“It has been a great privilege to work with Nicholas Preston on designing our single family resident home. Preston is keenly attuned to the desires and needs of his clients, has high standards for the work he delivers, and executed our project within various tight constraints. When we first met over a zoom call, we were glad to find someone who spent considerable amount of time learning about our goals and desires for the project. We were also pleasantly surprised with the speed at which Nicholas iterates on design elements. Nicholas demonstrated his depth of experience and professionalism when dealing with an ever expanding list of constraints that were imposed on the design. We had a small lot, there were strict zoning restrictions from the town, and to top it all up, Nicholas had to work with a shallow water table, which was especially difficult since we wanted a basement with relatively high ceiling. Through all of this, Nicholas was patient and paid strong attention to detail so we could achieve all of our goals while also being within safe limits of all the zoning restrictions. Nicholas is extremely responsive and manages to prioritize working with his clients that are facing some emergent deadline. This was the case with us when we needed to urgently submit an order for our windows to avoid unanticipated price increase. Nicholas spent several days working with us to produce multiple iterations when we were initially over budget for the windows. He did additional research on the specs from the window manufacturer we intended to order windows from to ensure there were no mistakes with the order. Thanks to help from Nicholas, we were able to submit the order on time and avoid additional expenses from the upcoming price increase. Nicholas also came through for us when we needed to apply for a special permit. Not only did he guide us on the need for a special permit, he also did an excellent job in filling the form on our behalf. He followed through all the details to ensure we wouldn’t have any issues during the hearing. Thanks to Nicholas our special permit application was approved. Last but not least, we would like to point out that Nicholas is ready to work beyond his comfort zone to ensure his clients would get the design they love. In our case, we wanted some elements that were outside of Nicholas’s preferred style, yet he stayed open-minded throughout to process to accommodate all of our desires.”
— Kesiena Owho-Ovuakporie
“Nicholas was great at walking me through the various options that might work, but also take on board my requests and needs. I enjoyed going through the details and being able to make specific plans that were documented clearly on the plans. It was a fun process and I’m delighted with the final design. Thank you!”
— Richard Goring
“We’ve had a delightful experience working with Nicholas on our home renovation project. We had some specific parameters for our project (no new foundation, deck off kitchen and powder room addition within a fairly small square footage) and Nicholas helped us find a great solution that allows us to achieve our goals while staying within the existing footprint of our home. We met with Nicholas a couple of times in person when he measured our home, but most of our discussions and work together happened on Zoom, which made scheduling easier for us all. It was so helpful to be able to see him think as he worked and witness his creative process. It helped expand our understanding of what might be possible and we were able to see various iterations in real time. Nicholas is approachable and open to all ideas, he is skillful and has excellent technical skills relating to current software offerings in the architectural world. He is timely, efficient and a great communicator. We are planning to start our project next Spring and will continue to work with Nicholas along the way. I would highly recommend him!”
— Vanessa Mayer
“My wife and I had the idea to spruce up our front entryway with a portico roof. Our initial thought was a simple pillar approach but we quickly realized that our existing brick steps were too narrow. Nicholas came over to see the entryway in person and take measurements. But he also spent some time listening to our ideas, asking us questions and offering some suggestions based on his experience. Within just a few days, Nicholas sent us two fantastic designs. The first option included widening the brick steps and using columns. The other option, which allowed us to keep our existing steps, utilized custom brackets instead of columns. For both options, Nicholas clearly listened to what we wanted and provided designs that perfectly reflected our style and personality.”
— Ron Bilodeau
“It is a rare combination to find a partner in architectural design who is cognizant of budget, receptive of feedback, fast, and most importantly, extraordinarily talented. We have found that partner in Nicholas Preston, and confidently refer him out to our clients regularly.”
— Nick & Niki Vercollone, Highline Construction
“Upon recommendation, we reached out to Nicholas Preston for a consultation regarding our home remodel in Lexington, MA. From the very outset, we knew Nicholas would be a good match for our project as he presented with a positive, professional attitude and engaged enthusiasm. Because Nicholas was very astute and understanding of our needs and vision, he was able to offer innovative designs that were clever, practical, and beautiful. In the course of the entire project, Nicholas was flexible, attending to any necessary edits and monitoring the building process with reference to the original plans. We are thrilled with our new spacious and contemporary, yet cosy home and we have Preston Design to thank for that. We wholeheartedly recommend Nicholas Preston as an architect as he is knowledgeable, committed, and forward-thinking.”
— Anna Angelova
“My wife and I dreamed of redesigning our first floor into an open concept and new kitchen. Around 2 years ago, we hired an architect who came highly recommended. While she was very passionate about her work, she seemed unwilling to incorporate our ideas with hers. We decided to cut our losses and look for someone else to work with. That’s when we met Nicholas. At our first meeting he listened to our thoughts (wishes and necessities). At our next meeting, when he presented us with a preliminary draft, it was everything we wanted and more. After just a few tweaks here and there, we were ready to go forward. We are now living in our dream home. In any construction project there are ups and downs - working with Nicholas was one of the high points.”
— Patrick Nuzzi
“Nicholas Preston is a dependable, capable and knowledgeable designer. We planned on renovating our house to our dream home for several years. We honestly had no clue if we could pull it off. We first met with Nicholas to develop the preliminary design to determine if our ideas would even work. Nicholas was able to put all of our ideas on paper. He is very professional and took all of our ideas and made it happen. He was able to use his architectural and structural knowledge and experience to make all of our ideas work. The preliminary design lead to a construction contract and we are nearly half way through the project. We spent extra time developing our windows, doors, and electrical plans with Nicholas, and it is paying off now. The accurate detail that Nicholas included in the design led to a smooth timely construction schedule. It is truly amazing to see our house come to life as Nicholas designed. We highly recommend Nicholas to design your project.”
— James Maravelias
“Been working with Nicholas for the past couple years on two small renovation projects in my home in Belmont, MA. The first was a renovation of the front 3 season sunroom to a 4-season living space, and the other a small breezeway at the rear of the house to the garage. Nicholas provided numerous design layouts and options for both projects all of which were exactly what I was looking for. What I soon realized was Nicholas listened to exactly my wants and needs for the space and put it to design drawings that were easily buildable for Contractors and to provide a detailed price, and drawings that were fully acceptable to the Town’s Engineer’s Office for permitting. In addition, Nicholas provided construction cost estimates that were relatively accurate for the region and consistent with Contractor’s quotes. All of this for a very reasonable design fee. If you are looking for an Architect to design your custom home project or renovations to your existing home in this area, Nicholas provides the quality and details that can’t be beat, and I would Strongly recommend PRESTON DESIGN INC for your home project.”
— Jay Perkins
“I had previously worked with another architect for my home renovation project who did not listen to my needs or respect my budget. I was left with a set of plans that I could not use. Hearing my frustrations, a contractor referred me to Nicholas. The two experiences were night and day. Nicholas listened to my needs, respected the house’s historic bones and his design balanced today’s living styles within an antique structure. Aside from his design talents, I valued his communication skills the most. I am a detail oriented person. Nicholas answered all my questions and listened when I felt things needed to be tweaked. He worked with me to include a special built in area for my dog, that has become a conversation piece for most visitors and made the first floor not just a house but a home. I’m grateful my path’s crossed with Preston Design Inc. Thank you Nicholas.”
— Heidi S.
“Nicholas was fantastic to work with, and we highly recommend him if you are looking for a designer. We worked with Nicholas for the design of a new single-family home in Somerville, MA. The design aesthetic we wanted to aim for was “Modern Victorian”. Nicholas got to work straight away, finding comparable homes to our design style and identifying what features we liked about them. Once started, his design process was very intuitive, often meeting with both of us via video chat to make edits live so we could discuss the changes. His ability to change design elements on the fly was very convenient to quickly test out new ideas. His suggestions were always made with deep knowledge in terms of optimizing lighting, layouts, and room features (such as door types and built-in features). We worked through nearly 30 different designs with him, especially as we were undergoing regular meetings with the city zoning committee in parallel. Nicholas took time to read and to understand the city zoning restrictions so we could go into those meetings more confidently. Beyond his design work, Nicholas is very well-connected in the industry and had great recommendations for other services like water table measurements and civil engineering. He even had suggestions for windows, siding, and landscape design. His knowledge made us feel confident we were making the right choices along the way. Our primary mode of communication was a WhatsApps group, and Nicholas was always very quick to respond to ideas and suggestions we shared in it. His goal is always to make sure you’re happy with the final design, no matter how many changes. He was always very professional, responsive, and considerate. He has a great memory for what features we liked and didn’t like and did like, which showed the extent of personalization he puts into each of his designs. Don’t hesitate if you’re talking to Nicholas– he will ensure you end up with something you love.”
— Nicole Black and Michael Pettit
“We retained Preston Design to work with us on the renovation and expansion of our antique house. His experience with historic houses and detailing made him a good fit for our project and he was highly recommended by our GC. Nicholas was easy to work with, listened well and presented creative solutions. He easily solved a roofline issue that other architects had struggled to resolve. We liked his willingness to listen to our suggestions and incorporate into his design. He worked really well with the GC to review and resolve any site conditions that were encountered. We always felt like he was our advocate on the project. His cost was very reasonable in our opinion and more than worth it. We were extremely pleased with the process, quality of work, attention to detail and the final project. We were so pleased we have referred him to several other friends and neighbors.”
— Suzanne Leblanc
“We purchased our home in December of 2020 and met Nicholas Preston shortly afterward through a contractor’s referral. Our project included the design of a new master bathroom and laundry. Renovation of a kitchen, half bath, and family room, as well as finishing our basement with a playroom, office, and gym area. Nicholas was extremely professional and responsive throughout the project and collaborated well with all contractors and engineers. He communicated effectively and consistently for all questions and needs and followed up regularly. Nicholas also completed the design in a very timely manner and made any adjustments as needed. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Nicholas and we would highly recommend him to anyone looking to remodel or redesign their home.”
— Michael Losche
“Nicholas is a talented architect and has been a pleasure to work with. We engaged Nicholas (who came highly recommended by our builder) to help us plan out a kitchen/family room expansion, as well as capturing space above our garage for use as a play space for our kids. Nicholas is creative, collaborative, and has an impeccable attention to detail. He is able to perfectly balance my ideas while keeping our budget in mind. We can’t wait to see Nicholas’ plans come to life!”
— Eiffat Karp
“Nicholas came highly recommended to us and now we know why! We had this crazy idea to do an entire home renovation down to the studs, with zero construction or renovation knowledge. But once we met Nicholas, we knew right away that he was our guy. He is professional, knowledgeable, has a great personality and it was evident upon meeting him that he had a passion for design and keen eye for detail. Throughout the design process, he listened to our wants, needs and crazy ideas, and was able to bring our vision to life and designed an absolutely beautiful home that is perfect for our family! His thoughtful approach and attention to detail helped to make the process seamless and less stressful. We had an absolute blast working with him throughout the design and planning process and would highly recommend him moving forward.”
— Jon & Jess LaRoche
“From our initial meeting with Nicholas, he took the time to listen to our vision and needs for our home design. Not knowing how to convey our ideas properly, Nicholas asked the right questions and shared an array of ideas to accurately capture the aesthetic we were looking for in our home. Nicholas brings an unparalleled skillset with his architecture and design skills. He patiently guided us through the entire process from concept down to the smallest details in our finalized blueprint. Whenever we had questions or new ideas we wanted to incorporate, Nicholas immediately set-up time for us to discuss. Designing your dream home is stressful within itself, however, Nicholas effortlessly took that away and created an atmosphere where the design process was enjoyable and exciting. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Nicholas, and we could not recommend him more!”
— Sandra Hurwitz
“Nicholas works as the architect for our design/build team for a fixer upper Cape house we purchased in Westwood, MA. We knocked down half of the existing house and did a complete redesign on the interior and exterior. Nicholas brought to life the vision and potential that we saw in this house when we bought it while keeping the original Cape-style look that we loved. His attention to detail is what we like most about working with Nicholas. He leaves no stone unturned and has an eye for detail. He has been available during this pandemic to meet with us virtually on demand. We have had lots of questions and change requests throughout the design/rebuild process and Nicholas seamlessly works with our builder to incorporate those questions and ideas into the project. I would recommend him to anyone looking for quality work from an imaginative and passionate architect.”
— Dean A. Sandonato
“Nicholas designed an addition to my house that will be used as a game room/man cave. The room has a bar that he also designed, a half bath and storage closet. Communication w/ Nicholas was a breeze and he somehow always seemed available to answer any questions I had for him. His use of technology to give you an idea of your project is incredible! He really listens and always has good input. Nicholas pays attention to the details and really made my project pop. I didn’t realize how much potential my addition had until Nicholas designed it for me!”
— Mathew Mrachek
“The Brockton Portuguese SDA Church, of which I am the Pastor, was looking for an affordable, reliable and competent design company to restructure a new church building we had just bought and needed some remodeling. Preston Design, Inc. delivered much more than we had ever imagined. After submitting his drawings, Nicholas Preston answered all the questions made by the church board and was on top of every detail throughout the project. The building now looks fresh, very attractive and comfortable. Our congregation presently comprises of 315 members and we are confident that it will double in a matter of months. Without exception, our entire Church Board and all our members are extremely happy and satisfied with the accomplishment of Preston Design, Inc. We wholeheartedly recommend Preston Design, Inc. to everyone looking for good taste, reliability and affordability on a project.”
— Marcos D. Seifert – Pastor of Brockton Portuguese SDA Church
“My project was a small addition on a bungalow home. This addition also included relocating the kitchen, guest bedroom and addition of a bathroom. I was referred to Nicholas Preston by a structural engineer. I started initial conceptual design with two different designers and decided to go with Nicholas as I found he did a much better job of listening to me. Nicholas understood and designed the project within my budget constraints. His knowledge of construction requirements as well as general building code information was extremely helpful during the design process. He made many suggestions during the process and kept the process moving forward. From the initial design meeting and throughout the process, he listened. I had worked with other designers that did not do a very good job of listening. Nicholas also possesses strong skills with his design software and was able to provide real-time adjustments during our design meetings. Nicholas was attentive and continued to provide great service throughout the process.”