Interior Design / Owner Design & Build

Forge and Essence Design & Build offers a boutique experience, prioritizing intimacy, collaboration, and unparalleled customization over traditional large-scale construction models. Our intimate approach integrates me, Chris HaIns, as your interior designer and project manager, as well as vetted reliable general contractors and carpenters, into a cohesive and transparent process for each project. This ensures a seamless and efficient experience from start to finish. Every home possesses a heart and soul, breathing life and telling a story—simply listen. Bringing to fruition each client’s vision is crucial and a process where we refine and enhance it. We endeavor to push boundaries, unveiling limitless design possibilities. Our collaborative approach harnesses the expertise and creativity of our trusted craftsmen and vendors, each a true artist in their field.

Team Work Our design-build firm fosters a team-oriented mindset… we are on the same ‘team,’ and everyone is working toward a common goal: A project delivered on time and within your targeted budget. Early collaboration between our interior designer/project manager and contractors throughout the pre-construction phase ensures your project fits within the budget without compromising quality or design. When your project encounters challenges (and there are always challenges), pointing fingers is not an option. Instead, we are solely accountable for enacting a solution. If challenges occur with the design, budget, or construction, everyone rolls up their sleeves and works on solutions together as a team. A teamwork approach provides a seamless experience for you, the homeowner. You don’t have to manage separate contracts or act as an intermediary between interior designers and construction entities if problems arise. Our designer is your project manager. Total Accountability Our design-build firm is accountable for the entire project, including the quality of the design, how the result looks, the total costs, and how quickly construction is completed. Because we design the project in addition to building the project, much more attention is given to the details, including designing to your targeted budget, frequent estimate updates, and design constructability reviews. The costs of all aspects of your project are considered early in the process: all design fees and anticipated construction costs. We update cost estimates in real time as your design morphs. This allows frequent evaluation by you, the owner, to pursue additional scope or rethink a current situation. All this data is transparently shared with the owner throughout the build. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to hear about situations in the design-bid-build model where the project cost exceeds the designer's estimate due to the project manager's lack of involvement during the design phase. This often results in missing the target budget. This can cause intense stress during the project, resulting in a financial burden or delayed schedule per needed re-designing. Such a scenario is unacceptable in the design-build world. Continuity We are involved in the project from the initial concept to construction completion. This adds an inherent efficiency to the process. Clear and effective communication channels are established between all parties. This allows a streamlined process throughout design and construction. We utilize one project manager, your designer, who leads the team during design and carries forward as the point person during construction, seeing the project from the cradle to the grave, and becomes the glue that holds the team together, as well as reliable communication with the homeowner. Having one team from start to finish, instead of handing off the design to another construction entity, ensures clear communication throughout the project. Your project manager manages the design and construction of the project, creating efficiency and making it easier for the homeowner as they have only one person to work with throughout the process. Expertise There is a tremendous advantage to working with our design-build firm, with our established in-house team and proven design-build partners. Our design-build team consists of licensed professionals with advanced formal training and applicable project experience. We deeply understand the construction process, meaning we have encountered and resolved various challenges. Our expertise can lead to more effective problem-solving and better decision-making throughout the project. Further, our experienced design-build team is an expert in general construction and building systems and has strong partnerships with reliable, pre-qualified, vetted subcontractors. Our design-build approach brings a wealth of design and construction experience to the table and helps guide you, the homeowner, through the process. Professional Guides There are stories of design and construction projects getting out of hand. However, design and construction should not be chaotic or stressful. Our design-build firm is a trusted advisor to the homeowner throughout the design and construction process, guiding you to the best possible outcome. Our design-build firm provides a best-practice process from beginning to end. We take full responsibility for the project and want to see it executed as well as the homeowner does. We value and invest in each project as if it were our own. Owner Control Our design-build collaborative approach allows the homeowner to participate in designing and building your project. As a result, your project goals will be accomplished by contributing to the process. Such involvement gives you lasting pride in your project and meets your needs. Emphasizing homeowner engagement and input ensures the project outcome meets expectations. It also ensures the homeowner’s voice is heard during important planning, design, and contractor decisions. Collaboration Unlike projects delivered using the construction-manager-at-risk model, where the designers and contractors have separate contracts with the homeowner and are not accountable to each other, a design-build model removes all finger-pointing. Our design-build firm has a single contract with the owner. This allows the owner to retain total control over the project, and our team is there to empower and collaborate from the initial concept to completion. This creates a win-win and produces a genuinely collaborative environment. Collaboration is key to any successful construction or renovation project. Open, Honest, and Frequent Communication Our design-build firm's pricing is entirely transparent,, allowing the homeowner to make educated, real-time decisions throughout the design and construction. Other delivery methods often hide costs or wait until an issue arises before budget concerns occur. Our design-build firm creates transparent communication; we will tell you what you need to hear. We will not overpromise and underperform as design-bid-build models often do. Our clear communication defines your budget early on, which drives crucial decisions and agreements for the entire project. This transparency establishes trust between the owner and the design-builder from the start. Most importantly, it allows projects to stay on or under budget with minimal to no change order delays and cost overruns. All budgetary changes due to scope growth will be reviewed and signed off before instituting the change. Time Savings: The Efficiency of Design-build vs. Design-bid-build Maintaining the planning, design, and construction schedule is paramount for a successful project. Design-build construction involves managing hundreds of timelines that must be coordinated in lockstep. Design-build creates opportunities for the owner to contemplate major decisions, ask questions, get real-time feedback, and make proactive decisions that can impact schedule goals. All key stakeholders are at the table from the beginning of the process. Our team will work to avoid taking unnecessary steps backward, leading to better, faster, and more cost-effective results. Our design-build system is highly adaptive and responsive during the construction phase. Big decisions can be revisited throughout without the added cost and time delays created by change orders due to design oversight or gaps in plans and specifications, often seen in design-bid-build and construction manager-at-risk delivery models. Any issues that may arise between design and construction can be identified early on, and changes can be made collaboratively throughout the process. Cost Savings Inherent to the design-build model is a design-to-budget approach that identifies essential design elements up front rather than reacting downstream and cutting costs from an over-budget design. Along with inherent cost savings, the project is completed more efficiently. Even when scope growth occurs and inevitable design changes are made along the way, the single and integrated team is naturally in a better position to respond quickly and efficiently. Homeowners can rest assured knowing their projects will be completed in a timely fashion, but most importantly, within their target budget.