Ossolinski Architects, PLLC

Ossolinski Architects did the renovation on our late 19th century home, and we are extremely happy with the end results. Matt was great to work with. He really listened and worked hard to ensure we understood exactly what he was thinking, and he took time to ask questions to make sure he understood what we were thinking. He has a great eye for design and added details to our project that really accentuated the look we were going for. He had a contractor that he worked with, rather than putting the project out for bid. We were unsure of how this might affect the project, but the contractor, Stan, was knowledgeable, practical and demonstrated great integrity.

We hired Ossolinski Architects for our home renovation and are extremely pleased with the result. The firm designed plans that transformed a tired 1950s rambler into a sophisticated-looking home with tons of light and a lot of flair. We are pleased with each element of the design. Ossolinski Architects thought through all the small details that others might have overlooked. Looking back, I don’t think we’d change a thing. The kitchen, entryway, master bedroom and bath, deck and porch are very complete—each one complementing the other. And the new windows throughout the house are the icing on the cake. We are thoroughly enjoying our renovated home; it’s amazing how life-changing it is to transform one’s space.

Negative experience. Charming at first, and full of great ideas .... before putting them on paper. Ended up presenting us with 3 drafts, one of which was bizarre (an entirely glass wall between a bathroom and a guest bedroom), diagonally placed kitchen island. Of the 3 drafts, 2 were unusable because they were just so odd, and the 3rd one was cookie-cutter, and just OK (at first). The designs seemed to be either cookie-cutter or weird, with no interesting happy medium. Matt was asked repeatedly to check on the location of underground utilities, and he didn't do it despite being asked several times. Nevertheless, Matt proceeded to design a basement reno and apply for permits. One final set of drawings he sent me were of such low resolutions, that several contractors bowed out, and Matt made zero effort to send me a file of reasonable res. He did offer to charge me for a new draft, even though I already paid for the original. Charged us premium for every little thing that he did, and took his time doing things (while on the clock, and charging $200/hr -- why he, and not his assistant had to go to DCRA I don't know). For example, permit application process took almost a year. And he always had "strategies" on how to do it faster, but each strategy meant that I had to keep paying for them, and permitting did not happen any faster. When I lost patience and walked down to DCRA myself, I got everything wrapped up in a day and a half. Little did I know that the plans were not usable, and the permits would have to be re-done anyway... When contractors came and conducted a utility survey, it turned out that the plans are of no use because the new basement steps, retaining walls etc ran squarely over and through every underground utility. When approached, Matt suggest ed to rework the plans, but would charge me all over again. Matt can be very charming when you just pay and pay and pay, and he will continue to find reasons for you to pay him. He has this favorite talking point on how your project is just not right for anybody else to take on (it's too big, it's too small, it's too complex -- you pick). But he is the guy who doesn't mind getting down and dirty to help you out, and he knows a guy who knows a guy who will get you a great deal on something. These "deals" never are. Now that I have to redo everything that he charged me for, I'm finding that there plenty of people with integrity who do a good job.

I am very sorry to say be careful - this one will nickel and dime you. Our budget was tight - very tight. We let that be known from the get go. We only wanted a basic basement remodel. After spending 12K for the drawings (which was also a surprise to how fast it added up) we found out that the bids for a basement were way out of our league so we had to stop the process. We were very frank with Matt about our limited budget. If he thought we were unrealistic in the first place he should have said that to us before doing the drawings. We ended up doing the work ourselves. It took almost two years but it cost 1/4 of the lowest quote we got. The real kicker though was when we asked him for our retainer back after we completed the work. First he had the gall to tell us, “I had my doubts” that we would finish the work. Then after three months and still no retainer - we were told it must have gotten lost in the mail. So he decided to email us what he mailed to us - a BILL for $22.44 more than the retainer! But Matt is such a ‘good guy’ that he, “…suggested that you not pay the amount shown as due, and that we call it even.” Business must not be very good these days! To explain this bill to us he said, “early termination affects office staffing, project planning for the projects, and as such increases expenses not quantifiable in actual time spent.” In other words, he doesn't have to quantify all the time involved. We had expected the termination fee to be subtracted but on top of that was the “not quantifiable” time. Which according to Matt is, “standard in every architecture office I am familiar with.” But he thinks we are even now - because we don’t owe him the 22.44. This would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. His work was ok, his business ethos not so much.

We recently renovated our 1930's home under the architectural guidance and direction of Matt Ossolinski. Thanks to his architectural genius, he transformed our house into a spectacular living environment. Through all phases of the design process, from the initial concepts through construction, he demonstrated his design and architectural acumen that inspired every aspect of our finished home. We greatly appreciated his ability to work collaboratively with us to create a unique structure that took into account our needs, interests, and life style. His plans reflected the specific characteristics of the building site, views, topography, and sun path, that resulted in a home that is elegant, highly functional, and architecturally sound. Further, Matt was willing to to address all of our questions and concerns, ensuring that we were confident in his focus on every detail of the project. It was clear that ever aspect of this effort was of importance to him and is reflected in every aspect of our home. Since we returned to our residence, we have had the opportunity to entertain many of our friends and colleagues, all of whom marvel at the graceful, light-filled interiors--all of which reflect Matt's vision for our extensive addition. As a result of his dedication to excellence, our home has exceeded expectations in every way. We are very fortunate to have worked with him on this ambitious project.

Matt Ossolinski prepared plans for the basement apartment in our house and our own kitchen and bedroom/bath. The plans were careful and detailed, drafted within tight constraints of space and budgets. Matt brought to the project a strong sense of contemporary design and a willingness to work closely with challenging clients. The completed project has met all our expectations; we now have a well-designed, comfortable apartment (with good tenants), along with a functional and attractive kitchen/dining room and bedroom with a beautifully-tiled bathroom.

Matt handled the complete design and renovation of my kitchen that hadn't been touched since the late 1940s. He turned a room that was dark and dysfunctional into a room that was easy to use, full of light and energy efficient. He was so easy to work with and I' m still delighted every time I start my day in the kitchen.

Matthew made our 7.5 month complete home renovation both possible and fun. From our first meeting with him, we felt like he understood us and how we wanted to create a home environment to support our family's lifestyle. Throughout the design process Matthew provided options that exceeded our expectations and always took our input and desires into account. The advice and assistance he provided throughout the process of selecting a contractor made the experience much more efficient and less daunting. Once construction started, Matthew worked closely with the contractor and always kept us informed and involved in the project. He provided invaluable quality control and held the contractors to a high standard both in construction quality and job site management. Despite the inevitable project delays and challenges, we always felt confident that Matthew had our best interest in mind and was hard at work to provide us with a high quality product. We couldn't be happier with the final results, we love our new home and all of the innovative design elements that Matthew included. We now truly consider Matthew a friend, intend to work with him for future projects, and would recommend him to anyone that asks.

Matt Ossolinski and Jose Valcarcel, his colleague at Ossolinski Architects, PLLC, did a masterful job of helping us realize our vision for sensitively renovating the first floor of our 1880s row house on Capitol Hill. We bought the house knowing that it had good bones, but the intermittent renovations over the past 100 or so years – including a well-meaning but not fully competent re-do by previous owners more than 20 years ago – had left the house with a more cut-up floor plan than it had originally, a living room bereft of its original fireplace, and a dark and cramped kitchen at the back. Matt worked with us from the beginning of the process, first by imagining the possibilities. He then discussed budget issues and introduced us to a selection of potential contractors, allowing us to make the final choice based on cost and quality consideration. Matt turned next to the fun of redesigning a more beautiful and functional old house, after which he took successful charge of the permitting process (more challenging than usual because the house is in the Capitol Hill Historic District) and finished by overseeing the work of the contractor to completion in 2015. As I write this, I am sitting in front of the restored fireplace in a greatly "enlarged" front room that feels twice the size of the original mostly because of the removal of non-load-bearing walls. The entire first floor is a graceful marriage of historic feeling and modern open concept: The openings from living room to dining room to kitchen are much larger and better oriented than before, but the remaining supporting walls, however small, evoke what was here originally. A 1920s renovation of the living room and hallway introduced molding on the walls (French provincial? Art Deco? Take your pick!), and Matt – together with the excellent team of the contractor, The Ley Group – replicated the old molding beautifully in the expanded living room and extended it delicately to the ceiling of the dining room. The kitchen was expanded slightly and allowed Matt to employ a bit of his modernist flair. We asked for a modern take on the Arts and Crafts look, and the Ossolinski designers delivered -- along with increasing the windows by about 600 percent. The design pierced the old "dog-leg" wall, which had just one window, with four new ones. More dramatically, the back wall overlooking the garden now boasts a glass door and a bay window (complete with cushioned seat) that both the humans and pets in our household enjoy. The work space within the kitchen is much better organized, with an eat-in peninsula and considerably more useable counter space than we had before. The white cabinetry and chunky, dark quartz countertops give the room a relaxed, airy atmosphere – and it has become a favorite space for occasional telecommuting "office" space during the work week. One unexpected bonus was the small deck that Matt added outside the kitchen area. The deck had not been on our original wish list, and while we were happy to see it in the design, we did not give it much thought – until the work was over and we found ourselves regularly spending summer evenings sitting out there with a glass of wine. Nothing in life is perfect, and the design/construction process hit a few bumps along the way. We were pleased, however, at the professional way in which Ossolinski and The Ley Group handled the issues. We have no hesitation in recommending both of them for residential work in the DC area. Our only problem now is that we can see the back garden much better and so feel compelled to actually take care of it. We expect that professional photographs will be available in spring 2016 for posting on houzz. In the meantime, we enjoy sending somewhat grainy photos from our iPads to friends and family and receiving admiring responses. In-person visits from friends – especially those who saw the house in its previous state – usually elicit gasps of amazement. We gasp a bit ourselves at times at how much more handsome, graceful, and functional the house is today.

Ossolinski Architects desgined and oversaw an office renovation for us and their work was impeccable - really understood our needs, produced a great design with some wonderful features and meticulously oversaw the project. They were creative and professional - and a lot of fun to work with.

The Ley Group has been working with Ossolinski Architects on numerous projects in the past ten years. During that time we have built projects that vary so much in size and style that it is clear that Matthew Ossolinski has a great sense of what the client needs and wants whilst lending his taste and style. These projects have also won awards and have been published. Something that stands out about Ossolinski is his attention to detail in every aspect of his design and construction drawings. This makes the process clear for a builder so there are fewer misunderstandings for more successful projects. We’re always too happy to be working on an Ossolinski project!

We hired Ossolinski Architects (OA) for an extensive renovation to our house, which was originally built in the 1930s. One of our primary goals was to keep intact the original character of the house while reconfiguring existing space and adding new space to meet our needs. We selected OA based on their previous designs that seemed so well suited to the personal needs and desires of each individual client. We are so happy with the end result and would eagerly work with OA again. The project included digging out a new basement recreation room with a new kitchen and family room above on the main floor and also a new master bedroom suite on the second level. We transformed the previous kitchen and family room areas into a main level master bedroom, laundry room and walk-in pantry. In addition we added a three-season room, mud room, patio garage, and exercise room. On the second level, we combined two existing small bedrooms into one en suite bedroom. OA collaborated with us to develop the perfect design and provided support throughout the construction process by attending weekly construction meetings, providing design clarifications and additional construction details. OA also provided critical support with selecting all the finishes, making initial recommendations and alternative suggestions, based on our feedback. OA also incorporated beautiful design details including beamed ceilings, wood trusses, tile accents and custom handrails. We relocated during the project, which was under construction for approximately 15 months. We have been back in our new, old home for almost four months and are thrilled with the end result. OA was collaborative, professional, detail-oriented, reliable and responsive throughout the project. OA also served as a great advocate for us with the contractor and sub-contractors. Our primary contact throughout the project was Matt Ossolinski. We highly recommend Ossolinski Architects!