Design Direction in Support of Your Build
A single design intelligence working alongside your builder and architect, holding the artistic thread from first plans through final finish.
Some homeowners already have a builder they trust or an architect whose work they admire, yet sense the project is missing one thing: a consistent design voice to read the home, the land and the way they truly live, then carry that intention through every decision that follows. Martire steps in as exactly that, a principal-led design director working in concert with your construction team, translating your story into plans, specifications, materials and millwork. Courtenay Martire leads the work herself, so the design is held to one hand from the earliest drawings to the styled, finished rooms.
A single design voice, in concert with your team
You may have engaged a builder you trust, or an architect whose plans you admire. What is often absent is the connective design intelligence that synchronises the home with the people who will live in it, reading the site, the brief and your lifestyle, then carrying one coherent aesthetic intention across hundreds of decisions. That is the role Martire takes: design-led, collaborative, never adversarial, working alongside the professionals already at your table.
Courtenay brings more than two decades of design direction and a fashion-trained eye to the conversation. She speaks fluently with architects and builders, advocates quietly for the homeowner, and keeps the whole composition in balance so that nothing of consequence is decided in isolation.
Engaged early, sequenced with intention
Design-build support is most valuable in the pre-construction phase, before plans are fixed and materials committed. Brought in early, Martire helps shape the brief, refine the plans alongside your architect, and order the many decisions a luxury project asks of you, so they are resolved in the right sequence rather than under pressure on site.
This is where cost, time and later regret are quietly managed. Selections are settled ahead of the trades, specifications read clearly, and your builder and architect receive direction they can act on with confidence, drawings, schedules and palettes that leave little to chance.
From specification to finish
The work spans the full arc of the build. Martire prepares and reviews specifications, directs material, finish and colour selection, and designs custom millwork, cabinetry and joinery with long-standing artisan partners. Lighting plans and detailing are developed in step, and that direction is carried through to the finished, styled rooms, drapery, textiles, art and the final layer that makes a house feel resolved.
Throughout, the homeowner remains the star of the home. Each choice is weighed against your soul print, the way you gather, rest and feel in a space, so the finished house reads as a single, intentional whole rather than a sequence of separate trades stitched together.
A clear, well-defined engagement
Design-build support suits serious, design-led projects, luxury renovations, additions and custom homes where you want beauty and cohesion without managing the design yourself. Martire defines where her direction begins and ends, coordinates closely with your builder and architect, and protects the artistic vision from first sketch through final styling.
For homeowners weighing whether to bring design in alongside an existing team, or to have Martire lead from the outset, the conversation begins the same way, with your home, your story and the life you intend to live within it.
A complete, considered scope.
Engaged as your design lead, Martire carries the work across disciplines so nothing falls between trades.
- Design direction alongside your builder and architect
- Pre-construction planning and brief refinement
- Plan review, refinement and spatial guidance
- Specifications and selection schedules
- Material, finish and colour direction
- Custom millwork, cabinetry and joinery design
- Lighting plans and detailing
- Project design direction through to finishes and styling
Good to know.
How is this different from a full design-led project with Martire?
In a full engagement, Martire often leads from the pre-architect phase and carries complete artistic direction across the entire home. Design-build support is a focused role alongside an existing builder or architect, providing the design intelligence, plans and selections the team needs while they retain construction responsibility. The depth of involvement is shaped to your project.
Can you work with the builder or architect we have already chosen?
Yes. Martire is accustomed to working in concert with established teams, advocating for the homeowner while keeping the relationship genuinely collaborative. Courtenay translates your story into plans, specifications and selections that your professionals can build from with clarity and confidence.
When is the best time to bring Martire in?
As early as possible, ideally before plans are finalised and materials committed. Engaged in the pre-construction phase, design direction can shape decisions in the right sequence, which protects both the budget and the cohesion of the finished home. Joining later is possible, though earlier involvement yields the most considered result.
What kinds of projects is this suited to?
Design-build support is intended for substantial, design-led residential work, luxury renovations, additions, whole-home transformations and custom homes across Chicago, the surrounding suburbs and the lakefront communities. It is best suited to homeowners who want a single design voice guiding the project rather than managing the aesthetic decisions themselves.
If you have a team in place and sense your home is waiting for its design voice, we would be glad to begin the conversation.