Testimonial for Wendy Holmes

My wife and I purchased a rather dated home in Upper Claremont that required renovation of the kitchen and bathrooms. The use of space was suboptimal and critically, there was no direct access into the house from the garaging.

We appointed Wendy Holmes after meeting with her and being impressed by her vision. Having two young busy children and demanding work schedules, we needed a project manager who would coordinate and supervise the project in totality. We did feel we were taking a risk, given that Wendy is not a qualified architect. This was a massive project that involved new roofing, creating kitchen and living areas in the pre-existing bedrooms, creating 2 new bathrooms as well as a study and 3 bedrooms in what was previously the lounge and living rooms. The entire house was knocked down save the back wall! There was also excavation to create a third garage as well as numerous unexpected issues. All issues were handled professionally by Wendy and definitely reduced the inconvenience one would have incurred had she not been there.

A year later we have no regrets about our decision, enjoying a breathtakingly beautiful house that has been molded and crafted to our needs. There are a few core elements that have impressed us immensely. Wendy is extremely honest, with a no-nonsense, pragmatic and practical approach. Her understanding of the use of space, light, and flow is at least as good and if not better than most architects. She took responsibility for every element of the project from coordinating significant structural and engineering features to the curtains and letterbox cover! There were some complexities included, such as the installation of a lift and a complex IT and security system. This was dealt with without fuss. There is no issue re. passing the buck. Her time management and coordination of a team of subcontractors are excellent.

Her valuable advice on almost every aspect of the final finishes was heeded and jointly we came up with some stunning solutions. We were concerned that we may end up with a house that was more her style than ours…. but our unique vision has been realized.