Architects in Benton Harbor, MI

“As a Chicagoland kitchen and bath designer, I have worked with the dSPACE group on a number of residential kitchen and baths. They are a talented and professional group. Great ideas and inspired designs flow from the studio on Lincoln Ave. A pleasure to work with on every job.”

“After a few false starts with others in the area, Keystone has been a breath of fresh air, with timely service, reasonable rates, and great customer service. It's also clear that Keystone's technical advice is very sound. Being an engineer, my curiosity can be unwelcome in technical areas, but Ven has helped me fully understand the merits of his work. He's also helped our builder bring solid plans to reality, with little of the friction you might expect between architect and builder. Working with Keystone has been a rare pleasure in today's world; not only has the quality, cost and thoroughness of Keystone's work been excellent, but their sense of urgency has helped keep our rehab project timeline intact.”

“We interviewed 3 architects and chose John Allegretti based on his previous work and enthusiasm for our specific project. We wanted to go from a 1-1/2 story, 2 bedroom, 1-1/2 bath to something more. Our lot size is 33 x 132 ft. which isn't much to work with. Our location on lake Michigan's Silver Beach is extremely desirable but our home was not allowing us to take full advantage of available views. John created a full second story complete with a master suite (bedroom, bath and living area) and walk out second floor deck. This deck offers privacy and another beach view perspective. We now have expansive views throughout our home. (John used glass railings throughout.) We ended up with a more spacious home than we had envisioned. John also presented our project to the local planning commission (we needed variances), and remained engaged throughout the project which was a big help to us. We would work with John Allegretti and his associates again.”

“Jesse Hibler is an excellent architect, talented and responsive to concerns. We built a home with his guidance over the last eighteen monthsa And we are extremely satisfied. His design captured the feel we were looking for, and we Feel he came up with a plan that suited our needs, both in style and function. Jesse has a fun personality and we really enjoyed the design phase of our project.”

“Nothing but praise for Helman Sechrist Architecture: we are in a home we couldn’t even dream of (better than a ‘dream home’) - designed by Helman Sechrist! We had a design challenge - leaving behind two homes that we loved, and combining into 1 new home that would accommodate my family (husband and 3 kids) and my mom, ensuring space for everyone and universal accessibility. We looked at a few homes in our area, then we spent months looking at plans, and realized that nothing pre-drawn was going to work for our family. From my first conversation with Jeff Helman, I was confident that he understood our unique situation - he agreed that we would need to start from scratch. I realize now that this is how they design all their homes - designing spaces around the needs and wants of their clients, spaces that function perfectly and are beautiful! The journey was amazing - their process ensures they are aware of all the functions you want to accomplish in your home - before any plans are drawn. We met extensively with Jeff and Brad (Sechrist), they were alway patient and a pleasure to work with even when we were not at our best - ( imagine how hard a project is to coordinate between two people - then add a mom / mother-in-law to that mix). The staff at Helman Sechrist was there for us throughout the project - They helped us with the bidding process, helped us pick the right builder, made sure that the house was on the lot where it should be, and even talked us through the inevitable rough spots. I cannot express how much we love our new space, how perfectly it is working for us. The spaces that we are living in are just the right size, very spacious - but still cozy; never cavernous or cold. If you want a house that fits your family and your needs - not a house that you have to fit into - Helman Sechrist is well worth the investment.”

“We have a design contract with Brooks Architectural for construction drawings, plus submittals for the association and for permit application for a addition to a log cabin style home. The architect in charge of our project has met with us on site twice and has sent several CADD sketches for periodic review. The drawings are close to being complete and we have been pleased with the responses to our comments thus far and are looking forward to reviewing the documents prior to the start of the project.”

“Hired to select and evaluate potential sites on our property adjacent to a wetland. After site selection designed a rustic modernist cabin that was environmentally conscious and leveraged the views and available light. Was a great process from the beginning. Truly an amazing, thoughtful and considerate, Fred is an amazing architect and craftsman. We hioghly recommend him.”

“Jim came up with a concept to fix a problem we had at our house. It had been cobbled together over the years and added onto numerous times. There were 4 ridge lines that were all different heights and latitudes. They were also all different pitches. His idea eliminated two of them and added a very nice look to the old house. We also gained a nice covered porch area. Jim also provided us with a number of different elevation views of the house with various treatment and siding options. It helped make the two story area of our house go from the look of it being added on to, as an afterthought, to being part of the plan, from the beginning.”

“We hired Heidi Hornaday to design the house of our dreams, within a tight budget. We had toured several homes she had previously designed and none of them looked alike - assuring us that Heidi listens to her customers and designs the homes that they want, not the home she wants to see them in. She offered us three designs, from which we could pick and choose. Fortunately, we (husband and wife) fell in love with the same design and had few changes to request. We worked through the design process with Heidi, adding and tweaking details. She listened to us every step of the way and always made sure we didn't miss important details. She then helped us locate a general contractor (GC). We interviewed three she recommended and selected one who builds just one "ground-up" house a year. We got an estimate and went back to Heidi and the GC stating that we needed to cut $90,000 from the budget. They met and got the price down by $88,000 without us sacrificing any rooms or square footage. They simple moved down one price point in areas like windows and materials. They didn't take us down to the lowest price point or the cheapest model. They assured us we'd never even see the differences and we haven't. We are halfway through building process and Heidi continues to be involved as we make decisions, like lighting and hardware. She is there as little or as much as we require. She is very responsive, well organized, thoughtful, plans ahead, and best of all - listens. Heidi came to us recommended by a family member who wanted to remodel the downstairs kitchen and maids quarters of a summer-only home built in the 1920's, where maids are no longer employed. Heidi created a beautiful kitchen, bedroom, bath and sitting area that is modern, but flows with the older house, and can be sectioned off from the original house and used as a year-round apartment. We highly recommend Heidi Hornaday and would certainly use her again if we ever planned to build another house or simply wanted a design to remodel an existing structure. We have recommended her to other family members and friends and would recommend her to you as well.”

“Our firm has provided custom cabinetry for projects lead by Anthony for the past 15 years. Anthony brings a broad range of design ideas to both new construction and remodel projects. We greatly appreciate that Anthony collaborates closely with those of us that are sub-contractors to ensure the best end result for the client. He has a strong commitment to his clients and knows how to bring a team together to achieve the results that they deserve. We value Anthony for his easy going attitude and being a problem solver who finds resolutions that do not compromise design. Anthony understands the needed balance between design and function and has created beautiful spaces for his clients including industrial, modern & traditional designs.”