PRAISE
“We were blown away by the designs they proposed.”
“They felt like trusted partners. Every step of the way, they’ve been there to answer questions and provide considered guidance.”
We thoroughly enjoyed working with FAME. They are responsive, thoughtful, and have a good sense of humor. We could see directly how what we’d shared around budget, style, and functional needs came to life in their designs.
One of the biggest challenges we gave FAME was the request to integrate the house more into our sloped property and garden. We were thrilled to see how they met that challenge - something the previous architects had completely ignored.
— Diana F., Client
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We had not remodeled our home in Venice for over 20 years. Being confined in our home during Covid, we saw daily the aging that had taken place over the years. We decided it was finally time to update the house with a new modern look, while still maintaining its warmth.
We were referred to FAME through a well-known architect in Venice, Steven Ehrlich. We knew the moment we met David and Marina they were the perfect architects/designers for our remodel. They are a top-notch team, and extremely enjoyable to work with. They are always available to answer questions, advise and provide their expertise, and troubleshoot if needed.
David and Marina created a new vision for the house and a game plan for how to transform it into a more modern and spacious look. They are a full-service team. They take all of the hard work out of the remodel by referring companies with whom they have the experience to perform the work, including contractors, cabinet makers, and other essential workers. Additionally, as designers, they perform all of the research and advise on design elements throughout, typically presenting three choices with a star to indicate their first choice
They were involved and advised on every step of the project, including replacing the wooden floors, new and brighter kitchen counters and cabinets, recessed lighting, painting and refinishing of all the walls, new window coverings throughout, replacement of all the interior doors with upgraded hardware, and transformation of the primary bathroom with a sleek new vanity and marble countertop.
Importantly, they also provided design choices for new updated furniture and rugs throughout the house (while retaining the pieces we couldn’t part with) and lighting fixtures which transformed both the kitchen (a mobile-like chandelier in the kitchen that frames the high ceiling of the room) and a dramatic hanging pendant light in the primary bathroom
We cannot express how happy we are with the finished product. It exceeds all of our expectations. We highly recommend David and Marina, and will miss working with them!
“We cannot express how happy we are with the finished product. It exceeds all of our expectations.”
“They are a top-notch team, and extremely enjoyable to work with.”
We were referred to FAME through a well-known architect in Venice, Steven Ehrlich. We knew the moment we met David and Marina they were the perfect architects/designers for our remodel.
David and Marina created a new vision for the house and a game plan for how to transform it into a more modern and spacious look. They are a full-service team. They take all of the hard work out of the remodel by referring companies with whom they have the experience to perform the work, including contractors, cabinet makers, and other essential workers. Additionally, as designers, they perform all of the research and advise on design elements throughout.
— Lauren S., Client
“David and Marina are efficient, capable, trustworthy, and easy to work with. They always did what they said they were going to do.”
“They were scrupulously honest in their pricing and billing. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them (and have) as their technical understanding combined with their artistic and design concepts and their knowledge of materials and furniture allow them to work well in many different environments.”
They are very easy to work with and yet are able to integrate their knowledge and expertise with the client's desires and particular needs. I know that this requires tact, diplomacy, and a strong grounding in their own artistic values.
One piece that is especially important to me now is the hanging pendant in the bathroom. It was one of the last pieces that was chosen and by that time I had learned to trust their sense of design. At first, I was hesitant about the piece but it has become my favorite, especially in the early evening when the soft glow of light with the dimmer switch gives the bathroom a feeling of beauty and luxury.
— Tom P., Client
“What surprised us the most was how stress-free we were as clients. We felt safe, understood, and confident that we were going to get a fantastic product with them leading the way.”
FAME wasn’t the first architect and design firm we worked with for our project. There were other designers that were plenty talented but didn’t have the vision that FAME brought. David and Marina began our project by asking thoughtful questions about how we currently live, how we would like to live, and the big desires we had for our new family home. With them, it felt they were fully invested in our happiness beyond just designing something “nice”.
During construction, there are always a million decisions that need to be made and we were always confident in the ones we were making because we always felt like a team. We were always informed every step of the way in the design process and beyond. As issues would inevitably come up, we never felt lost or confused because FAME would always have either the issues solved already or a solid well thought-out plan B or even plan C. Even at the most frustrating times during our build, they were always with us 100% and carried us all the way through to the finish line.
— A.L., Client
“FAME was a dream team to work with and honestly I look forward to the day we can do another project together”
David and Marina created a vision plan for us after getting to know what our lifestyles were like and the things we like to do together with the family. They addressed all our questions and concerns and were honest in their feedback, letting us know if they did not recommend a particular change and their reasoning behind it. The whole process was definitely a huge learning experience for us and we felt we were definitely in good hands the entire time.
— Jan D., Client
“We felt we were definitely in good hands the entire time.”
“We wanted something much more special and different than what we had seen done before locally. David and Marina were the perfect duo to do exactly that. Our home feels like it is special to us.”
“David and Marina are so unique as a team and individually, and it really shows in their craft.”
“Our finished home is better than we could have ever envisioned. We are very grateful and happy clients, and anyone else lucky enough to have the opportunity to hire them will feel the same.”
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We thoroughly enjoyed working with FAME. They are responsive, thoughtful, and have a good sense of humor. They felt like trusted partners. Every step of the way, they’ve been there to answer questions and provide considered guidance.
We were blown away by the designs they proposed. The vision package was a great way to see how they synthesized our needs, desires, and the conditions of our property to form three different solutions. We could see directly how what we’d shared around budget, style, and functional needs came to life in their designs. An example of this was the inclusion of the sun studies which helped us see that the designs FAME provided were derived from real data, not just cool ideas.
One of the biggest challenges we gave FAME was the request to integrate the house more into our sloped property and garden. We were thrilled to see how they met that challenge - something the previous architects had completely ignored.
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When my wife and I decided to renovate our Venice home instead of moving, we knew we needed help. We were fortunate to receive a referral from friend and renowned architect Steven Ehrlich of EYRC Architects to David and Marina of FAME Architects. From the first meeting, we knew we were in good hands and felt great confidence in their expertise.
They are very easy to work with and yet are able to integrate their knowledge and expertise with the client's desires and particular needs. I know that this requires tact, diplomacy, and a strong grounding in their own artistic values. The four of us were always able to work out any problems and made adjustments along the way, including the difficult issues of availability of products and supply chain problems.
Our remodel was extensive including new interior paint, all new lighting (replacing old track lighting and fixtures with recessed lighting), new kitchen countertops, new cabinetry, a custom-made vanity in the primary bathroom with a beautiful marble top, many pieces of new furniture and several light fixtures. The beautiful hanging chandelier in the kitchen is what everyone first comments on when entering our home now.
One piece that is especially important to me now is the hanging pendant in the bathroom. It was one of the last pieces that was chosen and by that time I had learned to trust their sense of design. At first, I was hesitant about the piece but it has become my favorite, especially in the early evening when the soft glow of light with the dimmer switch gives the bathroom a feeling of beauty and luxury.
David and Marina are efficient, capable, trustworthy, and easy to work with. They always did what they said they were going to do and were scrupulously honest in their pricing and billing. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them (and have) as their technical understanding combined with their artistic and design concepts and their knowledge of materials and furniture allows them to work well in many different environments.
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FAME wasn’t the first architect and design firm we worked with for our project. There were other designers that were plenty talented but didn’t have the vision that brought. Our experiences with other designers were always a bit underwhelming because they didn’t really try to get to know us before designing something they thought would suit us. David and Marina began our project by asking thoughtful questions about how we currently live, how we would like to live, and the big desires we had for our new family home. With them, it felt they were fully invested in our happiness beyond just designing something “nice”. We knew what kind of aesthetic we liked, but couldn’t articulate exactly why we liked it. FAME took our inspiration and improved on it, making it way better than we could have imagined. We are so impressed with their smart and thoughtful designs.
We wanted something much more special and different than what we had seen done before locally. David and Marina were the perfect duo to do exactly that. Our home feels like it is special to our family.
We were always eager to see what innovative ideas they had coming our way and it was a joy to discuss design possibilities with them. The duality of their styles always came through in the multiple design options they provided us. It was always an exciting time for us to see what they came up with. They never pushed ideas on us and were very good at understanding our thoughts and deciphering our wants and needs. We always looked forward to design discussion days because FAME never disappointed. There were always a lot of smiles and “Oooh’ing “and “Aah’ing”.
They’re so unique as a team and individually, and it really shows in their craft. As clients, we really benefited from their perspectives and design talent both in the creative sense and the technical. The thing that surprised us the most in working with them was how stress-free we were as clients. We felt safe, understood, and confident that we were going to get a fantastic product with them leading the way.
During construction, there are always a million decisions that need to be made and we were always confident in the ones we were making because we always felt like a team: the client and the designer. FAME was on our side, trying to give us what we envisioned for our home but through their expertise and professional guidance. We were always informed every step of the way in the design process and beyond. As issues would inevitably come up, we never felt lost or confused because FAME would always have either the issues solved already or a solid well thought-out plan B or even plan C. Even at the most frustrating times during our build, they were always with us 100% and carried us all the way through to the finish line.
Their knowledge of construction was a huge bonus in hiring them. They understood what was feasible in construction and when contractors would push us in a direction we didn’t want to go in, FAME would always pull through for us because they KNEW that it could be done. If it wasn’t for FAME, the construction phase would have been very stressful. They alleviated any trauma we would have had by always being in constant communication with our contractor. We definitely benefited greatly by having them with us throughout construction.
Furniture selection is a very daunting task and FAME’s guidance was essential to finishing up the final stages of our beautiful home. They even put the pieces we wanted in a 3D model for us to see in our space before we made any final decisions. Having FAME from the early stages of design all the way to furniture selection was a major factor in creating our home.
With each phone meeting we had, scheduling was always well thought out by FAME to finish on time. I think we would have been hard-pressed to have found an architect and design team who were always aware of our time and money like FAME was. As clients, we were very grateful for their commitment to keeping the project moving and the budget steady.
FAME gave us their full design service, oversaw, and finished our entire home in 2020 during one of the most stressful years in modern history. Our finished home is better than we could have ever envisioned. We had so much fun working together and can’t wait for the day we are able to do the whole process with them again.
We are very grateful and happy clients, and anyone else lucky enough to have the opportunity to hire them will feel the same.
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David and Marina created a vision plan for us after getting to know what our lifestyles were like and the things we like to do together with the family. They addressed all our questions and concerns and were honest in their feedback, letting us know if they did not recommend a particular change and their reasoning behind it. The whole process was definitely a huge learning experience for us and we felt we were definitely in good hands the entire time.
We appreciated their guidance, encouragement, patience, and advice in creating the vision plan for us and helping us imagine all that our home could be. David and Marina are so gifted at what they do and we enjoyed getting to know them and know you will too. We have recommended FAME Architects to our neighbors!
“I whole-heartedly recommend David if you want to work with a thoughtful architect who will create the absolute best design for you.
David has a keen eye for luxury design and a knack for coming up with unexpected ideas and his sense of humor and unwavering integrity made him a pleasure to work with.”
David spearheaded the design and execution of a 13,500 square foot custom waterfront home. The project’s scope included an architectural design that was contextual to the region with modern details to elevate it from other traditional homes. The interior design and furnishings were designed and coordinated to provide a specific lifestyle. Every facet of the project from the pool house to the multiple kitchens, stairs, expansive glazing system, and millwork were executed at the highest level of design and involved significant custom detailing.
— Thomas Hickey, Partner, GRADE
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"David also led the design proposal for a 30-story luxury residential tower in Boston. The developer loved our proposal and hired us to be the design architects. He understood the critical balance between architecture and interior design to achieve a seamless solution for our very special clientele.
On a personal level, I really enjoyed working with David and our many conversations. "
“One of the most critical aspects to a successful project is a collaborative approach to building design, construction, and completion between the builder, Architect, and consultants.
In my experience, Marina ranks at the top of her field, offering immediate feedback on design intent with a strong understanding of constructability challenges.”
Marina was instrumental in working hand in hand with our team in understanding complex design aspects during the Bid phase to closely coordinating Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing systems while offering solutions to ensure Architectural intent remained close to the original design. Marina’s willingness and team-oriented approach helped lead the group to find working solutions for each challenge quickly and effectively.
— Keith Mason, Construction Manager, Pavarini McGovern
“I had the pleasure of working directly with Marina on a project for my company’s largest client. The project was completed on schedule and noted as a Top 10 Building for the area.”
Without Marina’s hard work, persistence, and dedication the project would not have achieved the level of success that it did. I would highly recommend Marina to be part of a team on any project.
— Frank Horan, Construction Manager, Cook & Krupa
“I confidently recommend David to be considered for your project.”
One of the luxury residential projects David worked on was a complex design challenge. He played a key role through the design process. The pre-sales of this project had the remarkable success of being sold out in two weeks.
— Jinsuk Park, Design Director, Kohn Pedersen Fox
“Marina and David are a talented team that will enhance and add value to your project.”
Marina is an intelligent, creative designer who is respectful of time and budget concerns and very cognizant of the parameters that affect the successful completion of a project.
— Jerry Caldari, Partner, Bromley Caldari Architects
Press & Associations
The Second Studio Design & Architecture Show
By David Bruce Lee & Marina Bourderonnet
Hosted by FAME Architecture & Design, The Second Studio is a podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. It features interviews with leading design professionals, tips for clients, and personal discussions.