Designs For Living is a Residential Building Design firm specializing in the development and design of custom home plans for personal residences, vacation homes, contractor speculative homes, and plans for the remodel of older homes to optimize functionality for today’s modern living. From expansive estate residences to simple pool cabanas or guest cottages, every project is given the utmost attention to detail and excellence in design. Distinctive extraordinary exteriors, gracious well thought out interior spaces, and welcoming outdoor living areas all reflect the individualistic lifestyles of the people that call these dwellings “home”. Building or remodeling a home is a substantial investment and we understand it can sometimes be quite stressful. To assist in decreasing this stress for you, our first mission is to listen to comprehend and understand your lifestyle requirements and your unique vision of the place you desire to call home.

During the design process, we can create a 3D model to assist in the visualization of your completed dream home. Upon completion of the construction documents, we continue to work diligently in collaboration with any other design team members, to assist in achieving YOUR vision and dream of the completed home. From a conceptual design idea on paper to a genuine sanctuary of perfection, we aspire to create a home customized to your way of living! Whether it is traditional or classical style, modern or eclectic mix, or a simple farmhouse design, we will endeavor and work tenaciously to create a home with timeless elegance and form designed for the passions, style, and unique characteristics of the people that will enjoy making lifetime memories in them. Our best advertisement is a satisfied homeowner! The process is simple. Bring us the dreams and wishes for the design of your home and allow us to create the place that welcomes you home.

Custom Home Design

We listen, create, and present. We listen to the description of your dream, create a home plan design, and develop the documents for construction.

Builder speculative home plan design & Ready to build plans

The previously designed home plan is ready to buy and build. Every Plan has a custom-designed feel and gives the builder the ability to offer their prospective home buyer a dream home at a more affordable price point without the expense of the custom-designed fees.

Remodel

The goal in a remodel is to update and create space that is more attuned to today's family living. A remodel should not appear to be an addition but it should, as much as possible be so interwoven into the original home that it appears to have always been there.

Karen is the founder and principal Residential Building Designer of Designs For Living. An artist at heart, Karen has a tenacious passion for creating timeless architecture and a commitment to excellence in design, detail, and functionality. There is a distinctness to her homes that is timeless, inviting, and comfortable. Her homes slow the pace of those passing by and are consistently and regularly admired and always welcoming.

Karen began her career in home building design with a prominent Atlanta architectural design firm. There, she continued to build on her knowledge of building and design expertise. Her next position was with a builder/development firm. She worked one on one with the contractor, engineers, and clients to design many award-winning homes. Desiring to expand her design opportunities and a more flexible schedule after becoming a mother, Karen established Designs For Living. With her creative talent, proficient skill, and ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with homeowners, engineers, builders, and interior designers, she has embraced opportunities to design some of the most beautiful custom and speculative homes in metro Atlanta and throughout the southeast. She has designed entire residential communities and has had the honor of designing one of the annual Decorator Show Homes for the Roswell Women’s Club in Roswell Georgia. Her homes have been featured in an exclusive only, Dream Homes of Georgia coffee table book, a showcase of Georgia’s finest architects, residential building designers, and builders published by Panache Publishing. Karen is the only woman residential building designer featured in the book. Better Homes and Gardens magazine and The Builder’s Link have also published some of her homes. Many builders, using her masterly designed home plans, have been awarded Gold and Silver OBIE (Outstanding building in Excellence) Awards from the Greater Atlanta Home Builder’s Association.

Karen enjoys the interaction with people that her profession awards her and finds delight in translating each client’s unique vision and ideas into the manifestation of their dream home. The vision and feeling of “home” is as unique and diverse as the people who experience life within the walls of the structure. When listening to a client’s desires for their home design, Karen does not discount any idea they may have but rather works diligently and tenaciously to give every idea an opportunity to work within the custom design of the plan. Clients have stated that she has the innate ability to not only listen, but truly comprehend and create a plan that reflects their desires, dreams, and lifestyle needs. She is gifted in interpreting the ideas in your imagination, words, and photos, and arranging the pieces together to create a conceptual cohesive design on paper, finally realizing the dream of the place that feels like home. Upon viewing their first preliminary drawings, she has experienced tears of joy from some clients, expressing the excitement of finally finding someone who could simply listen to their needs and create a design that far exceeded their expectations. Notes of gratitude, referrals from existing clients, and the love of doing life in their new home is the greatest award and reward Karen can receive. From conceptual design to completed construction documents, Karen’s attention to every detail of the client’s vision and dream combined with her dedication to quality, excellence in design, and livability, consistently results in a beautiful unique home that rewards both the designer and the homeowner.

With over 30 years of experience in home building design, Karen is grateful to all who have placed their confidence in her ability to utilize her creativity and knowledge to assist and serve them in the realization of the vision in their imagination becoming an original authentic home of their dreams! Whether large or small, it is YOUR dream and YOUR vision for YOUR home that matters most!

Karen is a professional member of the AIBD (American Institute of Building Design) and the Classical Institute of Architecture and Art.