Bakken Design Build

When we decided to add a level our 1922 home, we spoke with several design/build firms in Seattle. Joel was the only one that brought a vision with him on what our house could become. We chose Bakken to do the job because they understood how to do a major addition while maintaining the original character. We iterated several times on the design, and we liked the way that Joel incorporated our feedback and made the design feel like our own. When we got to the end of the design phase, Joel put together a comprehensive cost estimate, including notes on areas that were uncertain. Joel was transparent with costs along the way and gave thorough notes whenever there was deviation from the original budget. There are always surprises in major projects like these, and we were happy with how the cost was managed to stay within 10% margin on the budget. Although Bakken is a small firm, they have great relationships with the contractors they work with. Joel managed the schedule well and completed the project on time. We were very happy with how the project turned out and would recommend Bakken Design Build for a home remodel project.

Joel was fantastic to work with for our new construction 2-story garage/DADU project. During the design process he did a great job listening to what we wanted and using his expertise to show us what might work best. He was responsive and thoughtful through both the design and build processes. Our construction completed on time, despite the 2021 COVID supply chain disruptions. Joel had outstanding subs who took pride in their work! Our space is beautiful and functional, and we would do it over again with Bakken Design Build!

We used Bakken Design Build for an addition to our 1920's bungalow. I would absolutely recommend Bakken Design Build - from Design through Build. Easy to work with, honest, responsive - listens and provides solutions that are best for the homeowner. Our project was fairly extensive: for context, we added on to the back of the house a two story addition: the top floor was a new family room w/ vaulted ceilings, lots of windows and a deck. The bottom was a new bedroom and bath with a small patio area. Bakken did an amazing job listening to our requirements and designing an addition that blended seamlessly and beautifully with the original bungalow. We really wanted to be sure that the project didn't feel like an awkward addition - and that it blended a more open & light filled new space (vaulted ceilings, windows everywhere) with an existing smaller space. It was a fairly complex project as we are located in an ECA zone (being on a hill) and he and his team navigated the complexities to ensure we met all the requirements of the city (including dig out, pilings, landscaping requirements, etc.). In addition, we didn't want to move out of the house during construction - and Joel came up with creative ways to allow us to stay in the house (zipper walls, plywood barriers, creative replacement of stairs), saving significant expense and headache for us. Joel also created a budget tracker that he worked with us - so that we always knew where we were in the project and how much we had left to go. He was respectful of our budget - and we discussed in advance any overages that might occur. We couldn't be happier with our new addition and really enjoyed working with Joel!! It truly is a beautiful space that blends so nicely with the original house. And it's extremely well built.

We worked with Bakken Design Build on a gut renovation of our 100 year old Capitol Hill home. Joel did a wonderful job understanding our priorities and aesthetic from the beginning of the planning process all the way through construction, and we are thrilled with our home. He is easy going, receptive to feedback, has high standards for himself and his subcontractors and is a person of real integrity. We had a set budget, and he was conscious of this throughout, helping us to understand the tradeoffs of different choices we made along the way and ultimately staying on budget and on time, which was an incredible feat for a project that broke ground 3 weeks prior to the pandemic. When setbacks and complications arose, Joel was direct and honest with us, and took responsibility for coming to a quick and fair resolution. We can't recommend him highly enough.

Bakken Design Build did an amazing job with our full house remodel. From design to project management through completion Joel was fantastic. We would recommend without reservation.

We hired Bakken Design Build for a complete remodel of our 1910 Craftsman home in Wallingford. The goal was to convert a traditional craftsman second story into a fully functional second floor with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an office nook, create a wrap around staircase in a central location, and open up the main floor. We met two architects prior to Joel that told us it could not be done. Joel was amazing to work with from start to finish. He has a positive “can do” attitude, is easy to work with, and listened to our ideas in creating his design. His ultimate design was beautiful, light-filled, functional, and maintained the 1910 style with a more modern feel. We could not be happier with the end result. The subcontractors that he works with were equally kind and easy to work with. When unforeseen problems arose, as occurs in all complex remodels, Joel was easy to communicate with and responded quickly with new ideas. He presented budget conscious solutions that did not detract from his high esthetic standards. We highly recommend Joel Bakken and his team.

Bakken helped us with an extensive design/build project. It involved work by both Bakken employees and subcontractors. The work was excellent. When there were issues, Bakken was extremely responsive and came up with solutions. We've worked with a lot of architects and contractors. This was an excellent experience.

Bakken Design Build worked some serious magic transforming a master bathroom that had difficult space planning issues due to previous poor design. Their solutions exceeded our hopes both aesthetically and functionally in our old art deco era home. We couldn't be happier. Plus they are just very decent people! Issues always arise during remodels but BDB was always fair and easy to work with. The construction quality and attention to detail are superb.

Bakken Design Build is currently doing a complete contemporary remodel of our 1909 house. They were easy to work with through the design process; they listened to what we wanted, offered interesting ideas, and took the time to answer all our questions. As demolition revealed some surprises about the construction of the house, the Bakken team helped us understand our options and work out solutions that fit our budget. Construction in progress now; we're excited to see the results!

Working with Bakken Design Build has been a fascinating creative process. While that may be an easy statement to make on a small or short project, we’ve been working with the team on and off for the last 3 years on a variety of projects. Our1909 custom home in Capitol Hill has what most call ‘great bones’ but had a fair amount of deferred maintenance, was missing some key components and was in dire need of being brought gracefully into the 21st century. When we interviewed Joel, we knew immediately he would be our architect – he was thoughtful, clear, creative, insightful, and detailed in his communication. Our project has included a complete kitchen remodel, updating old bathrooms (that had been splattered with avocado tile some time in the 70’s), and the addition of a brand new bathroom on a floor that had no existing running water, the addition of a new concrete deck, and remodel of another deck and a front porch that is our summertime favorite room in the house. From remodeling outdated spaces to creating brand new ones, Joel’s design process is transparent and he is open to co-creation, working with us as equals as well as graciously incorporating other professionals as needed. We are exacting clients, and had a lot of questions; and we’re new to big remodel projects. Joel was available when we needed to meet, and made the entire process a pleasure. The team at Bakken Design Build includes an in house team of professionals as well as a flexible set of specific tradesmen that are brought in as necessary. For us this means there is a regular teaam on site daily, and we also have access to a radiator repairman via BDB, but we’re not paying to keep him on payroll. These relationships are a huge plus. We would hire this team again in a minute.

We hired Joel to design plans for a first floor complete remodel of our 1920s Tudor in NE Seattle. The project included extending an exterior wall and removing load bearing walls to open up the living spaces and reconfigure additional spaces, which included a new kitchen, family room, powder room, relocated mud room, and we also added a master on the main floor. Joel came up with three amazing options ranging in level of cost/scope. We went with the most involved project, which turned out amazing. Our new design has made us fall in love with our home! The open floor plan allows for wonderful entertaining and quality family time. Joel's designs were creative, yet functional. His vision of our home's potential was perfect. We have already hired him again to work on designs for an upstairs remodel and would not hesitate to hire him again and again for all future design needs.

We hired Joel for a complete remodel of of the first floor of our home. This included removal of walls, ceilings, and flooring. Joel redesigned the layout to create to an open floor plan that we love. Joel paid close attention to details that were important to us and added his own ideas to make the overall look even more sophisticated. The kitchen and bathroom are both modern yet rustic, just like we wanted. Of note is a beautiful bar top and shelves made from recycled wood. Joel and his crew were easy to work with, respectful of our space and time, and had excellent at communication. They also welcomed us working alongside them, when appropriate, to bring our costs down. While we went over-budget, the improvements made were necessary and will add to the value of our home. We would highly recommend working with Joel and his team.

We hired Bakken Design Build for a full remodel of our Craftsman style house. From the first meeting through completion Joel and his team were great. They were easy to work with, courteous and all around professional. The project was completed on time and budget as well. Our project included replacing old lathe and plaster walls, updating electrical and plumbing and design and build of a new entry, kitchen, deck and master suite with bath and walk in closet. The designs matched the style of the house, while bringing in modern touches and conveniences. The team paid attention to the details and everything met our expectations. We highly recommend working with Bakken Design Build and would hire them again for any design or remodel work.

Excellent experience working with Joel and his entire Team - would highly recommend. Joel was great about communicating next steps and keeping us informed throughout the project. We appreciated Joel's recommendations along the way too. All the sub-contractors were respectful and considerate of being in our space and even planned their lunch around our son's napping schedule. We are so pleased with how everything turned out and have already referred Joel to several of our friends.

Bakken Design completed a beautiful basement remodel of our 1908 craftsman home, which included bumping out the west side of our house (main floor and basement) and a complete remodel of our master bath and bedroom on the main floor. Bakken Design conceptualized the project, which included design and overcoming challenges such as low ceilings, a wonky footprint, old plumbing, existing posts, etc. with creative solutions, such as wrapping around engineered floor joists to create 'height,' versus a traditional ceiling, and removed posts by adding structural beams to add additional space. Most impressively, they created a bathroom in the basement complete with jetted tub and heated tile flooring, providing access via two adjoining rooms with pocket doors. In addition to the high quality work and timeliness, Bakken Design's team put our needs first, communicated positively and constantly throughout the project, and did an amazing job which exceeded our expectations.

Bakken Design Build is fabulous to work with. We have completed three projects using Bakken Design Build and are just starting a fourth. The integrity of this company is higher then any other contractors we have used in years past. Joel Bakken and his crew are top notch and pay attention to the details. Our first project involved replacing the single pane windows in our 1923 house. The work was impeccable. They custom milled the inside trim to match the existing trim elsewhere in the house - just an example of the attention to detail. Rebuilding our garaging and building an attached art studio onto the garage was our third project which unbelievably integrated seamlessly onto our property and with the existing house. The result is stunning and exceeded our expectations. Joel Bakken listens to our ideas and communicates well. I highly recommend Bakken Design Build.

I worked with Bakken Design Build to build a new three-story (attic on the top floor) home and garage from an existing foundation (garage has new foundation poured). The owner, Joel, was insightful during the planning and design phases, taking the time to meet me and discuss any questions or requests I had. He had great ideas and was able to plan well, also having given advice on living areas that I would not have thought about. During construction, the Bakken Design Build staff were very friendly and helpful. There were no problems with me stopping by the project site to asking questions or just checking out the work. Design or material choices were always offered with dollar amounts, preventing surprises. Overall, this company was a pleasure to work with, taking the project from start to completion. I've been living in the home for several months now, and it's a lovely place to be. The design aesthetics often get complements from passerby's and neighbors.