Studio3

Bess is the best. She designed our house taking it from a small, empty, difficult to build on lot and made it a beautiful home that we thoroughly love. She worked well with the contractor, worked with us on all the finishes, interior design from drapes to furniture — even lamps, as well as landscape design. She is extremely bright, talented and a pleasure to work with.

We contacted Bess about our remodel based on her great reviews on Unilocal.We ended up paying for ten hours of her time but did not hire her for our project. Our biggest concern was that she failed to meet her self imposed deadlines. Granted, these are minor deadlines: promise to return email, send references or pictures, send bill, etc. However, when it happened consistently, we became concerned that she was either too busy or too disorganized to manage a complex project. We ended up hiring someone else.
I appreciate Bess’ response below. Perhaps our experience was an anomaly.

We used Studio 3 for a major exterior hillside remodeling project including 1000 sq feet plus of multiple decks and walkways, exterior lighting, new entry, additional door, outdoor furnishings etc. This was our first major remodel project and candidly, we were very apprehensive. Studio 3, Bess and her team made the project painless. From their very cool architectural design, to helping us choose a contractor and engineer, to securing Los Gatos permits, to project overview management and outdoor lightening and furnishings, Studio 3 delivered. Virtually stress free, on time and on budget. And the end result is an incredible outdoor extension of our home. Studio 3 is great to work with, did a terrific job and we will definitely use them again. We highly recommend them.

If I ever have another architecture or design project, I will definitely hire Bess and Studio 3. We are thrilled with how well Bess and her team were able to take our lifestyle, style preferences, budget constraints and desires and create a design that works on all aspects. We love our new home — both the first phase full house remodel she did for us five years ago and the add-​on office we did last year. We continue to get compliments on the space, the details and the colors. Studio 3 made our remodel process fun while getting results that are far beyond anything we expected.
Whether you are doing a small residential project or a large commercial space, studio 3 should be a firm you call. Creative, professional, effective and completely trustworthy. It is rare to find an architect/​design firm that can listen, create, and project manage — but studio 3 excels at all three.

If I have learned anything over the course of my remodel, it is that when you have the right people, everything falls into place. When the fit is right, the project can flow like silk.
I first contracted with studio3 for help with interior palette and finish choices. I was immediately impressed with their ability to understand our taste and personal style, and to come up with creative and exciting options. They are sensitive to cost and budget considerations, but without sacrificing quality enabling me to spend as I needed, but not needlessly.
Eventually studio3 took over as a our primary architect and oversaw our project through its entire construction phase – including major, mid-​construction structural revisions and design review – through to interior fabric and some furniture choices. They extremely well with our contractor so that the lines of communication were clear and efficient. She also managed relations with the engineering team and city, helping to avoid unnecessary delays.
There are a lot of talented architects and contractors around, but not everyone has the ability to listen and communicate. The studio3 team has that ability, which made my experience a happy one. I am thrilled with my home, not only because it is now a beautiful and comfortable space, but because it reflects my family’s tastes, and who we are.