Soularch Design

CA&A more.....Doug's approach to design and his high standards are commendable and not easily quantified.  His ability to meld his artistic eye with practical design is unique and shines through in our house.  We were guided in choosing and sourcing materials that matched quality to our budget.   Nothing in our house feels cheap or light weight - there is a sense of quality and substance that pervades the experience of living here and we believe that feeling comes from the quality of materials used, the well-thought out and unique design and the high quality of craftsmanship that Doug insisted upon.

We were very interested in building a home that was both healthy for our family and the environment.

He guided us in avoiding spaces that have no purpose or function.  It was important to us to feel the outdoors and have a sense of openness in our house - Doug's design accomplished that perfectly.  We love that Doug's design was functional, efficient and artistic all at the same time.  

He guided us in avoiding spaces that have no purpose or function.  It was important to us to feel the outdoors and have a sense of openness in our house - Doug's design accomplished that perfectly.We were very interested in building a home that was both healthy for our family and the environment.  We came to the project with our own strong ideas of what we wanted and Doug helped us implement those ideas and also opened our eyes to many more ideas and ways of responsible building.  The challenge in building a quality home is balancing desire, cost and quality so that you end up with a project that is within your budget, yet of the the highest quality.  There are trade-offs and hard decisions to make when approaching a project with this mindset.  Doug is incredibly knowledgable when it comes to environmental options and ideas.  Some are more expensive and a few were not feasible within our budget, but we worked together to hone in on the ones that were the most important to us.  Doug designed a home that is comfortable without air conditioning, even on the hottest of days.  We were never going to put in an air conditioner, so it would have been easy for a designer to not feel responsible for that decision when our house became uncomfortable in hot weather.  Doug appreciated our decision and designed the window placement and airflow in a way that allows us to keep our house cool enough to be comfortable, even on very hot days.  This sort of attitude is incredibly helpful when approaching a project like ours - Doug wasn't just "doing a job" - he approached his work with dedication and true concern for our desires and needs.  

What do Cullen, Aidan and Ava have to say about the house? 

Our kids love their house!  The first thing they do when a new friend comes over is give them the "tour" - from their loft playrooms, to the metal bridge and the soaring ceilings, they are incredibly proud of their home and can articulate the details and uniqueness that make our house special.  We spent a lot of time working with Doug to design their "space" and we are so happy when we see them using and living in the areas we created.  We allowed them to be involved in the decision making process for their space - allowing them to choose paint colors, light fixtures and materials for their rooms and bathrooms.  There is a playfulness that shines through and Doug's unique design creates an atmosphere that is fun and inviting.