Charles C. Almonte, AIA ASID

I cannot offer high enough praise for Charles Almonte and the advice and organization that he has provided for the interior design and furnishing of our new home. The spaces in question were difficult--hardly a right angle in residence--and the character of the home was also ambiguous: a renovated, modern interior in a historic Dupont Circle building. Charles squared all of these circles with great skill. He was willing to work with us room by room, creating a look that matched our preferences and style of living as well as our budget. He has excellent taste, great contacts throughout the D. C. area (from upholsterers to furniture dealers), and, perhaps most important, a willingness to listen and discuss our preferences weighed against the available options. We would turn to him again without hesitation (and probably will).

Charles proved interior design consulting for out kitchen and dining room rem ode. Charles was great to work with - he was very open to our ideas and also diplomatic about expressing his own ideas. There were so many decisions to make, but we felt confident in Charles' design aesthetic which took a lot of the pressure off. We ended up with a gorgeous kitchen/dining room and have received many, many complements from guests.

We worked with Charles for the renovation of our first floor, including a kitchen expansion and moving a full bath to a new location. He helped us plan, design, get permits, select our contractor, finalize layouts, identify fixtures and finishes, coordinated with our contractor, and served as an all-around sounding board for the whole process. We also asked him to help us with finalization of the design of our deck, which was an addition to his original scope. Charles was great at laying out all the options, and providing us with guidance, while providing us with the space to make our own choices and decisions. He was available when we had questions and needed advice, and was amazingly responsive and helpful over both email and phone. he helped us stick to our budget and weigh the trade offs that went along with our budget. We wish we had used him for previous work, since his experience has been so valuable. He also worked to coordinate with our taste -- we has some tiles we wanted to use and ideas for colors, and he helped us select additional finishes that tied in together and make our first floor feel like our real home! Once our savings account and our tolerance for construction recovers, we will be calling Charles again for guidance and the added value he provides.

Charles was extremely skillful in helping me refine and execute my design concepts for total renovation of two full baths. His architecture training and eye for design were invaluble to me as a lay person who could imagine what I wanted, but had no clue about how to make it a reality. Working with Charles was very much a collaborative endeavor in which he allowed me to move in the directions I wanted while he tactfully prevented me from making any missteps. I'm looking forward to working with him on my kitchen renovation.

I hired Charles to design my kitchen. He was professional, easy to work with and had excellent ideas. My kitchen is beautiful thanks to Charles.

Charles designed our basement (including full bath) renovation, along with a renovation of a wet bar, powder room and mud room. Charles was really easy to work with -- he is very responsive by both phone and email. He was able to translate my style preferences into his design for our space. He was also mindful of our budget. We are thrilled with the work, so much so that we will be using him again for another project (once we have the funds for it)!

We worked with Charles to renovate our upstairs and to decorate our large living room and dining room. His architectural skill coupled with his design experience was an invaluable combination for us. He was able to provide wonderful design assistance AND provide all the techincal drawings that our contractor needed to get the job done properly. He was responsive and present and willing to work directly with the contractor to sort out the inevitable blips that come up with a project of this size. He was able to respect and work with our taste and helped me choose the most wonderful and whimsical fabrics for our chairs that I never would have chosen myself! Also, Charles is exceedingly plesant and funny which makes him a pleasure to work with. I would hire him again in a heartbeat.

Charles helped design our house. He helped with layout and construction. He then chose colors, finishes, appliances, fixtures and just about everything that goes into a house. I have no idea how he does it but he makes everything compliment each other. From colors to design the place looks amazing. The colors for the paints are spectacular. Everyone who enters our house remarks beautiful our house looks. Charles is so easy to work with as well. He is very efficient. He listens to your needs. He can narrow down choices for you. Or he can choose the best option for you. He also knows how to stay within budget.

Charles is great! He's always responsive, works around our schedules and helps manage our projects so we don't have to. His prices are reasonable and we always feel as though he treats us fairly. Most importantly, his advice has saved us from making a few decisions that we know we would have regretted.

Charles designed an amazing kitchen for us! We had no idea how to get started with our kitchen design. Charles held our hands through the whole process from design through product selection to final implementation. Charles is professional, knowledgeable, flexible and patient. He spent time with us listening to our wants and needs. He created options for us by designing 2 different kitchen layouts which included product ideas. Whenever we ran into an issue he was quick to provide alternative ideas and products.

You would be hard pressed to find an individual that can conceptualize an entire remodeling project like Charles Almonte can. His designs are clever, unpretentious, and truly unique. My company (Denny and Gardner) has been the general contractor for several projects designed and planned by Charles. The final result is always the same, a transformation that far exceeds all expectation. Denny and Gardner Contracting looks forward to working with Charles Almonte for years to come. Brandon Butler. VP Denny and Gardner Contracting

Charles did a great job as designer/architect for our home project which covered five bathrooms, of which three were extensive renovations, one significant upgrade, and one with just a few cosmetic changes. He produced design concepts, then detailed drawings to guide the contractor, and specified and even procured materials, including tiles, fixtures, and other components. At all times, it was a pleasure to deal with him. He is great at finding efficient ways to get through all of the various decisions via email exchange or short meetings. He came to our home or met us at supplier showrooms. He is conscious of budget issues and very responsive to our preferences, while also standing up for good design principles. We would recommend him.