Basement Conversion Professionals in Bustins Island, ME

“We highly recommend architect Bruce Butler of By Design. He has been wonderful to work with, and we are delighted with our new home. We had never built a house before--nor did we think it was in the cards for us to do so--so we were complete novices when we began. Bruce was very patient with our lack of knowledge and did an excellent job of educating us on the process. Based on information he gathered from us, he presented us with an initial plan that matched our vision! After that, our discussions with him were primarily regarding materials and finishes. Our dealings with Bruce were done from a distance as we lived a half-dozen states away from our building site. Regardless of this, the process was seamless. Bruce also effectively acted on our behalf with the town Planning Board and Code Enforcement Officer. Without making a single change, they signed off on our plans the very night he presented them. He also participated in our meetings with prospective builders and made field trips to see their work. Additionally, he was very proactive on pursuing cost- and energy-saving options. We interviewed other architects before selecting Bruce. After the fact, one of the other firms asked us whom we selected. We told them and they said, "Bruce does great work, I think you'll be in good hands." There’s no question that we were!”

“We are in the design stage of building our retirement home. Caleb Johnson and his Team took a very restrictive and tight square footage lot and created our dream house. We were so excited! Next came the local Planning Board, state agencies, permits, more permits, more restrictions etc and we were so discouraged. But Caleb, Josh and Michael never stopped and have kept our dream alive with their experience, vision and professional contacts and resources. Demolition is next and we look forward to continuing the journey with Caleb Johnson Architects and Builders.”

“Joe built a wonderful home for me in Cape Elizabeth. Joe was a pleasure to work with and his design and attention to details was outstanding. I would recommend Joe to anyone.”

“We were referred to Leslie as we already deep in the permitting process of a small but still complex garage rehab (into office + living space). Having cobbled together some form of a design halfway between a napkin drawing and a not-to-scale artistic rendering using our own resources, we asked Leslie to think about what made the most sense for our space- oh, and btw, could she do it very quickly. Many architects would have laughed us off at that point saying it was too late in the game and that we couldn't possibly get it done. But Leslie didn't flinch. Within a week she had drawn up new plans that detailed some cool options for flow through our fairly tight space. She even added elements that made the carpenters love her- like where to hide vents and piping etc. Every detail was thought of. In the end, we love the building and the design that Leslie put together. It's bright, open, and fits a lot into a small space. Leslie is a charming, honest, and extremely knowledgeable individual. She is an excellent architect and an even better person- we can't recommend her enough for projects big or small.”

“RDS transformed my small inefficient kitchen into a wonderfully workable space. Carol made what seemed to me an overwhelming project into an exciting one. I couldn't be happier with the outcome.”

“We have a small house, 1100 sq ft, in Portland Maine. When we began meeting with Kevin we thought we would need an addition to improve our space. Kevin helped us to see we could save a major amount of money by keeping our current footprint. He is extraordinarily knowledgeable with design and building codes. He is an excellent listener, reliable, punctual, friendly, honest and over all great to work with! The best part is his services are very reasonably priced and he will come to you for meetings. He has had some great ideas and we could most definitely recommend him.”