Sustainable Design Professionals in Cary, IL

“My husband and I decided to add a first floor master on to our home. We spoke with several architects prior to meeting James Hess, that could not give us the look that we wanted on the exterior of the house. James helped us work through some tricky situations. We did not want our addition to look like an afterthought!! When the project was completed, the addition looked as though it should have always been there! I have recommended James to friends and neighbors. Thank you, James! We truly love the work that you provided for us!”

“Michael Menn designed and constructed with the help of his experienced pool of subcontractors the kitchen of my dreams in an older home that I love for both its tradition and its memories. It is a pleasure for me to come down in the morning to a space so much in keeping with the style of our home and offering me at the same time all that is in modo contemporary for the our time. Michael Menn is a gentleman who honors his word amd his contractural agreements. He was always available to me and responded promptly to any and all concerns or questions that I may have had. Michael is in addition someone with whom one could easily make a lasting friendship. I would not hesitiate for a minute to recommend him to others nor to contact him for any future projects that I had in mind.”

“I’ll be up front, Jereme, is our son-in-law. We were going to build a new house for our retirement home. It was on an old farm site. There were some buildings but no home. He asked if he could design our new house. We said Ok, with some trepidation. Why? Because Jereme loved modern architecture and we did not. We also wanted a sustainable house. I have to say, Jereme came through. We LOVE our house. I would classify it as a modern farmhouse. Whenever we wanted changes, Jereme would redo things until they came out the way we liked. Our house is very unique. The contractor as well as people he had build the house said it was one of their favorite projects. I know we had some new things that they had never worked on before such as polished concrete for the floors and Corten on the outside, as well as railings from steel cables. We also had reclaimed wood and in-floor heating as well as a wind tower. Looking back, the only area I can think of where I wasn’t satisfied around the design was around our front door area. Jereme and I went over and over about the front door. I didn’t like the way he was doing the whole area, but it finally was resolved when the contractor came up with an idea I could live with. We also regret trying to save money and doing electric in-floor heating. We now wished we had spent the money on Geo-thermal, but that wasn’t the fault of DII. In fact, Jereme provided us research on multiple options. All in all, we are very happy with our home and would definitely recommend Design Insight, and Jereme, as someone to design your house.”

“After a phone call, Tom agreed to visit me and discuss the renovation of my condo. On-site, I found him both open to my ideas and replete with information that made sense for alternatives to my initial thoughts. I contracted him then and there to prepare my drawings and his turnaround was quick; within two weeks I saw my dreams on paper. He then shepherded my plans through the village and around the bureaucratic red-tape in short order. I highly recommend his services!”

“Natalja is a hard working architect who puts a lot of detail and attention into his work. I would highly recommend her.”

“I work as a subcontractor for Ellen and the DEW Design team. I have seen behind the scenes how Ellen and her team turn their clients dreams into reality. They are true professions and creative thinkers. I would highly recommend their services!”

“I highly recommend Mandy Brown for any of your interior design or architectural needs. My husband and I purchased a home that was designed by Mandy and we could not be more pleased. Having such high level of taste can not be taught. I appreciate that she keeps family and women in mind when it comes to the form, function and beauty of her homes. She is thoughtful and mindful and has very classic taste. It is clear she does not design something without knowing all the aspects of every inch of space and designs spaces that continue to be functional, beautiful and timeless. I think you can see from her photos her work is impeccable. Having purchased a home designed by Mandy I can say first hand her work is of the highest quality and has fabulous details and finishes throughout. Not only did we buy a house she designed we had the opportunity to work with Mandy on some other projects in our home to help suit our needs. Mandy is very thoughtful and very professional and gets back to you quickly. She is so easy going and works well with other professionals in the design business. This a wonderful trait to have especially when you tend to be stressed about a project and panicking over the little details and decisions. Thankfully she is always level headed and makes you feel confident about what is going on. Mandy is extremely creative and talented. I have had the pleasure to view some of her personal art work and photography and she is amazing. I guess it only makes sense that she would also be so talented at creating beautiful homes! Mandy is open minded and a pleasure to work with. You can easily go back and forth with her on any ideas and she educates you on pros and cons of every decision. I appreciate someone who is always thinking ahead. I highly recommend Mandy for any of your home needs. If you choose to work with Mandy in any capacity you will not be disappointed. We adore her and I know you will too! ”

“I have no adequate words to rave about Mark! We had maybe the ugliest split level house in the universe; he developed a creative solution (one that no other architect had previously thought of) and created a beautiful, open home which nearly doubled our living space. He is remarkably organized, economically and environmentally minded, and creative beyond measure. Additionally, he has a calm and kind manner which came quite in handy managing contractors. Thank you, Mark!”

“Steve Besch of Besch Design worked as our architect on our historic home rehab project in Chicago, IL. As the home was built in the 1920's and had multiple additions over the years, it proved a challenge to modernize. Steve's thoughtful, innovative and comprehensive design and engineering work laid the foundation for a beautiful outcome. He redesigned a house full of small, dark rooms to achieve a spacious, livable floorplan that maintained its original architectural integrity. Steve partnered with us throughout the project -- from idea conception, plans and permits, contracting and construction, to finish work. He interacted effectively with our contractors and made himself available for all our questions. When needed onsite, he was timely and efficient, keeping us on schedule. His experienced, hands-on approach was invaluable during our project. To achieve success in a home build or design project, it is critical to have vested partners -- without hesitation, Steve Besch and Besch Design was that partner. We will not hesitate to bring him in on our next project or recommend him to others.”

“Diana and her team are unparalleled. In a community where architecturally significant homes are the norm. Diana excels in fulfilling the historic vision of the homes she works on while enhancing the structures to meet the homeowners modern needs. She is a delight to work with, as are her associates. Diana has made our historic home comfortable and suitable for life in the 21st century while keeping the integrity of David Adler's design-no easy feat. We are grateful for her counsel and guidance and have enjoyed getting to know her and the members of her firm. We would recommend her without hesitation and with great enthusiasm!”