About Design Loft: 50 Years of Building What Actually Works
A Legacy of Listening
Design Loft wasn’t built on marketing. It was built on conversations.
My father started the firm in 1964. No grand strategy—just sitting across from people, figuring out what they were trying to build, and making it real. I grew up in those rooms. Before I knew how to draw, I knew how to listen.
By my early teens, I was drafting. By 1988, we were working side by side as partners. That lasted decades—right up until he passed last year.
Fifty years in, I’ve watched styles cycle through trends and fade out again. The work hasn’t changed. Listen carefully. Solve the problem. Deliver something that can actually be built.
Where Others Stall, We Move
The projects that land here usually come with baggage.
Difficult sites. Restrictive HOAs. Plans that have already been rejected. Constraints that make most designers walk away.
That’s the work I take on.
Sometimes it’s complex—a home with a full indoor tennis court, or fitting a volleyball court beneath a garage. Sometimes it’s smaller but just as important—an addition that finally fixes how a house lives day to day.
Scale doesn’t matter. Solving it does.
Straight Talk: “Build the Box First”
Most projects go sideways because people start with the dream and ignore the constraints.
I don’t.
We start by defining the box:
- What the site allows
- What the rules permit
- What the budget can actually support
Only then do we design inside it.
There’s no perfect house. Every project is a series of trade-offs. My job is to make those trade-offs clear early—before time and money get wasted.
If something won’t work, I’ll tell you. That honesty is what gets projects finished.
A Process That Holds Up in the Field
Plans aren’t just for permits. They’re instructions.
If a contractor has to guess, the design failed.
The goal is simple: when the plans leave here, they’re clear enough to build from without confusion, rework, or constant back-and-forth.
That only happens when the process is deliberate and collaborative from the start.
What Clients Actually Say
The same words come up again and again: knowledgeable, dependable, professional.
But the one that matters is this: he listens.
That’s the difference. Not just designing something that looks right—but something that fits how people actually live.
Led by Scott, a straight-shooter known for his honesty, sense of humor, and calm presence, we’re here to make what can be a stressful process feel approachable and even fun. We specialize in creative problem-solving, especially in complex projects where others see roadblocks. Aging in place? Tricky lot? Confusing permitting? We’ve got you covered.
Today’s housing landscape is more complex than ever, with evolving codes, regulations, and financing requirements. We guide you through it all, offering real-time, practical advice on timelines, budgets, and what to expect every step of the way. You’ll always get the truth from us—no sugarcoating, just thoughtful design paired with total transparency.
At Design Loft, we don’t just design homes—we design solutions that make your life easier and your space more meaningful.