What qualities are important when choosing a designer for a new custom home or large-scale renovation?

- Experience

- An understanding of building components and systems

- A knowledge of historic architectural styles

- A well-honed sense of proportion and detail

- An ability and willingness to work as a member of the project team

I have spent over twenty years designing gracious homes, based on the best traditions of design. My experience guides me in the thousands of decisions, major and mundane, that must be made during the process of design. I highly value the ideas of clients and never lose sight of the fact that the home I am designing should reflect their lifestyle rather than my own.

In fact, the best thing I ever learned in home design was to forget what I was taught in college. We learned to sketch several ideas, choose one, develop it, draw it beautifully, and then show our client the results. Along the way, I realized how much better it is to include people in this process. How much better it is to show many ideas, to show the rough drawings.

By considering several ideas and blending the best of them together, we can be confident that our final plan is the best solution. Listening, approaching the process with flexibility, and working together as a team- that has proven over and over to be the best approach in developing plans that are workable, livable, and best reflect the unique lifestyle of my clients.

Michael Eric Dale

Residence Design- Interior Design