Testimonials
David Platt
Higganum, CT
Joe Campanella from Design Alliance helped my wife and me design an innovative addition to our home in Higganum, Connecticut. The challenges to this project were not inconsiderable. First, my wife and I had no previous experience with home design. Second, our house is a mix of old and new styles. Finally, the addition involved adding a second story to our previously single story home, and doing so in a manner that melded numerous different roof lines.
Joe helped us negotiate through a myriad of ideas and options, gave practical advice that helped us to make decisions, and assisted in steering the project through the construction phase. In short, Design Alliance provided the type of design services that we were looking for, did so with just the right touch, and performed these services in a cost efficient manner.”
Probably one of the smartest things we did in planning our recent home renovation was to hire Joe Campanella of Design Alliance. After an initial meeting with Joe to discuss what we had in mind, Joe came back to us with three designs -- any of which we could have proceeded with and been happy. We ended up with a plan that worked best for us and our budget. Joe even helped us to get a rough cost estimate from a contractor before making our final decision as to which plan we would ultimately select. Having specific plans helped us to obtain several bids from local contractors. Everyone who bid on the job commented on the quality of the plans that we provided. We ultimately selected a contractor with whom Joe had worked before. That also proved to be a very positive experience.
During the actual renovation, Joe checked in frequently to make sure that all was going according to plan or to review any necessary changes to the original plan. I believe that having the professional plans and Joe's oversight during the construction process ultimately saved us from costly mistakes in the end.
We could not be happier with the end result! ”
Susan Dunn
West Hartford, CT
Nancy Bryant
President,
Lox Stock & Bagels, Inc.,
West Hartford, CT
We have worked with Design Alliance on two of our stores and we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. We are presently working with Joe Campanella on a design for our next location, in Bloomfield. The insight for function as well as aesthetics that Joe offers in his planning and design are extremely helpful. He has a clear understanding of what the client wants and needs, as well as what contractors and engineers are capable of. It is a pleasure to work with Design Alliance.
From beginning to end, Joe is involved in all aspects of demo, construction, design and implementation. Our customers have expressed their pleasure with our stores. They love the set- up and design and comfort that the space allows. When my employees and my customers are happy, I’m happy. Thank you, Design Alliance!”
We recently had Joe Campanella design an addition to our home. In addition to designing the space, he put us in touch with a builder, and helped to oversee the construction, helping to preserve our vision despite the problems that always crop up during construction. From the beginning we were impressed with how well Joe thought out every detail of the project. Our existing furniture dimensions were built in to the space, so traffic would flow easily and naturally. He even designed the addition to accommodate standard lumber sizes to cut down on wasted materials. We have had several comments from friends that our new addition seems like it was always a part of our home. The scale and flow make it a natural extension of the old space. Joe's creativity and attention to detail were an essential part of our project. He gave us an expansion of our home, not just a box tacked on to the back of our house.”
Pete & Ann Visgilio
West Hartford, CT
George Gurney
West Hartford, CT
Joseph Campanella, Design Alliance, LLC, designed and managed the construction of an addition to our 1955-built Colonial style house located at 75 Brainard Road, West Hartford in 2001.
The addition included a mud room, a cedar deck with direct access to the kitchen, a second story laundry room and a bathroom and bedroom over the garage. A total of 650 square feet of space was added.
Joe’s design included six detailed sheets covering everything from millwork and windows to door schedules. The result was an addition that was constructed on-time and within budget. Details included elaborate millwork in the second story bedroom and mud room. Many of the floors included an antique quarter-sawn yellow pine. Joe designed the cedar deck to wrap around a mature beech tree. A structural engineer incorporated a steel ridge beam in the garage to insure stability to the second story rooms.
Joe was available throughout the project and insured quality construction and materials during each phase of the construction. We are pleased in the way the addition complements the original design of the house. The addition adds visual interest to our home yet, at the same time, is extremely functional inside and out. Joe’s work is truly artistic, practical and comfortable to live in. I do not hesitate to recommend Joe for additional architectural work.”
The work Joe Campanella has done for us over the past few years has always been of the highest quality, reflecting his talent, industry, and attention to detail. Beginning with the design of a kitchen to be installed in our old Cape Cod cottage, to the complete remodeling of the cottage into a large, comfortable and very functional four-bedroom house, Joe’s architectural work was excellent and his engineering meticulous. We were particularly grateful for his collaborative approach, which enabled us to work with our ideas as well as his suggestions.
We enjoy the results. In addition to the beauty and comfort of the renovations, the joining of the old and new was designed so well that both interior and exterior look and feel just right. The design Joe presented us with blends into the land and after landscaping was finished the house looks as it if belongs to the site.
It was a pleasure to work with Joe, who always responded quickly to phone calls and who met with us many times to discuss the plans and the changes we had requested. He completed his work in a timely manner and we were able to begin the construction at the right time for the contractor and weather conditions. We both felt that our experience with Joe was enjoyable and well worth the fee. Of particular importance was the trust we felt for Joe’s judgments and recommendations.”
Barbara & Jim Garvey
Springfield, MA
June & Henry Krisch
Storrs, CT
We began with definite ideas about improvements we wished to make in our living space. As we were basically ignorant about what would be feasible in structural terms and, more importantly, what overall design would meet our needs in an aesthetically pleasing, financially reasonable, and structurally practical way, we consulted with Mr. Joseph Campanella (Design Alliance, LLC). He has worked with us on all these aspects of our design and construction project. He listened patiently to our concerns, answered a multitude of informed and uninformed questions, and suggested sources of materials such as wood and granite.
Once these preliminaries were out of the way, he drew up plans translating our somewhat inchoate desires into a practical and appealing design. It was important to us that while Joe presented, explained, and sometimes argued for his ideas, he also listened carefully to our desires and concerns, and in the end he adjusted the design to suit our particular needs and wishes. As the project continues [to the construction phase], Joe will continue to help us and shepherd this project to completion. He has been – and will continue to be – a valuable advisor and facilitator. We are pleased with his work and gladly recommend him to others.”
Kingsbrook Development Corporation has consulted with Joe Campanella of Design Alliance, LLC on a number of successful medical office additions/renovation projects in recent years. Joe has proven over and over his commitment to good design, good service, and good results. I have found him to be extremely responsive to my requests for creative, effective solutions to design challenges and just as responsive to my desire to manage construction costs effectively.
Joe has been invaluable on projects that require extra coordination with zoning, fire and building officials. At a time when larger architectural and interior design firms are finding it hard to respond quickly to contractor and owner requests, Design Alliance and Joe Campanella stand out. I believe Joe bends over backwards to provide design services and customer support that contractors and most clients, myself included, feel we deserve.”
David Seymour
President,
Kingsbrook Development Corporation