Kate Mountstephens Architecture+Heritage

We had such a great experience working with Kate. She listened carefully to what we wanted to achieve and then developed beautiful solutions to recreate the space in a way that exceeded our expectations. Kate has so much experience and gathered an excellent team of professionals to execute the work. She made it easy for me to understand how the new space was going to look and helped me communicate effectively with the builders, joiners, painters, plumbers, electricians and all the other suppliers involved. Kate has a keen sense of how to connect something new to what already exists and to the surrounding landscape. We now enjoy better lighting, indoor temperature control and enjoyment of views as well as superior internal flow and the most fabulous joinery that gives me great pleasure every day. We were also thrilled that the whole project came in under budget.

Kate is an incredibly talented architect. We appointed her to help us realise our "forever home" renovation and we can't imagine ever using anyone else. She is creative, experienced and thoroughly professional. She is also a lovely person who was always keen to let us collaborate with her. Her network of engineers, certifiers, builders, etc are talented in their own fields and we always felt we were in good hands. I would not hesitate in recommending Kate to anyone embarking on a renovation or new build project.

Kate is the architect for you if you're looking for modernity with due respect for heritage. The star element of the transformation of our 1886 cottage has turned out to be the light-filled dining-kitchen-master bedroom extension that maximises the site's potential and links beautifully to the Victorian character of the remaining original parts of our house. Kate is an approachable communicator, flexible with her ideas, detail-focused for a quality outcome, and generous with her time for critical site visits. She works collaboratively with trades/other professionals.

To Whom it May Concern We are a small to medium sized building company that specializes in architecturally designed renovations to residential properties. We have undergone several projects with Kate Mountstephens over the years and all these projects have been a positive and fruitful experience for all parties. Kate is a very experienced architect and designer and has achieved some very good results. All my site crews enjoy working with Kate, not only because all jobs are well documented and there is plenty of guidance and direction, but Kate is happy to take on advice and knowledge from other experienced trades and contractors throughout the project. In situations where there may be some incomplete details, Kate is willing to resolve these issues onsite using the experience of the site contractors. This attitude creates a team atmosphere amongst the site staff that leads to everyone willing to produce their best efforts. I would highly recommend Kate to any interested clients. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information. Yours Sincerely Chris Griffin

A special part of Kate's magic is in seeing the possible. Ours was not a huge project - it involved turning our cute, two-bedroomed wooden cottage into a larger home where our kids could grow up and have room to study, and where we could entertain, with room for friends and family to stay. She's given us all that, with many fantastic touches that we love (as do all our friends), while still maintaining the cottage feel - although it's so much more spacious. Apart from her flair and vision, Kate's forte is listening. I think she's one part architect, one part designer, one part accountant and one part counsellor! While building a house is always a compromise between what you want and what you can afford, Kate quickly sorted out what we absolutely needed, advised us on what could wait, and helped us with fantastic suggestions to get the look we wanted while staying within our budget (the builders raved about the wooden boards lining the walls of our second bathroom and the wooden floor - we love it too!). She was there every step of the way: her pre-planning ensured we had all the necessary surveys done before we went to the council; we sailed through the council process because of the preparation she'd done (all the Is dotted and Ts crossed); and she was on hand any time the builders had a query. Having said that, her plans were so thorough that the builders loved her - she thought of everything. They had such a fantastic relationship that our build was a pleasure, not a stress - we were almost sorry when it ended (although we did have our lovely new house!). Our 'new' home feels like a natural extension of the little house we had before that we loved, and an extension of ourselves. We thank god for Kate every day - as we sit on our deck that she cleverly designed around our beautiful tree; as we open our fantastically huge pantry that she designed into a previously unused wall (this is one of my favourite features - with a pinboard on one side and chalkboard on the other. Love it!); as we look at the gorgeous green exterior she helped us choose, and the funky green 50s sink she helped us source. I recommend her to everyone I know who needs an architect - you won't regret it.

Kate is a very experienced, professional and confident architect. We recently collaborated on a residential project which included the redesign of a heritage Sydney terrace. Kate designed an elegant new roofline which allowed the interiors to receive beautiful light and air. Tight spaces were cleverly planned for maximum function. Kate's knowledge of heritage requirements was essential in preparation of the required documentation for council. The client is enthusiastic about the design of the completed project.

Kate would have to be one of the most diligent architects I have worked with, her documentation and plans are extremely clear and thorough. Kate also has a great ability to think on the go, and problem solve. I would more than pleased to be the site foreman on another one of Kate's projects in the future.