proof. The high ceilings and paneled windows she recommended have created an atmosphere of grandeur while maximizing natural light throughout the space. Perhaps most notably, Sharon achieved a perfect balance between traditional elements and modern design. This harmonious blend has resulted in a home that feels both timeless and contemporary. When we later decided to expand our living space with a garden room, Sharon once again exceeded our expectations, designing an outdoor area that perfectly complemented our main residence. Throughout the entire process, Sharon's leadership and professional guidance were invaluable. Her ability to understand and implement our vision while offering practical solutions has resulted in a home that truly works for our family's lifestyle. Based on our exceptional experience, we wholeheartedly recommend Sharon to anyone seeking to create their dream home. Her expertise, attention to detail, and commitment to client satisfaction make her an outstanding professional in her field.

Sharon designed us a beautiful house. She incorporated our ideas and wishes and most importantly listened to us , which was not our previous experience with house design. Excellent communication skills and materials knowledge. We have already recommended her to other friends who have/are using her services.

We first contacted Sharon in March of 2020 and almost instantly we knew Sharon was the architect we wanted to design our home. Sharon has been a dream to work with, even through the most unforeseen circumstances of covid in which face to face meetings were basically impossible at the time, Sharon was always available to talk to and even set up video appointments to talk us through our project in great detail. As a couple who knew very little of what we were getting ourselves into, Sharon was a guiding light, showing us and putting us into contact with who we needed to be talking to at each stage. We cannot recommend Sharon enough to people contemplating who to design their home, especially those with little experience in doing so like ourselves. She will point in you in the right direction at all times! We are very grateful for everything she has done for us and no job was too small for her.

Highly recommend Sharon. Great ideas and over the moon with how our extension worked out.

Sharon provided us with an outstanding service from our initial meeting with her to our plans being approved. She was always willing to accommodate our requirements and listen to what we wanted, and then guided us through the various options she believed would suit our needs. She comprehensively answered all our questions and provided us with a superb set of plans. Sharon was delightful to deal with and I will highly recommend her services. - Gerard McPolin

Sharon is an excellent architect and agent. She has a great deal of experience and knowledge in the area of property and site development and has been a great asset in my projects. Would highly recommend.

We were very impressed with the professional and innovative service we received from Sharon Johnston. The layout and appearance of our bungalow was exactly what we wanted. Her insight into the flow and appearance of the house elevated the overall design. We would highly recommend Designs for Living.

I cannot recommend Sharon highly enough. She delivered our dream home, within budget, on time and to our specification. Sharon was a breath of fresh air to deal with, nothing was ever a problem and she had a gifted ability to convert our requirements into a fabulous and sustainable design. As a Planning Officer dealing with many architects over the years, Sharon's drawings always stood out as being individual, thoughtful and attractive - which inspired us to chose Sharon to design our home. No regrets, and if I had the sanity to build again I wouldn't look past Sharon Johnston!