FM Design + Build

I highly recommend Stephen at FM Design Build to anyone who is doing a remodel or addition, especially of an older home. Our 1800 sq ft project included a gut renovation including load bearing wall removal and 700 sq ft additional living space. Very good, timely communication. On time - as promised, 9 months from start to finish On budget - no surprises at all. Excellent warranty - they stand behind their work. Details: My wife and I had been in the same 1940s home for almost 10 years, but now with kids we were out of space! Love our neighborhood and didn't want to move, so we decided to do a renovation/addition. I researched on Houzz and yelp extensively. I did phone interviews with 7 or 8 firms, then in person interviews with 3 ( all of them are well reviewed here on Houzz and Yelp). My wife and I overwhelmingly preferred Stephen at FM Design Build. He is an architect first, and listened carefully and was very forthcoming and reassuring about the process of architectural drawings, permits, and construction. Met with Stephen in May 2019 on architectural drawings. This was a great back and forth process with about 9 total design iterations. This was a design and engineering contract prior to a construction contract. at the end of this process, we had full specs for the house as it was to be built. Next Stephen bid out the project now as a GC. While this was fully intended to be a design build project, the contract for the build is completely separate from the contract for the design. He bid it and the price was in line with our ongoing discussion during the design piece. Importantly, the price was very close to what the other two firms that we met with in person had estimated as well. FM Design Build and these other firms are similarly priced. Construction started in June 2020. Since it was a full gut remodel with new electrical, plumbing, HVAC, flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, everything, we had to move out. Because of this, the timeframe was critical for us. We agreed that we would be able to move back in March of 2021. FM Design stuck to that timeframe. For residential construction, I believe FM Design build and Stephen are an anomaly. One last thing - six months after the project was completed, I had one little leak on a fixture. I texted Stephen about it the late evening of December 22nd. He called me right away, asked a couple of questions. One of his main guys Josue (who is awesome too btw) came out on Christmas Eve and fixed it. I have faith that they stand behind their work and I fully recommend them. Thomas

I have worked with Stephen as an architect on two projects for my home. We bought a home built in 1929 that needed a 90% remodel, meaning the only thing we really left was the fireplace and some of the framing. Stephen had experience with older homes and trying to keep with the existing architectural style yet making the floorplan modern, which is why we selected him for the project. Stephen was great and listened to what we wanted to get out of the complete remodel, and also brought a lot of new ideas to the table to solve for problems that required us to stay within the existing footprint. He helped with permits and was also very helpful during some iterations that came up during construction. The house turned out wonderful! It looks like it is old on the outside but is fully modern on the inside. We recently created an addition to our garage to add and office and gym, and Stephen helped us architect that too! Everything turned out great.

5++++ stars, F&M Design Build was amazing from start to finish. I have never done a remodel before and am so thankful that we found Stephen at F&M Design Build. We have a 100 year old home and since we moved in ten years ago we dreamed of making our kitchen, laundry room and den one great room and the completed project exceeded our expectations. Stephen struck the perfect balance of offering advice, listening to feedback, asking questions and presenting options as we tackled all the decisions to be made during a remodel. The quality of the work is outstanding and everyone who worked on our home was professional and offered superior customer service. Due to the age of our home, multiple things came up that were unexpected and outside the scope and Stephen and his team fixed them all without hesitation. Without any reservation, I highly recommend working with F&M Design Build.

FM Design +Build is great. A few years ago Stephen and his crew did a major remodel and addition project and our experience was fabulous. We decided we were ready to replace the 4 remaining steel windows that were original to the house built in the 1930's. A Mason had warned us that the bricks surrounding the windows were actually from the 1800's (older than the house), and if they were damaged during window replacement it would look bad for 100 years. We called window replacement contractors: even the well regarded ones would only do inserts from the inside (inserts are where the new window is noticeably smaller and won't really solve the draftiness/leakiness of the 80 yr old original window frames. We called Stephen who is extremely diligent and meticulous, yet somehow still cool. Even though this is a much smaller project than he usually does, he came three times to take measurements and test out his theories. He came up with a plan and ordered the windows. Come installation time Stephen and his crew were remarkably thorough. They spent hours carefully cutting out the old windows and two days meticulously installing the new ones. Absolutely perfect - no damage inside or out and the windows look like they were original to the house. It could have been a PBS historic renovation show. I doubt we could have enticed Stephen to do the windows were it not for the previous work he has done -- but this was an extra benefit of choosing him in the first place!

There was never any question in my mind about who I would have design and build my backyard studio and tool shop. Just three years ago, F&M Design Build, with principal Stephen Mott, had delivered a beautiful (totally gutted and redesigned) redo of my 1939 home. Ultimately, an art studio is about function. I gave Stephen my must-haves and a wish for a small 3-piece bathroom to be incorporated (somehow!) into the 480 square feet footprint allowed by code for an auxiliary building on my lot. What I asked for was great light, good storage, a major utility sink, a non-porous floor, and an HVAC system. NOTHING PRECIOUS! I also requested there be a separate area for storage and use of wood cutting, sanding, and spraying tools. All was delivered with great style and attention to work flow inside, while mimicking the architecture of our home on the outside. It is my greatest pleasure entering this light-filled, airy and utilitarian space every day. A dream come true.-- Deborah Hall, Sacramento, CA

We purchased a mid century modern home built in 1959 that was in need of an update. We interviewed multiple design/build firms and selected FM Design + Build. We had a good idea of what we wanted to do and our budget. Stephen’s design advice helped us with ensuring our updates would be faithful to the original design and in budget. Stephen worked with his subcontractors to execute the plan. They had the same exceptional expertise and attention to detail as Stephen. The only challenge with the work were some long lead times on several unique materials that we wanted to have in the house. These caused some scheduling problems, but Stephen worked with his subcontractors to efficiently align them to make progress while certain materials were shipped. We are extremely happy with the end result. We feel all updates are true to the original design philosophy, but with some fun elements we wanted, while making the house even more stately. Stephen was very easy to work with. He was very focused on listening to our interests and helping us determine what was feasible within budget. We didn’t always choose the options that kept us in our budget, but we are happy that we made some enhancements along the way that make our home experience even more rewarding. We highly recommend Stephen and FM Design + Build and would use his services again.

We hired Stephen to help us design and implement a huge renovation of our 1958 home in Davis, California. After interviewing several design and build firms, we decided to go with Stephen because of his easygoing style and willingness to work with our ideas and schedule. Overall, we are extremely happy with the results. The important things to know is that we were on time and on budget. The actual construction took a whole year and we moved to a rental house nearby for maximum efficiency. He is flexible and made some last minute design changes at our request, which made the design even better. The project involved bringing almost the whole house down to the studs, including the kitchen, bathrooms, master and kids bedrooms, enclosing our car port to make a garage, and adding a 2nd story rec room, laundry/mud room, a half bath and skylights as well as reconfiguring the space to create an open plan. He is a good communicator and hires good subs and workers. I believe that this was one of bigger projects that he has tackled and with a few minor bumps, we are very happy with the high quality of work and his knowledge and guidance for cabinets, fixtures, stain, paint, etc. Knowing that he stands behind his work is very comforting as the years go by and I know that I can call him if we need anything for the house. I feel very comfortable giving him our highest recommendation.

We first hired Stephen to help us design and implement a huge renovation of our 1954 one-story ranch home in Davis, California. From the get-go we knew Stephen would be our guy. The combination of his easygoing demeanor together with his keen sense of design, wealth of construction and architectural knowledge and building experience made him by far the best choice for the job. He delivered on all levels. The project involved gutting the living room, kitchen, den and laundry room, raising the ceiling to 11 feet, adding a half bath and skylights all while reconfiguring the space to create an open plan. He helped us find the perfect colors, doors, materials, accessories and fixtures to make what we had envisioned a reality. His attention to detail and finish was top notch. After the completion of the main renovation, we hired Stephen to add outdoor access and a deck to our master bedroom which could not have turned out better. He is patient and listens well but is not afraid to put forth his own design vision, which always turns out to be the right thing to do. He also has the experience needed to carefully work with the city building officials to make sure all work is appropriately permitted within a reasonable amount of time. We feel lucky to have found Stephen and FM Design-Build!

We worked with Stephen Mott and his team of highly qualified and responsive handy construction staff (for lack of a more official term) over several years as we ramped up and implemented the creation of our highly anticipated new home in Davis, CA. Working with Stephen was exceptional, and not to mention, exceptionally EASY. We really had no idea what to expect from this process, and while we were excited, we had also heard some stories from friends and family about "what could go wrong." The first thing to know about working with Stephen and his team is that going into the process with no experience, but with Stephen as the guide is seamless and fun! It was (almost never) frustrating nor did it include timeline or budget surprises, which were some of the concerns we had about home remodeling/construction. We felt shielded from those frustrations by Stephen. We really participated as the creative visionaries alongside Stephen, and later as the decision makers with Stephen, who did an amazingly satisfying job of providing us with a manageable world of options to choose from during the design process in order to eliminate any overwhelm we might experience. Here’s how the process went: 1. We interviewed a bunch of people for architect jobs. We liked Stephen and another guy, but Stephen was way more responsive and economical. So that decision was easy, we thought. We got the paper work set and understood we’d spend the next year on a wait list and touching base occasionally before it was our time to start. 2. We started designing! This part was fun and, because we weren’t in a hurry, we took several months, maybe even half a year, to complete the first designs. But then unexpectedly we decided to prolong the kick of of this project and took a year off from pulling the trigger. Stephen was ok with this and when we were finally all-in one more year later, we revisited the plans and updated and finalized them over several meetings. We had three options based on size, price and ended up combining elements of each of them to get a final medium-priced product. It was very easy and no matter how many edits or new ideas, Stephen was amenable. 3. Fortunately, we had the flexibility to temporarily move out of our home while the remodel was underway. The day after we moved out, Demo was in full force with Troy and Matt at the helm. Soon our home was a shell and we watched as the pieces were put in place over six months. Lots of the initial pieces were part of creating the frame for the home, getting electricians in to verify stuff, city licenses and permits, etc. While all of this foundational stuff happened, Stephen met with us and sent us regular emails eliciting our feedback and asking for our input on the selection of house innards. For example, our first big decision was windows! After an initial introductory email on windows with links to several options for my wife and I to choose from, I then met Stephen at a window shop and he showed me a bunch of options in person. I don't think most people would care that much about window selection, but this was really important to me so I decided to take time out for the in-person story visit. We ended up choosing some options that weren’t on the original list, were slightly more than our budget and were bold in color (ie not white). He explained the ramifications of those choices - like a brown window will limit colors for the outside house paint and spending more on windows now will mean maybe spending less on some other appliance later on. But with that first decision you can see how it sets everything in place and frames up later decisions too. 4. The entire process is like that whether it’s choosing light fixtures, tiles, hardware, sinks or whatever. Stephen gives you the full picture so there are really very few surprises as the process progresses. Choosing the insides of the house could potentially be highly overwhelming- there’s so many options for really any single decision. The joy of working with Stephen is he gets to know your style and will send you options to get your feedback - for example sinks. He sent links to 4-5 sinks for the kitchen with some comments about why each would be good for our home. Then you get to decide. If you don’t like any of them, he takes your input and sends you more options. In some cases, like windows and, later, with tiles, he met us in a store to look at options in person. In other cases, he brought us samples to select from. It was always seamless and he minimized our frustration and exhaustion from potential decision fatigue. 5. Finding stuff we forgot about or that got dropped off during the build process happened. But Stephen could accommodate. For example, we thought we had noted that we wanted a tube light in the guest bathroom. But noticed it did not seen like it was installed in that room. So we flagged this and the next week, before the roof went on, there was a natural tube light there. Another example is that at the very end we had to make changes to some lights installed above the kitchen island. He ordered the new ones and installed them with no hassles. So that sort of thing happens - it’s not a perfect process - but you go with the flow, and that’s something Stephen has a great temperament for. I think that catching this stuff early is easier if you visit the home being remodeled regularly. 6. Stephen’s team works wonderfully with one other and with other contractors we have employed for outside landscaping. They continue to be around for odds and ends fixing up some small issues during the months after we moved in. The house settles and so some stuff has been touched up or fixed. Always completed easily. No big deal on any of it. 7. Recommending Stephen - we recommend Stephen and his team to anyone who wants super high quality, quality craftsman stewardship of a home remodel. You will enjoy the process and you will be absolutely thrilled with the final product because it will reflect your hopes and creative vision. He will complete the project per the timeline (although there will be small things that will still be getting completed after the major home is delivered). He will stay within your budget.

We hired FM Design + Build earlier this year to remodel our master bathroom. This is the second time I have worked with FM Design + Build, with the first time being several years ago for a project at work. Due to their professionalism and quality work then, we immediately thought to use them for our personal project as well. The entire process from start to finish was excellent. Stephen Mott, the owner of FM Design + Build, was patient with out decision making process, providing us expert guidance and suggestions. He sat down with us multiple times to go over design options, worked within our budget, and created a timeline that he held to throughout the project. The crew assigned to work at our house were courteous, helpful, and cleaned up after themselves to minimize dust throughout the house. Stephen was extremely responsive by phone and email, and completed our job within the promised allotted time. We found him and his team to be reliable and trustworthy. We were extremely pleased with the outcome (I attached a couple pictures, including a before and after shot). I highly recommend FM Design + Build for any project!

Stephen designed and rebuilt our master bath. It came out way beyond what we had thought about ourselves. The fact that he is an architect made a big difference. He was great to work with and the bath looks great.

When you hire someone, for such a big project, you can do all the research you want, but sometimes it comes down to just feeling that you can work the person well, and that you can trust them. We are very glad we chose him to help us with re-creating our home. He is personable and really listened to what our vision was for our home. He was very patient and worked with us--even when our vision shifted, and when we needed help in understanding aspects of design that we had never considered before. He is very knowledgeable and talented in his craft, and you can also tell he is invested in his craft and the quality and details of the outcome. We started working with Stephen with some ideas in mind, with our primary focus being remodeling our outdated 1960's kitchen. After working with him we realized that to really get the space and functionality we wanted, more than just the kitchen needed to be re-envisioned. After working with Stephen, the final design he created was pure genius. It was not something we could have thought of on our own. He relocated the kitchen, allowing it to become at least twice the size of our original kitchen, took out two fireplaces that we never used (and ran a gas line to a new location in case we wanted to install a gas insert at a later date), relocated our electrical, and took out a wall which created an open concept kitchen space adjacent to a sitting area and a space for a dining room table. He also developed a design that would connect this kitchen, dining, living space to our family/tv room well. This connection had to be well-designed because the spaces were two different floor levels. Everything is so well-balanced and designed thoughtfully and cohesively from the placement and size of the windows, to how well the spaces flow and connect together, and the skylights in our kitchen that add so much light and warmth to the space. The kitchen is everything I have dreamed of. It has all the space, beauty, and functionality I need. Overall, it was a challenge at times to make so may decisions about appliances, lights, finishing work, and just creating a design style that was cohesive throughout the space. Stephen guided us through it all. There were many times along the way that we were so grateful that we knew we could trust Stephen's craft and vision. There were some unanticipated things along the way as in any remodel, but we feel fortunate that we found Stephen to help us get to this point--which is a truly beautiful, comfortable, and lovely space to call home that I feel will stand the test of time.

When my husband and I bought our 1988 tri-level, we knew it was going to need a lot of love. The kitchen was my nemesis; it was small, closed off, dark cabinets, and the white tile and linoleum made it impossible to ever look clean. Not to mention the broken stove top and tiny “easy bake oven” i had to work with. It took several years for us to come up with the money for a kitchen remodel so when it came time to find a company to build it, we wanted someone we could trust, who could stretch our money as much as possible, and who could be patient and guide us in the right direction. (Our remodeling knowledge consisted of watching Love it or List it and Flip or Flop… so basically nothing!) And of course we wanted a beautiful kitchen! FM Design & Build was the perfect fit for us. I wouldn’t call my husband and I creative by any means, so when it came to design, we really relied on Stephen and Sandra. We knew we wanted a wall knocked down and an island (cause who doesn’t want an island?!), but other than that we had no idea. Stephen came up with 5 layouts for us, and one just blew us away. It was totally out of the box, actually involved putting up a wall and closing off the front room, creating a huge space for the kitchen. We were still on the fence; closing off a room when everyone now is looking for that open concept? Were we nuts? Stephen took the time to do a digital rendering for us so we could really visualize the design...and we loved it! Stephen and Sandra really held our hands during the entire process. They helped us with everything from picking out granite, tile, and paint to cabinet hardware and soap dispensers. They were very detail oriented and were awesome about telling us what looked good and what didn’t, without feeling like they were bursting our bubbles. Stephen and all his crew were always friendly, respectful, and extremely hard working. Troy especially, worked on our house daily, never seemed to take a break, and put up with all my questions and last minute requests (which I’m sure were a pain in the butt). We were able to live in our house (with our 2 kids plus one on the way) during the whole process. Everything was always tarped up, tools put away, never once did i have to worry about safety. Our kitchen is BEAUTIFUl. Never in our wildest dreams did we think we could have a kitchen like this. Everything just came together perfectly. I honestly wouldn’t change anything. We’re actually getting ready to host Christmas this year….because we can! Our kitchen is the center of our house now, and as corny as it sounds, it is where life happens for us. I would recommend FM Design & Build to anyone and everyone. Your project will be in safe hands and will turn out amazing! We’re hoping to redo a bathroom this next year, and we’ll definitely be calling Stephen!

Stephen at FM Design Build was the architect and general contractor for the extensive kitchen and master bath remodel in our Napa Valley home. The architectural complexity of the existing house (including a large rounded wall in the kitchen) presented a unique challenge, which Stephen took on with enthusiasm. The goal was to design a new kitchen and master bathroom that were functionally modernized, expressive of my style and aesthetically harmonious with the existing architecture. Stephen’s design delivered on every level. The design process with him was wonderfully collaborative. I have exacting standards and expected every detail to be as perfect as possible. Whether it was creating 3d renderings of the space so I could see the specific materials, appliances & cabinet layouts or going on several shopping trips to search out the perfect tile & countertops, Stephen was committed to nailing the details and the final result shows it. The construction process is never fun for a homeowner, and things didn’t always go precisely according to plan. But Stephen & crew were professional, responsive to my concerns and willing to put in the extra effort to keep things on track and make sure the finished product was top notch. Troy, who ran & performed much of the day to day construction, deserves a special mention for his dedication, hard work and his willingness to find a solution to any challenge my unique house threw at him. We love our new kitchen & master bath! The kitchen makes a very complicated space feel perfectly warm & inviting, the true heart of our home. The bathroom is graciously appointed and is a stunning blend of beauty & functionality. I would not hesitate to recommend Stephen & company to any homeowner looking for a partner who can create thoughtful & beautiful custom designs and have the knowledge & skills to make them reality.

The Top Line: If you are debating about hiring Stephen Mott and FM Design/Build for a remodeling project, don’t hesitate! Stephen exceeded our expectations in every way, and we look forward to the next project with him and his team. Stephen, the talented architect/builder at the heart of FM Design/Build, undertook an extensive home facelift for us. FM’s scope of work on our house in North Davis Meadows included replacing with hardwood a worn, poorly installed tile floor; tearing out ill-fitting, leaky aluminum-frame windows and installing beautiful new vinyl ones; swapping out old exterior siding with gorgeous new stucco; completely redesigning and remodeling two bathrooms; replacing dated tile on two fireplaces; and installing a new front door. My conception of our project started with wanting to remodel the bathrooms, but once we started, Stephen’s suggestions for refreshing the house were too brilliant to stop there. I had despaired over the ugly tile floor, which reached into every corner of the house, and I thought the job would be just too big for any builder to take on, and too expensive and too messy for us to survive the process. Stephen figured out how to make it work with our budget and how to minimize the disruption to our home during a complete floor demo. The new hardwood is a dream, and the surprisingly small amount of dust we had to deal with when we returned home was well worth it. It’s a similar story with the windows and stucco. When we bought the house three years ago, we knew we had to replace our poorly functioning windows at some point, but I didn’t plan on doing it with this remodel because it’s an expensive and exacting process. Stephen priced the job remarkably fairly, in part by suggesting some fixed windows where we didn’t need them to open, and his expert carpenters executed the job of making the windows fit into even spaces that had settled over the years. If you’ve ever replaced windows you know the risk of existing window coverings not fitting after the job is done. Remarkably, only one window covering had to be replaced due to the squaring-up process on that window. And the results are gorgeous. Outside, I had thought that the house needed repainting. Once Stephen took a look at our sun-worn, splintering siding, he pointed out that replacing it would not cost much less than redoing it with stucco. It was a solution to updating the exterior that I never would have considered, and now that it’s done the result is a truly amazing upgrade—and one that will far outlast what would have been the next paint job. But all these upgrades are merely prologue to the bathrooms, where my home improvement wishes had started. Stephen utterly transformed our small guest bath by removing an interior wall; substituting the heavy two-sink vanity with a floating one-sink version; and adding chic lighting and a larger mirror. It’s become my husband’s favorite bathroom due to the new fixtures in the shower, which include a color-changing temperature gauge. Stephen also completely rethought our master bath, addressing my requests for a larger shower; separate water closet; floating vanity with plenty of storage. The result is sexy, sleek, open and sophisticated, with everything I asked for and some additional surprises I didn’t know I needed, like pull-out shelves and drawers in the cleverest places, and a gorgeous frosted glass enclosure for the toilet that is both practical and unexpected. What is Stephen like to work with? Given our aesthetic and prior experience with several remodeling projects and even building our own house, Stephen made sure we were included in every important aspect of the design process. He constantly consulted, accompanied me on trips to vendors, reviewed online suggestions I sent him, and sought our input without fail. He was also extremely careful with our money, clear with allowances, and quick to point out when we were considering options that would push us over the budget. Having built the last house we lived in, where the final cost exceeded the budget by over a third, I was especially appreciative of this aspect of Stephen’s procedures. Stephen is also honest, straightforward, and direct in his dealings with both clients and his own staff. I never hesitated in handing over the keys to our home, nor in allowing him and his workers to move our furnishings to the garage for the duration of the floor remodel. On the rare but inevitable occasion that a window shade was damaged or stucco landed in the wrong place, Stephen made sure the problem was fixed. The most important endorsement I can give is that Stephen has the highest standards for his work that I have ever encountered in over 30 years of remodeling/building: results simply will not satisfy him unless they are beautifully finished and superbly functional. Having suffered through terrible paint jobs, incomplete tile work, poorly installed windows, and on and on, I thank my stars that I found Stephen and his team. If you’d read this far, and you are still up in the air about your decision to hire Stephen, go back and read my first paragraph again.

Stephen did a total remodel of our home and the results are spectacular. He took our un-updated 1960 house down to the studs and we now have a new kitchen, new baths, and a totally different configuration of the house, making it much more usable, attractive, comfortable, and spacious. Without adding much in the way of square feet, he gave us a much better flow and found a way to add an additional bedroom. Stephen is a thoughtful and considerate person and easy to communicate with; he was also responsive to our desire to make the project as environmentally friendly as possible. He understood what we wanted and delivered it.

Finally, the JUST RIGHT HOUSE! Thanks to architect/builder Stephen Mott (F+M Design Build) and his detail-minded crew, our 1939 Land Park fixer has become the cottage of our dreams. With an eye to our future as “active seniors” (good grief!), we handed Stephen an 8-page, legal-size-paper document that detailed how we wanted EVERY SPACE in the house to MAXIMALLY function. Then we threw a style book at him to loosely define the look/feel we hoped to achieve: clean lines, open spaces, light filled, warmly contemporary, great for entertaining BUT cozy for two. We also threw another, major caveat into the design requirements: We wanted a house in which we could “age in place”. Having downsized an 82-year-old father and a 95-year-old aunt, we knew we wanted a house that we could easily navigate in old age. We wanted this to be our last house, EVER! We wanted a house with a fresh, contemporary feel, designed to carry us through the decades ahead, keeping mobility issues foremost in mind. We got everything we asked for, including things we didn’t even know we needed or wanted! That last piece is so important. Keeping our immediate AND long-range goals in mind, Stephen designed us a FOREVER HOME that is spacious, whip-smart functional and gorgeous. It also has dozens of design features that maximize ease-of-use and movement throughout the house, while minimizing potential congestion in heavy traffic/task areas. None of that sounds sexy until you visit our guest bathroom! By robbing just 6” from a neighboring bedroom, Stephen created a spa-like retreat with a gorgeous, walk-in shower that has a split-valve, water delivery system. Spanning the entire width of the room, the shower stall facilitates both a seated, hand-held shower area and a conventional overhead spray station. (We think of the seat area as the dog wash option, for now, but realize it could one day be necessary for seated showering.) What also was gained by this reconfiguration is enough floor space to do a wheeled turn-around. Not needed now, but the sense of spaciousness this small bathroom has gained is a wonder and delight. As spectacular as both the guest and master baths are, the real stunner is our kitchen/dining area. Looks aside-- and this area is gorgeous -- for the first time EVER we have a kitchen that allows multiple people to be working WITHOUT stepping over or into one another! The kicker? When working alone, NO NEED to walk a 5K to prep food or get drinks! Over the years, we’ve suffered the too small, the too sprawled and the too just-for-looks kitchen. Stephen’s brilliant design keeps every function within steps of one another, but spatially offset in ways that keep the action flowing around a huge work and entertainment island. Our kitchen is a wonder in yet another way. As the first place the eye travels to when entering our home, it carries all the weight of setting the aesthetics for our open-concept living/dining/kitchen area. Stephen calls it the “big moment” – the moment one walks through the front door of our cute, but seemingly conventional cottage, into a spectacularly open, airy and contemporary space. Yep, the walls came down. The ceiling went up. And a counter-depth bump-out in the kitchen, that houses a bank of windows and a dormered ceiling, made what was once a series of cramped boxes into an eye-popping, light-filled, unified space. We started with two bedrooms, 1.5 (laughable) baths, and a tacked-on (circa 1970s) family room for a total of 1629.5 sf. We were totally charmed by the cottage look, outside, but knew the chopped-up, designated-function living spaces would never work for our current or future life style. In the end, Stephen gave us a home that is only marginally larger, adding just 64.5 sf. But by tweaking every square inch of the original footprint, he designed the most functional house we’ve ever owned! No part of the house went untouched. This was a total gut, including tearing down the family room, built on a cement slab. With our eye toward the future, we knew we wanted NO STAIRS ANYWHERE, so this area was reconstructed on a foundation that brought the floor level even with the rest of the house. What we also gained was a beautiful, vaulted ceiling bedroom with two walk-in closets, a private master bath and access to a covered porch overlooking our little back yard. All that in just 325 sf of smartly designed space! One final note about how we got to this love song, praising our home. We knew from past, less extensive renovations that we could be taking on far more than our sanity, finances, and marriage might endure. We interviewed five different architects, all with great portfolios. But the deciding factor for us was how well Stephen communicated his ideas, and how clearly he detailed his manner of working with clients, sub-contractors, venders, the city permitting office and, even our neighbors. We were never disappointed. We had routine progress reports, twice monthly meetings (more if needed), and immediate responses to all our questions and concerns. We had constant budgetary updates, something that became truly critical as we began choosing all the interior finishes from cabinets, counter tops, sinks, tile, lighting, doors, floors, plumbing fixtures, moldings and so much more. (More than once, Stephen pulled us back from choices that were too trendy, too costly, or simply out of character for the clean, classic vision we had for the house, and redirected us to more timeless and cost-appropriate options that fit our project.) And, we got compliments from our neighbors about how tidy and considerate “our crew” was. (Every sub-contractor Stephen employed brought the same attention to detail that he demanded of his own crew. Many of them so impressed our neighbors they were hired for other jobs on our street.) We took possession of the house over six months ago. Rarely a week goes by that some passerby doesn’t comment of how lovely our cottage is, and how glad they are we didn’t build a behemoth on the lot, out of character with the neighborhood. No need for that! F+M Design Build delivered the “just right house”. Deb & Bob Hall Sacramento, CA

We worked with Stephen on a major addition and remodel project for a house built in 1930 in Curtis Park. The house had never been remodeled and we wanted to turn the second story attic into a full second story with two bedrooms and a master bath, including a full overhaul to the downstairs living areas and kitchen. We hired Stephen as the architect through to issued permits, but not the construction due to other commitments in his schedule. Throughout the process Stephen was very flexible with our vision for the home, and we liked that he had experience working with historic homes and a functional knowledge of construction to ensure that the vision could be executed on without major architectural changes during the build process. Stephen is thoughtful and worked with us on a few different iterations, carefully guiding us through what was realistic versus what we wanted to do. His even temperament made the process easy, and we felt confident in the work that he was doing. Another benefit of working with Stephen is his expertise in the permitting process, which can be lengthy and frustrating. Having gone through a painful permit process before, we opted to let Stephen manage the entire process for us, and although it was slightly longer than expected due to historic review, it was painless and efficient as it could be. We are currently under construction on our home, and everything is going well. I would recommend Stephen for any project due to his expertise as an architect and contractor, and knowledge of the design and build process start to finish. He is easy to work with, communicates well, and was a pleasure to work with. Additionally, Stephen has offered to consult with us through the construction of the home to ensure that everything is going along as planned and to offer guidance through to the finished product.

Overall I was very happy with Stephen Mott's work. We redid our family room, guest bathroom and bedroom, and added a new powder room. STephen did all the design work and construction. He was very meticulous and detail oriented, very hands on and receptive to our ideas and questions. His subcontractors were all very professional and pleasant to work with. The work schedule did run over by a few months but we are very pleased with the final project.

I recently purchased an older home and was looking for someone to take on the remodel. I interviewed several contractors but then I met Stephen and hired him on the spot. He was professional, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. FM Design + Build is an all inclusive firm that has an architect, designer and contractor all in house. My remodel included completely gutting the kitchen, living room and the front bathroom. The process was as I expected and was delayed only by vendors being out of stock or on back order (lights, etc). Stephen was great about keeping me informed of progress, issues and potential changes due to structural issues we didn't know about until uncovered after initial demo. The ceilings were raised and we chose tray ceilings and they turned out fabulous. The kitchen included taking out a couple walls and totally redesigning space. I replaced all the cabinets, appliances and lighting. The hardwood floors were original in most of the house but he added where they were missing and it matches perfectly. The floors were sanded, stained and sealed and they are absolutely beautiful. The front bathroom was a late add on to project and Stephen was great about adding on and working with the budget. This added to my timeline but was worth it. FM Design & Build did a wonderful job; we did go over my initial budget but only with my ok to make it exactly the way I wanted. Stephen and Sandra were very helpful with design elements and even walked the manufacturing floor to pick out granite/tile for the house. I will definitely hire them again when I am ready to remodel others parts of the house.

This is our second project with FM Design&Build. Stephen's ability to take our ideas and bring them to life is remarkable. He recently helped design and coordinate the purchase of our beautiful new cabinets, we are so thrilled with how they turned out.

F+M design build is truly first class, and we wholeheartedly recommend them for even the toughest home improvement projects. We were lucky to have F+M design build take our project from the earliest design stages to final inspection. If you are lucky enough to have them design and build your project I am confident you will have a great experience with a great outcome. We built an addition to a 1930's era house in the Land Park area of Sacramento of 300+ SF that involved major structural, mechanical and aesthetic modifications. This included a new kitchen, family room, foundation work, removing walls, adding beams, removing awkward support columns, exterior concrete work, relocating plumbing, electric, water mains -- basically everything. F+M Design Build is a unique operation. The lead is architect/builder Stephen Mott who is a real, genuine, licensed architect (not just a designer or a drafter). Normally with architects you hire them to draw up plans and then take the plans out for bid from general contractors. But with F+M Stephen does all of the design, permitting -- and he and his team actually do the work. They use subcontractors only on areas of technical expertise where you want specialized craftsmanship - such as stucco, floor finishing and tiling. (and these subcontractors are Grade A excellent). It is tremendously advantageous to have the architect as builder, especially in our case as the the structural elements were complicated and got even more complicated when the walls were opened. But even with a less intense project, the architect/builder combination is beneficial. For example, when its so much easier construction-wise to locate an HVAC register in location A but location B would look better, the architect side of F+M always takes precedent. Absolutely no short cuts throughout the process. Communication was stellar - he would email, call or text if he had any questions -- and immediately reply to our questions and concerns. Most crucially, Stephen and all those he works with are dead-on honest. Cost projections were always either at or lower than what he actually billed for. They did a tremendous amount of work above and beyond what was in the contract. Costs for project modifications (adding windows, doors, etc.) that we made once underway were never inflated in cost - even though change orders are a big profit center in the trade. If an element of the the project was more complicated that he had estimated in our contract, he would never increase the cost. Remarkably, if a subcontractor was less expensive than he had estimated, he would credit the difference. Amazing. F+M prices are very reasonable compared to reputable remodelers that we talked to. Not as low as a shady, fly-by-night type, mind you, but probably the best price/quality combination you will find. Stephen is ultra-sensitive to budget considerations, and worked the architecture plans to the point that it could be built within our budget, then stuck to that budget throughout the building process. Note, Stephen is a great, affable and fantastic person but know he is in demand. Have an idea of a realistic budget for what you want to do in the area (HGTV-type shows are absolutely unrealistic) and be patient. Good things come to those who wait. F+M design build rocks!

We hired FM Design+Build to create architectural plans for a remodel of our home. Our remodel included a redesign or our primary living space & kitchen, as well as our master bedroom. It will be a very large project and will be a significant investment in our home. After talking through our list of priorities, we received several different design options to discover which felt like the best fit. After a few design sessions and we settled on our favorite, which delivered on what we wanted and more. During the process FM Design+Build was attentive to our many questions about the process, was considerate of our design requests, and delivered a superb final result. Overall, they were a pleasure to work with.

FM Design & Build did a wonderful job designing and renovating our wine/family room. We had several folks come out to bid the job but Stephen had the best ideas. He was also very sensitive to budget and we never felt pressured to move forward with anything we weren't comfortable with. It was also great to work with someone who could not only plan the layout, but who could assist with the selection of fixtures, flooring, lighting etc. He listens to his clients and is very responsive. We are very pleased with our new room and highly recommend this company.

FM Design did a wonderful job on our home remodeling. What is fairly unique and beneficial is that FM Design handles the entire project from the design (with 3D options to help decide) to the construction to the final city approval. The architect is the contractor and is the main worker in your house. You don't get a sales person for the job and then someone else who does the work. Having one person capable of all facets is hugely helpful because if something changes (something always comes up that is unforeseen) or if we changed our mind mid-stream, it was a "one-stop-shop" to make the change. Our project required removing an entire wall to update to an "open concept" kitchen, dining, and living space. This endeavor included adding a support beam, so our design required load engineering work, as well. FM Design had the expertise to handle everything from load engineering, to lighting design, to offering professional interior design guidance when needed, such as choosing the high quality granite for counters. Working with FM Design was a great experience and we're very happy with our project.

We worked with Stephen to design a connection between two separate houses on our downtown lot. It was a project that required attention to detail and the need to develop creative solutions to unique space requirements. In all phases, Stephen provided design and construction insight to the project and worked very well with the city planning department. The end result was a wonderful design meeting all of the city's requirements and, more importantly, our requirements. Stephen is a real find and an asset to the building community. He has our highest recommendations.

My wife and I seek every opportunity to show off and talk about the work that was done at our house. Before we met Steve & Sandra, we heard many horror stories coming from friends and families who had work done at their homes. I happily say we had a great experience. I outline some of the most important things which I think you will want to hear about below. Communication – It is so important to have clear lines of communication and effective conversations between both sides. Steve has gone above and beyond my expectations. He calls, texts, emails, and even holds a notebook whenever he and I met to discuss something. Steve made sure that all things I addressed were acknowledged. His responses were clear, respectful, and most importantly sincere. His communication skills are amongst the best in any line of business I have dealt with. Design– Steve is the architect and general contractor. And Sandra is the interior designer. They both designed our project using their strengths, knowledge, education, and experiences to provide a beautiful, timeless, and functional use for each part of our project. Their work is a reflection of them and they do not settle for half. My wife and I had a vision but Steve and Sandra made it come to life. And within our budget too! Problems –Our project had multiple hiccups NOT to the fault of Steve and Sandra. We had a home with a previous owner who thought they knew what they were doing when they did their own renovations. Steve identified these issues, communicated them to me, and gave me options for resolving. Steve would even go outside of his scope of work just to help me make decisions on increasing the quality of life at my new home. Closing words – My wife and I wanted a home that was child and family friendly that also embodied our vision of what our home would be like had we designed it. Steve and Sandra exceeded our expectations and made our vision come to life. There are so many things that I could complement them on but then this review would be drawn out and might seem artificial. I will close with this…I fully back FM Design and Build to anyone doing small or major jobs. I look forward to them coming back to redo our master bedroom & bath soon. If Steve and Sandra take your project under their wing like they have mine you'll also see why I praise them so much.

We hired FM Design + Build again to draw up plans for our bathroom/laundry room remodel. Our house is a very angular/complicated A-Frame and after the wonderful work they did on our kitchen remodel three years ago, we knew we were in the right hands. Without Stephen's architectural savvy and their ability to think outside the box, we would have never been able to create two functional rooms out of the one. We are so happy without the outcome. We can't wait for our next project!

We hired FM+Design Build to draw up architectural plans for a 100-yr old Victorian remodel. With our expanding family, we subsequently hired them to build the project. With experience in both their planning and building scopes of work, I can say without a doubt that Stephen and Sandra are two people who you want to draft and manage your project. They have a very high attention-to-detail for quality workmanship. They have keen eyes and will make sure that all work is done to exacting standards. We are very happy with every phase of our project.

I hired FM Design+Build to remodel my 45-year-old kitchen. Although faced with significant spatial constraints, they provided an excellent solution; hired first-rate subcontractors--for cabinets and granite; performed the demolition briskly and did the reconstruction promptly; designed the pattern for the floor tile, and laid it skilfully. They attended to details, were punctual, were refreshingly tidy and clean, and the entire job was finished in under five weeks. I would unreservedly recommend them.

For our project we added a second master suite with some universal features for our home built in 1967. . We request Stephen not to make too many alterations. The material he used were quality items. Despite having to run his own office and managing his crew in the field he is always available, and he takes care of all necessary matters.e.g. HOA demands and representations.. This is our second project with FM Design. We highly recommend FM Designs .. .

My husband's grandfather is going to come live with us so we can give him more care as he ages. We hired Stephen to design a master bed/bath addition that has ADA-accessibility for Grandpa, as well as a kitchen & dining remodel on our small, ~925 sq ft, 2 bed, 1 bath 1935 cottage. We are still in the process of finalizing the design and are getting ready to hire a contractor for the project. Stephen has been great to work with so far. He is friendly, thorough, thoughtful and very creative. Throughout this long process of narrowing down what we want our house to be he has patiently and carefully listened to all our ideas, concerns and needs, given us great ideas of his own, answered all of our questions, and has incorporated everything we want into a ~1420 sq ft, 3 bed, 2.5 bath floor plan. We are looking forward to working with Stephen throughout this project and we are confident that with his help we will end up with a beautiful and comfortable, family friendly home.