You found the building. Now let's figure out what it can become.

developers

You may have done this before, or this may be your first time. Either way, you are taking on something complex - a historic building, a tight pro forma, an incentive structure you are still learning, and a community watching what you do with it.

You need more than an interior designer. You need someone with owner’s rep experience who has been inside projects like this, who understands the financial tools available to you, and who can make the design decisions that protect your investment from day one.

Before you finalize your pro forma, get a design cost benchmark. Our project estimator helps you model construction costs, FFE budget, interior design and preservation service fees against your project scope so the numbers you are working with reflect reality.

get your estimate

We are interior designers and architectural historians. That combination is rare, and it matters for your project in concrete ways: we assess historic significance early, we apply the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation from the start of design rather than retrofitting compliance after the fact, and we support your access to federal and state Historic Tax Credits — an equity source that can meaningfully change your project's financial picture.

We also serve as owner advocates. We track competing priorities, manage the complexity of a project team, and keep your goals in focus when the details start to multiply.

What We Bring to Your Project

We partner with small to midsize developers and owner-operators focused on adaptive reuse and historic rehabilitation — particularly in Michigan's Main Street communities and lakeshore towns. If you have a meaningful building and a vision for what it could be, we want to hear from you.

Who We Work With

The earlier, the better

The single most costly mistake in historic rehabilitation is bringing design and preservation expertise in too late. Decisions made early — before drawings, before permits, before contractor conversations — shape everything that comes after. The earlier we are involved, the more options you have.

A Note on Timing

Services for developers

First Look

A focused 90-minute call to explore your ideas, priorities, and possibilities.

Investment: $350

Paid Design Consultation

- You have an idea about a specific project, but you are stuck and want to brainstorm with a pro
- You want to discuss your project in depth ahead of committing to a design package to ensure we are the right fit
- 90 minute video call via Google Meet.
- We can discuss things like ideas for a specific space, virtual walk through and brainstorm of your space, advice on selections you've already made but aren't quite sure about
- Follow up summary and notes from the call

Onsite Insight

One intensive day: site visit and strategic follow-up slide deck, offering high-impact guidance in a compact format or as an initial starting point.

Investment: Starting at $2500

Full Day Design Workshop

- You are looking for expert design or preservation insights into your project
- You need some initial design collateral to show funders, community members, or others what could be
- You are a small business owner, and a full-design project is out of reach during your startup period, but you still want to ensure a great guest experience
- Client Questionnaire
- 30 minute Project Planning Call ahead of the dedicated day
- Up to 6 hours of on location design and preservation support
- Subject to travel time and expense outside Metro Detroit
- A follow-up document with high-level strategic insights, project ideation, and visual support

Foundation

The groundwork: visioning, inspiration, and initial finish direction.

Investment: Varies depending on scope, starting at $2000

Concept & Finishes Package

- You need to clarify the project goals and establish direction, but want to execute on your own
- You have more time than money and can take it from here
- Will source all your own products - you just want high-level direction and ideas
- Client Questionnaire
- 30 minute Project Planning Call
- Deliverable: Concept Design Package
  - Mood Board
  - Color & Material Direction
  - Storytelling Narrative
- Does not include any plans, site visits, or field verifications

Framework

A tailored design plan with thoughtful materiality and intention. Design package with drawings and selections for those who want to manage their own sourcing, procurement and construction.

Investment: varies depending on scope, typical range between $15,000 - $100,000+

Design Package

- You have more time than money and can manage the execution of the project yourself
- Will be happy to standard products and don't expect any custom, to-the-trade, or bespoke design features
- Do not need full interior drawing set or support during construction
- Will source all selected products yourself or with your contractor
- Client Questionnaire
- 30 minute Project Planning Call
- Deliverables: Full design development package, including Concept Design Package, Design Development level Drawings, and schedules of product selections
- up to 2 site visits, including field verifications

Collective Co-Design

Our most immersive and comprehensive offering . Full-circle, strategic design, complete sourcing of all components (procurement optional add-on), along with project and change leadership throughout construction.

Investment varies depending on scope, typical range between $25,000 - $250,000+

Full-Service Interior Design

- You want an expert to guide you through the entire process - we will handle everything
- You are short on time, but have the budget to support full-service professional design support
  -are ready to make your space one to remember
- You want custom, bespoke, or to-the-trade design features for a unique design tailored to your specific project needs
- Client Questionnaire
- 60 minute Project Planning Call
- Ongoing support calls, email communication, site visits, project meetings, and design workshops throughout the project
- Beyond the traditional design and project management approach, our Collective Co-Design process is holistic. It expands to include in-depth, evidence-based research to ground our projects, change management processes and support to extend beyond the traditional budget/ schedule/ quality to include how the project will impact the people involved, rich-narrative to express each unique project within the culture, community, and context in which it exists, and ongoing empowerment through education and guidance throughout the process.
- Deliverables: Full design development package, including Concept Design Package, Comprehensive Drawings, Specifications, Schedules and coordination for all furniture, fixtures, equipment, finishes, hardware, lighting, art, cabinetry, millwork, and accessories
- Construction administration support for the duration of construction and installation

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Your building's history is not a constraint — in the right hands, it is a financial tool. As qualified architectural historians and interior designers, we build preservation compliance into the design process from the start, making your project eligible for federal and state rehabilitation tax credits rather than retrofitting compliance after decisions have already been made. That distinction protects your credit eligibility, reduces costly revisions, and keeps your project on schedule.

Investment varies depending on scope, typical range between $15,000 - $50,000+

Technical Services

- You own or are acquiring a building that is listed on, or may be eligible for, the National Register of Historic Places or a local historic district
- You want to access federal and/or state Historic Tax Credits and need someone to manage the documentation and compliance process
- You are working with an architect and need a preservation specialist embedded in the design team from the beginning, not brought in at the end to review
- You have been told your building is historic but are not sure what that means for your project or your financing
- You want to understand your options before you commit to a rehabilitation approach
- Preliminary historic significance assessment to determine eligibility and credit potential
- National Register of Historic Places nomination or local historic district application, as applicable
- Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 Historic Tax Credit application preparation and submission
- Coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office throughout the review process
- Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation compliance review integrated into design development
- Design guidance to maintain standards compliance through material selections, detailing, and scope decisions
- Response to SHPO comments and revision of submittals as needed
- Construction phase documentation and site observation to support Part 3 certification
- Construction administration billed time and material

add-on services

For projects where we manage the full furniture process: we place orders on your behalf, track every item through production and delivery, coordinate with your receiver, oversee installation, and handle any damages or discrepancies that come up along the way. You also have access to our trade pricing, which typically offsets a meaningful portion of the service fee.

Furniture Procurement

Your furniture decisions involve more than picking pieces. We manage the bid and specification process, coordinate with your dealer, review submittals for accuracy, and walk the space after installation to make sure everything arrived and was installed as specified. You stay informed without getting buried in the details.

Furniture Administration

Your space is the physical expression of your brand and both need to tell the same story. We develop a comprehensive brand guide that aligns your visual identity with your built environment, including signage systems and environmental graphics. The result is a space where everything you see, from the sign on the door to the finish on the wall, feels like it belongs together.

Brand Strategy

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