Why This Family Hired Armada Twice? Behind the Build

Meet the Clients

A little bit of a unique opportunity. We have a meeting going on, a design meeting with a multi-time client, Armada Design and Build. They’re working with one of our designers right now making selections and picking out things. So, we’re going to jump into that meeting, interrupt them for a few minutes, and just ask them some questions about their experience working with Armada. And I think they’re going to have a unique take for you on what it was like before they found Armada and how they did projects versus how it is now that they’re working with Armada and our design-build process.

What the Remodel Really Involved

We had a remodel classified as a remodel under the city permits, but it was essentially a new construction with a few boards left from the original house. The house was basically taken down to the foundation. Beautiful, with a whole different aesthetic than the original house had been. Curbless showers, floating stairs, probably a kitchen that was worthy of a Sunset magazine.

Sunset Magazine-Level Kitchen

It’s one of those things I often say, that when you get done with a project and you walk in and you see it, it is just so great that it’s the culmination of a thousand little decisions, of them all coming together. The right knob and the right grout for the backsplash and the tile detail, and you don’t see all these weird ins and edges and things. All these little things.

The remodeling we’ve done, they all go through changes as you get through it, and it’s the ability to adjust and adapt. I thought our experience with Alex and Yuri was very good. Those renderings, those 3D visuals, that really is the key for me—to be able to see what it’s going to look like.

3D Renderings

And yes, that’s one of the things that we try to provide—that level of clarity in all aspects of the schedule and the materials and what it’s going to look like from a 3D standpoint from the beginning, so that it’s less of a surprise as we get into it.

The house is situated such that it had a beautiful view of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and is adjacent to the city green belt, the largest city forest. The process partly took place during COVID, which added some complications that Yuri and Alex had to deal with. Now we have a situation with tariffs. We’re obviously very aware of that scenario. Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, the vast majority of the stuff that we use in residential construction is domestically made.

How Tariffs Affected Design

I think a lot of it has to do with shipping and tradition. Cabinets are here, drywall, and all the wood is local—that kind of thing. There are pieces and parts, though. One of the big ones is light fixtures. Most of the tile or most of the light fixtures are made in Asia. Made-in-Asia tile gets into that, and some of the slab material, but a lot of that’s been moved around in the last few years. So, we have a pretty solid handle on that. But it’s a real thing.

The house sold ultimately for more than we initially thought we would be able to get for it. And it’s surprising but gratifying that we will see people in real estate listings advertising, “Armada Design and Build remodeled kitchen in 2018 or 2020,” or something like that, where they’re pointing out the fact that we’ve done work on the home.

Resale Success & ROI

The result was really pretty spectacular. Well, given that we’re using them again, I think that’s probably the best indication that yes, we do recommend their work.

At Armada Design and Build, we create homes you will love. From remodels to full renovations and new construction, our team makes the process simple and stress-free. Come on in. Visit our showroom to explore designs and schedule your consultation today. Take the first step toward your dream home. Armada Design and Build—building your tomorrow today.