Larry Martin, the owner of Martin House Designs, believes that “great design changes lives!” Larry’s journey, as a certified professional building or residential designer, began in 1994 when he first began designing projects on his own home; shortly after, family and friends noticed his exquisite talent for design and began hiring him for their own home projects which, ultimately, led him to create a full-time business out of it.
Growing up, Larry was greatly influenced and inspired by his grandfather, who was also an architect and a set designer for Paramount Studios in the 1940s. To this day, Larry still has a set design blueprint from a Bing Crosby film on his living room wall that is reminiscent of his childhood. Larry’s previous careers in art direction and illustration gave him a unique perspective on designing homes.
Larry stated, “My goal is to create spaces that reflect the aspirations of my clients, and I strive to design homes that are efficient, tactful, and, most importantly, sustainable.”
Services offered by Martin House Designs include schematic design (conceptual floor plans); design development (the refinement of the above concepts); construction documents (measured drawings and general material specifications to be used for construction, bidding, and/or permitting purposes) and construction oversight (as needed).
The scope of the residential design project determines how much time his clients need to commit during the process. Custom homes require more attention for a longer period of time than additions and remodels. Larry explains the steps of the design process as beginning with a consultation. Which is usually held at the site of the project, where he and the client discuss significant objectives of the desired home design project. Then, Larry takes some time to think about the project as a whole before submitting a proposal to his client. The proposal outlines objectives, necessary drawings, and design fees. Next, he explores schematic conceptual designs that he shares with his client. Once his client has chosen their desired design, Larry completes the final documents necessary for construction bidding and permitting (if needed). Then, Larry and his client meet with a general contractor, who either the client chooses or Larry recommends, in regards to the client’s project requirements. Larry works in Auto CAD, residential design and his drawings can be converted into three-dimensional models if needed.
When working with clients, Larry’s strong suits include listening carefully and learning. He says that great designs are the result of authentic, collaborative experiences and that for him, the best idea wins, regardless of its origin. His vision is to help his clients realize their own and offer his expertise in manifesting that vision into reality.
