Our Studio
The Home Building Experience You've Been Looking For
Your home should be built around your life, and so should the experience of creating it. When you partner with Hill & Harbor, you get one dedicated team guiding you through every detail, from feasibility to furniture, leaving little for you to manage.
Own a historic home you actually want to live in.
You bought the house for its character. You should not have to give up light, flow, or a modern kitchen to keep it. We design and build the whole renovation under one roof, so the preservation approvals, the structural work and the finishes are all one team's responsibility. You are never the referee between an architect and a contractor.
What You Keep, What You Gain
Harmonizing Period Charm with Contemporary Living.
When undertaking a historic renovation, the challenge is understanding how to preserve centuries-old architectural heritage while seamlessly integrating the luxurious comforts a modern family requires. Our integrated Rhode Island design-build team ensures new finishes, bespoke cabinetry and contemporary layouts flow naturally alongside preserved period elements.
Historic District Commissions
- Certificate of Appropriateness applications
- Presentation before local HDC boards statewide
- Material and window replacement compliance
- Addition design per Secretary of the Interior's Standards
State & Federal Preservation
- RIHPHC review coordination
- Historic tax credit eligibility guidance
- National Register compliance
- Preservation consultant coordination
Design-Build Execution
- Design aligned with commission requirements before application
- Craftsmanship that protects irreplaceable historic fabric
- Integrated permitting, construction and interiors
- Realistic HDC timelines built into every schedule
The advantage
Why one accountable team changes the outcome.
Decision confidence in complex projects
Our integrated team considers both beauty and buildability in every design decision from the start. When questions arise, solutions come from unified expertise rather than coordination between separate contractors.
Accelerated timelines without compromise
Your completed home in 12 to 14 months, compared to the 2 to 3 years typical when coordinating separate architects and builders. Design and construction phases overlap strategically, eliminating lengthy bidding processes.
True cost transparency
Architectural excellence typically costs 10 to 20 percent of a project budget when hired separately. Our integrated approach delivers the same caliber of design for 3 to 7 percent of your total investment, with fixed-price contracts that eliminate surprise costs.
Complete, move-in ready homes
While traditional builders deliver keys to an empty shell, our full interior design services mean your home is completely furnished and ready for your family's first day. No additional planning or waiting required.
See how a project unfolds.
Four phases carry every project from first conversation to final furnishing.
Selected work
Built by this process.
Questions
Common questions
An integrated design-build studio brings architecture, construction and interior design under one roof. Hill & Harbor considers beauty and buildability in every decision from the start, so solutions come from one team instead of coordination between separate contractors.
Renovations are typically completed in 8 to 10 months. Custom new builds are completed in 12 to 14 months, compared with the 2 to 3 years common when coordinating separate architects and builders.
Yes. More than 100 hours of planning go into every project before construction begins, including engineering, permitting, line-item budgeting and a detailed timeline. That work becomes the foundation for a fixed-price construction contract.
Yes. Full-service interior design, furnishings and styling are part of the studio. Homes are delivered furnished and move-in ready, with one design language from architecture to accessories.
The entire process couldn't have gone any smoother. From our initial meeting to our final walk-through, Hill & Harbor was professional, organized and absolutely true to their word with regard to the timing and cost of the entire project.
Bristol Client
Coastal renovation