We have had the immense good fortune, during the past two years, of having had the benefit of the architectural and design services of Efraim and Jessica Wichmann of Zeitgeist Sonoma in connection with the renovation of our home near Healdsburg, California. The work is now complete, and it is time to reflect upon and recognise their immense contribution to a project which was daunting for us at the outset, but which allowed us to remain relaxed and untroubled during its execution and has thrilled us with its outcome. When we first met Efraim and Jessica: (a) we had had no previous experience of a design project of anything approaching the size or complexity of what we were proposing to them; (b) we knew what we disliked about the house as was and had an overall sense of what we wanted to achieve, but (c) we had no idea how to achieve it. Also, the project’s execution was one over which we would not be able to exercise any day-to-day control, as we would be living over 5,000 miles away, in London.
Choosing the right architect, who could both design and supervise brilliantly, was therefore of fundamental importance to us.
It was immediately obvious to us that Zeitgeist fitted the bill perfectly. They listened, they interrogated and they offered clear suggestions, choices and explanations – all with a mix of quiet professionalism and personal warmth. Most tellingly, perhaps, they spent time finding out from us our likes and dislikes, in order that they might identify a design concept and overall aesthetic which would appeal. They also communicated to us a firm commitment to doing what was needed to deliver the project as designed on budget and on time. In short, they gave us the confidence to proceed. An additional positive of retaining Zeitgeist, which only became apparent to us over time, was being able to call upon an unexpectedly broad range of skills, thanks to the complementary talents of its two principals. Efraim offered (quite superbly) what we perceived as essentially mainstream architectural services, while Jessica proved to be an outstanding interior designer with considerable organisational strengths in addition. Each respected the other’s strengths and limited the scope of his/her advice and endeavour accordingly.
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A combination of prudent pre-planning (insisted upon by Jessica) and the use of the right contractors (recommended to us by Zeitgeist, who also monitored their performance throughout in our absence), resulted in a perfectly executed project completed on time and (bar one unforeseeable additional cost) on budget. Their evident relief and joy at our response on seeing the completed project demonstrated yet another key positive in retaining Zeitgeist – they really cared about us as their clients, and about our level of satisfaction in what they had done.
Efraim and Jessica turned a tired Tuscan house into our magnificent modern Mediterranean home.
Thank you, Zeitgeist!
Ian and Beth | Arroyo Seco
