Studio 49 Home Design Group, LLC

Studio 49 is amazing! They were highly recommended from a friend and the work they did in her home was beautiful. After our initial consultation, there was no doubt in my mind that we would choose them to help us renovate our kitchen, laundry room, entranceway and powder room. Studio 49 truly understood our needs and heard us when we said we wanted to add an island although our space was limited. Their creative approach to our project was fascinating--there is no way we could've come up with this design without their help. They were easy to work with, readily available, and provided a wealth of knowledge. We loved the way they gave us choices, knew where to shop, held our hand throughout the project and did it all with a great sense of humor! They worked with our contractors, anticipated potential issues, and couldn't be more available when issues arose. So many details and decisions needed to be made and they respected our opinions, our budget, and our timeline while assisting us through this process. We would highly recommend Studio 49 to anyone who is planning a renovation. We know you won't be disappointed!

My husband and I originally chose to purchase our 1940’s camp in Maine for it’s location in a quiet cove off the main lake. We spent hours out on the water looking back at the run down little house talking about how we would renovate it when the time came to retire. With his unexpected passing, and my son going off to college, I decided the time was right to leave NY and move to the place I had visited every summer of my life. It was clear early on that renovating the house was not a good idea so I decided to pull the plug and build a new house. I chose a contractor who encouraged me to work with a local architect. With me living in NY until my house was sold it made more sense to work with someone that I trusted and have known for over 35 years. Once we started meeting, I realized the services of an architect would never have worked for my situation. The property and its proximity to the lake created what I thought would be an oddly shaped house. Studio 49 showed me a few different floor plan options that not only used every square inch but respected my desire for it to resemble an old camp. They had a local draftman complete the plans and sent those off to my builder to start the process. Meanwhile, they took me to local stores to show me the different windows, doors, flooring, sinks and everything else that ended up in the house. I was so overwhelmed I barely remember what we chose from one meeting to the next. They made sure it was all written down and sent it to my builder so he could order it all locally. Their knowledge of what’s out there is amazing. When I told them how I hate cleaning the area around the toilet they showed me something called closed toilets. Who knew those existed? I don’t cook but knew what I liked and didn’t like about kitchens. They designed the kitchen and worked with the builder’s local cabinet supplier to make sure the space is perfect for my visiting guests who like to cook. I recently told them how when I walk through the house every towel bar, light switch and closet shelf seems to be in the perfect spot. They laughed and pointed out that it was all on the plans they provided for the builder to follow. My builder appreciated how available they were at any hour of the day to answer questions 7 days a week. They even did room plans showing how I might lay out furniture in each room. This was certainly helpful when moving day finally came and movers were asking me where everything went. I can’t thank them enough for their patience during a very stressful time. They recently visited for a week and never made it in the lake. They chose instead to help me organize the storage room and sift through boxes of pictures that they hung throughout the house. Sitting here now surrounded by my memories and collectibles I am finally relaxed and feel at home. I sit on my porch looking out across the lake to the camp still owned by my father’s descendants wondering if the little girl who visited their every summer could have ever imagined ending up across the lake in her dream home.

Recently divorced and moving into a new home, I found a house that I loved but with a very small, closed off kitchen. There wasn’t much counter space nor room for food storage and the refrigerator was practically in the living room. (Food was actually kept in a pantry on the lower floor!) Also in this small space were 3 doors and a wall of windows making it a challenge to think of how to rework it. Having worked with Studio 49 on an amazing kitchen renovation at my previous home I knew I had to call for help. I brought them in during the negotiation phase of my home purchase to get an idea of what could be done and budget accordingly. As expected they came up with a layout that resolved all my issues, stayed within my budget and fit both my personal style and that of the house. To brighten up the dark space, the existing oak cabinets/black granite countertops were replaced with two different colored high-end cabinets (light on top, dark on bottom) and a light quartz counter. To open the space, the main doorway was expanded to 6’ which allowed viewing into the living room and light from the windows in the front of the house. The small doorway that connected the kitchen to the dining room was closed off to allow the counter and storage to extend the length of the room and a huge 4’ pass through was opened in its place allowing the rooms to feel connected and to make it easier to serve and clean during meals. It was now possible to have full viewing access between the kitchen, living and dining rooms! The appliances were all relocated to allow for better functionality and provide space for more than enough food storage. The main counter space was extended to give enough counter seating for 3-4 people comfortably. The once dark, non-functioning kitchen became the focal point of the house and a place where I could easily entertain guests or just live everyday life with my son. I couldn’t have asked for more. Studio 49 continues to prove their abilities despite the size of the project, the style of the home and the budget they have to work in. I’ve already begun discussing another project with them...overhauling the oversized hallway bathroom and expanding the adjacent master bedroom closet. I wouldn’t consider using anyone else.

We used Studio 49 Design's expertise when we re-modeled our main bathroom on the second floor of our colonial in New Jersey. Our requirements were that we needed a stand-alone shower and bathtub with a double vanity, toilet and storage in an area of approximately 8x10'. Studio 49 was able to meet our needs in every aspect. They provided plans that were elegant and cost-conscious. They provided a transitional design that met the architectural integrity of the home -- not to mention that they provided more than one plan. The designers have years of experience behind them that they bring to the table. They were kind, professional and provided a listening to our needs that ultimately provided a product that has gotten rave reviews from everyone that has seen the end product. I'm confident that our re-model will add value to the sale of our home next year! Thank you Studio 49!

I have retained Studio 49 for multiple projects and homes that I have owned in the past and am currently working with them now. I have never worked with such a pleasant, organized, creative group as this group. I have found with design firms I worked with prior to being introduced to S49 , they typically perceive the word "budget" as mere concept vs. a golden rule. Not with Studio 49, their sensitivity to the pocketbook is huge without settling for mediocre or that will do.. One of the largest and ongoing projects is the redesign of my 6700 sq foot home. At the outset, we were not certain how long we planned on staying in the home. Studio 49 developed a master plan where by we have phased in aspects of the remodel based on 1-- Priority/Must be Done with a conscious eye on will the investment make sense and then down to if we stay, let's do it. We are now in phase 3 and have a budget of $300,000+ budget for a 2 story addition. I am so thrilled with this firm. They have become family to me. My home is a showcase and we are not done! I have referred this firm to so many people who always thank me. Their keen sense of detail, ability to manage this "master plan" without making costly mistakes is just unbelievable. My history with this team, which seems to be growing understandably is that we all love them, their creativity and quality more than our family. As far as I am concerned, there is no other design firm that comes close.

We have known the Studio 49 group for quite some time and have used them on two different occasions. Both experiences exceeded our expectations and would highly recommend them. They not only were on budget but continued to support us after they fulfilled their contract.

I have worked with Studio 49 Home Design Group on several occasions and cannot speak highly enough about the close attention to detail as well as the meticulous taste of the designers. My first encounter was as a recently divorced woman going out on my own for the first time. Throughout the process I was guided with patience and just the right amount of gentle prodding. The result was an amazing apartment that had everyone I knew gushing. My second encounter was just as successful as the first. At no time did I ever feel I was a burden or a pest. My relationship with the capable staff of Studio 49 has lasted over approximately 20 years. We remain friends to this day even though I have moved to North Carolina.

When my husband and I were finally ready to design and furnish our home, we were confused about where to start. We looked in magazines and went to showrooms, but it wasn't until we met the designer at Studio 49 Home Design Group that we felt we could trust someone to guide us in the design process. When you are starting from scratch, there are so many considerations and different choices to be made from the structural down to pillow fabrics. We were overwhelmed. The designer at Studio 49 Home Design Group was amazing at reading our taste, showing us different options and making sure every corner of our home was pleasing to the eye. Even now, years later, I walk around the house and am uplifted by the space we created together, and I am always proud to have guests in our home.

Being a do it yourselfer I can all ways count on them to help me in the design and planning before I tackles another room in my house. They help me select materials that work for the way we live in our home yet respect the fact that we want to make the rignchoicrs for resale. Great team to work with and I recommend you speak to them before starting a remodel on your home.

Having know them for over 20 years we had always relied on their input in all aspects of renovating and furnishing our home. Their knowledge and contacts has always been invaluable when finding sources or ensuring we covered every detail before starting on a project. Since my husband and I consider ourselves weekend warriors we love tackling the actual construction but always seek their guidance before and during a project.

My wife and I had done many renovations to our home since purchasing it 7 years years ago. The most recent of which was a new kitchen which involved removing a supporting wall to achieve an open floor plan. Working with an independent contractor who had taken almost 6 months to finish the project we were not looking forward to another project. In speaking to our neighbors about our hesitation to go through another renovation they suggested we call Studio 49. We were hesitant to call a designer for fear our project would cost more using a professional to select the materials for our master bathroom. After finishing the bathroom we both feel we actually saved money and certainly a lot of time given how fast and easy to project moved along. Their approach is to come up with a complete detail plan and set of drawings that include everything we wanted in the bathroom. Our intention was to update the bath only but when they showed us a plan that reworked the hall outside the bathroom to add desperately needed closet space we increased our budget and feel we will get it back at resell as the master bedroom now boasts multiple closets. When we started working on the details of the design we couldn't understand why it was so important to tell them whether we wanted towel bars or towel rings but now we see how moving the location of every item to our contractor made the construction go smoother and faster than we had hoped. It also helped us budget for the project by ensuring we included the cost of every item before signing with our contractor. Our contractor appreciated all the detail, so he could include in his initial quote so we avoided the add ons that we had in our kitchen project. They made sure we ordered all the pluming fixtures, tile and lights well enough in advance so our contractor not make excuses for delays. They meet with the electrician, the plumber and even the tile guy before each stated to review the plan and made sure we didn't have to pay for changes because of things not being done correctly the first time. We are now about to start the bathroom renovation and look forward to repeating the experience into e coming months.

We had lived in our home with three children all approaching their teenage years for 16 years without feeling the need to expand. But once we made the choice we talked to neighbors who had recently renovated their homes and received different advice on working directly with a contractor vs. working with an architect. After a few attempts to work with contractors it became evident that we needed a more detailed plan to ensure we could achieve our goals within the tight budget we working in. So we turned to an architect. The problem there was the upfront cost to get to the point that we would have plans to then start the bidding process with the contractors. Luckily, we were given Studio 49's name and contacted them to see how their approach differed. Since the initial meeting was complimentary we had nothing to lose. Once they came into our home we felt an immediate connection. Their approach was to listen and observe us in our daily life. As we talked the kids were coming and out and going about their routines. Later I realized that their observing us in our home produced some of the best aspects of the design that we had not even considered. Since their fees are hourly based we paid the retainer and they went to work producing not one, but three different floor plans for our home. Where we had been thinking we had to do a much larger addition to achieve our goals they focused more on reworking our existing space to open it up and work better for us. Each design they presented was based on what we had said we wanted but they all differed a little to give us a lot to think about. They again listened to what we liked about each and came back with what became the final plan, incorporating everything we loved. They worked with us on all the details including placement of furniture which helped me figure out where to put lights and the television. The kitchen layout was great and they even helped me select appliances that worked best for the space. Knowing our tight budget they even found me a high quality, very expensive french door at Habitat for Humanity that saved us thousands. In the end we came in on budget and even bought a hot tub with the money we saved on the door.