raves

Stephanie and Brian Cipresse
San Jose, CA

Bess Wiersema and studio3 led the design and construction for our complete remodel and addition. We are thrilled with the results – our home feels like a peaceful getaway yet still fits into our post-WWII suburban neighborhood. Bess managed to fit in more of the things we wanted, and many things we didn’t realize we wanted, than we expected given our constraints. We continue to get compliments on the style, floor plan and general mood of our home – but most importantly it fits the way we live and we can no longer imagine living anywhere else. Bess managed the entire project from initial design discussions through construction and even some interior furnishing selections. Her relationships with the engineering team, city planning department, contractor and everyone else made the whole process easy for us while still getting excellent results. Because she managed the entire project, we avoided the daily conflicts and detail checking that most of our friends and neighbors experience with remodels of similar scope. Bess stands apart from other design professionals because she has that rare combination of exceptional artistic & design visionary and experienced project management professional.

Kim and Scott Tucker
Leawood, KS

I contracted with Studio3 Design in 2002 to design the interiors for my new home construction. The firm worked on all internal design from the ground up including revising original room sizes and shapes to more appropriately reflect my family’s lifestyle. Bess was able to work within a budget and use materials in innovative and creative ways to keep the project on track. One does not always need to buy the most expensive thing to obtain good design and they realize this. Sometimes the most expensive thing is the thing you must have and sometimes it is not. The trick for a good design team is to know when to apply this principle to get the most out of a design budget and Studio3 understands that.
Studio3 was able to work with my builder and his contractors effectively even when many of their contacts with the contractors were long distance.
They are good listeners and I never felt they overruled, or attempted to overrule, any of my decisions. They respected my likes and dislikes and consequently my home is uniquely mine. It reflects the lifestyle and tastes of my family while invoking compliments from everyone who sees it.

Emilie and Gordon Brooks
Burlingame, CA

If we have learned anything over the course of our remodel, it is that when you have the right people, everything falls into place. When the fit is right, the project can flow like silk.
We first contracted with Bess Wiersema and studio3 for help with interior palette and finish choices. We were immediately impressed with Bess’ ability to understand our taste and personal style, and to come up with creative and exciting options. She helped us to define our vision and to make choices that reflected our lifestyle and who we are. She was sensitive to cost and budget considerations, but without sacrificing quality; thus we were able to spend as needed, but not needlessly.
Eventually Bess/studio3 took over as our primary designer and oversaw our project through its entire construction phase—including major, mid-construction structural revisions and design review—through to interior fabric and some furniture choices. Bess worked extremely well with our contractor so that the lines of communication were clear and efficient. She also managed relations with the engineering team and city, helping to avoid unnecessary delays.
There are a lot of talented designers and contractors around, but not everyone has the ability to listen and communicate. Bess and the studio3 team have that ability, which made our experience a happy one. We are thrilled with our home, not only because it is now a beautiful and comfortable space, but because it reflects our tastes, and who we are.

Kim and Jay Fulcher
Corde Valle, San Martin

Studio 3 played a material and significant role in our project. Bess and her team were able to guide us from start to finish with our project; from design, setting and adhering to budget, and managing outside contractors, to establishing an interior design plan that truly reflects who we are. We were thrilled with S3, and will use their services again and again. We highly recommend Bess and her outstanding team.