Testimonials
“After looking through hundreds of pictures on Houzz from designers in the area, my husband and I chose Grace Thomas Designs to design our family room. We certainly made the right decision! Our family room was completed about three months ago and it has the wow factor we were looking for while also being comfortable and functional. Michelle and her team were fun to work with and presented great ideas for the family room as well as ways to tie in the surrounding areas on the main level. For the family room, they chose a comfortable sectional, fun patterned swivel chair, and unique tables. They made great choices for the rug, drapes, art, ceiling fan, and paint and also created a beautiful area around the existing fireplace by adding complementary tile, cabinets, and countertops. The whole area is stunning! All of the choices are beautiful and we love the mix of textures and patterns. I admit that I wasn’t sure about a few items in the original design, but I decided to trust Michelle and her team. I’m glad I trusted them! My husband and I could have spent years trying to do this ourselves and I’m sure it would never look this good. Although we’re not able to entertain yet, some people have seen the space and it’s fun to see their reactions. I would say “wow” is the first thing we usually hear! I think a lot of people are not used to seeing spaces that are so beautiful. We’re already thinking about bringing Michelle and her team back to design our master bedroom!”
“The team at Grace Thomas Design completely surpassed our expectations. They took the time to fully understand our style and expectations for what we wanted in the main living area of our home. Their attention to detail, patience, professionalism and vision is unparalleled and for that reason, I would recommend them to anyone.”
“Our project started as a kitchen remodel and turned into a entire home gut! I knew from the first conversation with Michelle and team (Margaret, Callie, Joey, Daniel) that they understood exactly what I wanted. Their attention to detail and remembering the little things are what make them exceptional in the industry. There is never an email, text or question that goes unanswered and they demand the same level from their suppliers. Our project was long and and sometimes hard, but in the end we now have our dream home and it is perfect in EVERY way! I cannot recommend GTD more and am currently thinking of my next project so we never have to part ways!”
“I can’t say enough great things about Grace Thomas Designs. Not only were her designs beautiful and exactly what we were looking for, she and her team were professional, fun to work with, and ensured all of our needs were met. They made sure our spaces not only looked amazing but were also functional. Her construction team was neat and organized and worked efficiently. We look forward to working with Michelle and her team on future projects as she took all the stress and concern out of the process and left us with style and a beautiful home!”
“We worked with Michelle and her team at Grace Thomas Designs to remodel our kitchen and mud room. Her team is nothing short of exceptional and we are overjoyed with the results. They are extremely thorough and available for any questions or feedback throughout the process. Highly recommend them to anyone looking for design ideas and remodel projects. We look forward to working with Grace Thomas Designs on more home projects in the future!!”
“Michelle, Margaret and Callie have been absolutely amazing to work with. This incredible team has helped transform several spaces in my home including my master bedroom and bathroom along with two young boys bedrooms and bathroom. For each project Michelle and her team took the time to listen to our vision for the space and helped make our dreams a reality. The attention to detail in each space is exquisite. They take not only design but lifestyle into consideration when planning. My bedroom and bathroom is a true sanctuary, but also boy friendly so my children and I can enjoy the space together while not worrying about spills etc. The boys friends often comment how they want new rooms after seeing what Michelle and her team have done. When boys comment you know the work must be truly outstanding!! My family and I look forward to working with Grace Thomas Designs on our next project. Thank you all for being not only amazing designers but truly wonderful people.”
“We have had a wonderful experience working with Michelle, Margaret and Callie. They are extremely dedicated to their work and their singular focus is to exceed their clients’ expectations. They are very easy to communicate with and extremely professional. They are considerate of items you may want to keep and work them into the design, if possible. They found beautiful and unique fabrics for our family room. The draperies are exquisite. I told Michelle that my new family room is one I would pin on Pinterest :). It was a real pleasure to work with these talented and kind ladies. We will definitely work with them again on future projects. We highly recommend Grace Thomas Designs :)”
“Michelle and her team was absolutely wonderful. They are always available and will give you their honest opinion while working with you to make your visions a reality. Great team and an absolute pleasure to have worked with them.”
“This company excels at so much but mostly Amazing designs and Outstanding Customer Service. I have had the pleasure to assist them on some amazing projects and always get excited for the next one. Their attention to detail is the highest I have ever seen but still somehow having a fun time with their client.”
“Michelle and her entire team at Grace Thomas Designs (to include her GC and his crew) were a pleasure to work with. From concept planning through execution Michelle proved to be a talented and professional designer. She and her team gave us multiple options to consider throughout the process to include many we never would have thought of on our own. She took the time to understand our interests and more importantly our priorities with respect to impacts on our budget. Prior to the start of the project we gave a lot of thought about trade-offs between costs and benefits and even though we exceeded our initial budget estimate it was without a doubt an excellent investment. Although a lot of time goes into the planning stages there will inevitably be modifications and changes that occur during the renovation which can be stressful and add costs but in the end the results were transformative and well worth the wait!”
“I have worked with Grace Thomas Designs for several years as a business consultant. I have had the pleasure of not only seeing their gorgeous finished spaces, but also the hard work that goes into each client’s dream. Michelle is very skilled at understanding her client’s visions and doing whatever it takes to research and find just the right products to complete that vision. I think that if you are in the market for a designer that listens, is dedicated, and does beautiful work, Grace Thomas Designs is a perfect fit!”
“Michelle, Margaret and the entire team are unbelievable. They have literally transformed much of our house, including kitchen, dining room, living room, foyer, light fixtures, bathroom, and the list goes on. We get so many compliments on everything they touch. We also have a handful of animals so it was very important to have furniture in our living room in particular that was comfortable and also stain resistant. I couldn’t believe what they did – looks spectacular and it was everything we asked for. They are the very, very best!”
“Words cannot adequately describe the artistry and professionalism that Michelle and her team bring to any job big or small. I have worked with designers in the past whose work looked very similar across projects. That is absolutely not the case with this firm. The level of detail that they go to and the careful attention to the clients’ taste and preferences is unparalleled. Michelle and her team treat every project big or small as if it is their #1 priority and they are sure to provide the absolute best customer service in the industry. Beyond that the designs are stunning and always within budget guidelines. They are truly the best small business that I know of.”
“Michelle and her team are beyond amazing! We hired this firm to renovate our master bath, master bedroom, home office and kitchen. It was a lot of work and many hours vested however 110% worth it! We LOVE EVERYTHING they did. Michelle worked closely with me during each step of the project and no detail went unnoticed. Their eye for design is absolutely superb. She listened to me and made my vision a reality. Grace Thomas Designs- Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for being so amazing at what you do. Hire this team, you will not be disappointed!”
“We loved working with this designer & contractor DREAM TEAM! Their client service is second to none and we couldn’t be more pleased with the final product. At every step of this large renovation, they were extremely professional and handled every single thing with the utmost integrity as well as respect of our project as if it was their own. The completed renovations have improved the quality of our family’s life in numerous ways and have enhanced our space for entertaining. And we must mention this firm’s soft spot for pets and how much we love knowing that they regularly send financial support to an airplane pilot who rescues shelter dogs by bringing them to other states for adoption. The GTD dream team has truly become like family and I’m pretty sure we’ll be contacting them again soon!”
“Our family recently completed the construction of a lake house in Upstate New York, and the first person I called to help me pull things together and add the decorating details that we needed was Michelle Troxell at Grace Thomas Designs. I have known and admired Michelle for many years, and as always, she took the time to listen to what we wanted to achieve and how we wanted to spend time in our new home. She understood the different needs and tastes of three generations of our family and created beautiful designs that we coordinated and perfectly aligned with our specific needs and varying styles. On top of her creativity, Michelle provided world class service to us, diligently handling delivery and installation to our somewhat remote location in NY. We couldn’t be happier with Michelle and her team at Grace Thomas Designs, and I would strongly recommend her to anyone in need of design and decorating help.”
“Let me start by saying I have a very high bar for customer service. I have sometimes been labeled as difficult. 😉
Michelle and her amazing team surpassed my expectations. She will be your advocate to work with her vendors to get everything exactly they way you want it!
Our basement looks beautiful with a huge custom sectional, bar table, wet bar and art work that makes our downstairs look like a museum. The craft room is perfect for our two girls that love to paint and draw. We have huge craft letters that light up the room. My daughter even had a sleep over in that room she loved it so much!
The contractor (Daniel) we worked with was honest, dependable and provided quality work. He was always accessible if I had questions or concerns and usually responded within 24-48 hours. The quote he provided was written out line by line so you knew exactly what you were signing up for. No hidden costs. I am a project manager by trade and he was a great PM!
One last thing, Michelle will work with your budget and respect that so don’t be afraid to be honest when you have hit your max. Overall, a very stress free renovation. How often can you say that?”
“Michelle and her team are talented, meticulous, relationship-oriented and dedicated, and have been a pleasure to work with. Our projects included a kitchen renovation, floor replacement on main level (hardwood and tile), paint, powder room makeover, and drapery.
The planning, selection and overall process required for design work is not a personal strength or interest. We knew we wanted to hire professionals, and after a neighbor worked with and recommended Michelle, we contracted with GTD and are thrilled with the end results. Along the way we had a few hiccups with products, not unexpected in a large project. Michelle and her team were committed to making every detail right and advocated to the suppliers on our behalf until final resolution.
We will continue to work with GTD on expanded and future projects and would recommend the firm to others. Our thanks to the GTD team for everything!”
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…
…when Michelle, of Grace Thomas Designs, shows up at your door excited and ready to unleash the magic. Once again, I have given her the charge of transforming a boring room that is used for catching mail, shoes, sports equipment and uniforms into a warm useable space that will soon be filled often with family, friends and new memories.
My dining room table was taking up space that could otherwise be used for storage… Ugh! This needed to change. I was putting it off because there was never enough time to devote to the process. So, once again I made the “SOS” call.
Because I have worked with Michelle several times, she promptly put a plan into action. Before I knew it, I had a start and end date to the project. I needed 10 dining room chairs, 2 window treatments, wallpaper and a few set-a-bouts to complete the room. She knew my taste… southern charm. Michelle knows her companies and their products instinctively. Without hesitation, she thought of a company from North Carolina that I could order my fabulous chairs! I truly love the style, comfort and quality of these chairs. Once I chose the wallpaper, she had an installer scheduled and the job was done while I was at work. Can you imagine coming home to find your walls covered perfectly…nothing in the room appeared out of place and not a speck of dirt or dust in the room. It was cleaner than when I left. Now for the drapery, let me tell you! Even today, looking at my beautiful drapery still takes my breath away. The color is lush, the backing is thick, and the stitching alone is a work of art! I just couldn’t believe Michelle could create what I thought was an impossible job, a warm and beautiful room…During Easter dinner, I took a moment to take in my dining room filled with people who are closest to my heart and I realized Michelle not only gave me a beautiful room but a place for my loved ones to gather and share precious memories.
Thank you, Michelle, Margaret and all who were involved in the process. You have made my dream come true.”
“My new husband and I have a wonderful relationship with Michelle Troxell of Grace Thomas Designs. Merging 2 households with lots of existing furniture, pictures and artwork is a tough task, but Michelle was wonderful about asking what pieces were most important to us or had meaning. She was also very respectful of our budget and focused on what we really needed to function well, which in our case, was lighting, side pieces, finishing touches, managing all our photos. We tackled the main floor of our 3-floor townhouse first and we love it! Gone is the clutter and now we have serene beauty. Top & bottom floors, and exterior deck and landscaping are next!”
“What an incredible designer with an amazing team behind her! My husband and I are lucky enough to own the 2006 HGTV dream home. While the home’s décor still looks good, we wanted to update the family room to include our personal tastes and we recently added a pool, fire pit and hot tub to the outdoor space so we needed furniture for those areas – along with new furniture for the outdoor family living & dining area. Given the history and the style of the home, we were incredibly picky about who we wanted to work with. We had met Michelle in Virginia when we were getting our previous home ready to sell and after meeting with her to discuss that project we definitely knew she was the person that we could trust with our new dream home. Michelle traveled multiple times to North Carolina to meet with us and to work on the indoor and outdoor designs. She listened carefully to how we wanted to live in and use the various indoor and outdoor areas and she exceeded every demand and desire that we had! (And, my husband was a tough person to please! ) Moreover, she coordinated, managed and traveled to be here in person for all of the deliveries – what an amazing service and stress reliever! The final design results were more than we could have ever dreamed of – every area was transformed into incredibly beautiful and livable space! Michelle’s design work and dedication to client service are AMAZING! After working with her on this project there was no question as to who we would call when we needed to select outdoor furniture for our new winery. Not only did Michelle choose beautiful, functional furniture – she was able to source and deliver it all within an incredibly short deadline. The results are amazing and our guests routinely comment on how much they love the furniture choice and the look of the space. Another incredible job by Michelle and her team!”
“My husband and I had the extreme pleasure of working with Michelle and her team on several design projects at our home. She has an incredible talent and ability to transform rooms and areas into beautiful, livable spaces! As such, there was no question as to who we would call when we needed to select outdoor furniture for our new winery. Not only did Michelle choose beautiful, functional furniture – she was able to source and deliver it all within an incredibly short deadline. The results are amazing our guests routinely comment on how much they love the furniture choice and the look of the space. Another incredible job by Michelle and her team!”
“We would highly recommend Michelle and Tom of Grace Thomas Designs for any design project in your home. They are so wonderful to work with and provide superior service with so much kindness. They will do whatever it takes to make sure that their your new space is a place of beauty, elegance as well as functional and not only reflects who you are but how you like to live. They are very detail oriented and take the extra time to make sure that every design expresses the client’s personal tastes and lifestyle making the final space a place that you will absolutely love.”
“It was our first Christmas as a family of six in our new home. We initially hired Grace Thomas Designs to simply help decorate and accessorize our home for Christmas because honestly, we were too busy and too tired to “go all out” to do it ourselves. But we wanted our kids to have something special for the holidays. To our surprise, Michelle and her team didn’t just decorate our home…they completely transformed it! We couldn’t believe what she had done with our home. It was beyond what we could have imagined (oh, and we should mention that they had maybe a week to do everything). Now it felt like Christmas; a winter wonderland; it was magical…we loved it! Our kids loved it, and our family and friends loved it. They really made the season memorable and it’s something our children will remember forever. Thanks to Michelle and her team, we have wonderful new traditions to look forward to every Christmas.
It was evident that if they put so much effort into simply decorating our home for the holidays, they would surely impress us even more with a full-scale project. We decided to hire them to design a homework room for our four children. In the short time since we started working with Michelle and her team in December 2014, they have completed three major projects for us that have significantly helped transform the design and use of space in our home – it really is “functional and fabulous”…it is our sanctuary. We are so fortunate that we found Grace Thomas Designs that we have now retained them to do two more projects. In addition, they are also helping us plan for several future projects.
Grace Thomas Designs represents everything that’s great about working with a design firm! What we can tell you first-hand from our experience is that they are good and honest people; they care – no matter how big or small the project is; they genuinely connect with their clients in ways that allow them to deliver personal touches, making their designs even more unique and meaningful; they listen to and understand their clients’ needs; they are so respectful and mindful of their clients’ budget; they meet project deadlines; they don’t make excuses; every design is original and custom; they are extremely knowledgeable and resourceful; they manage everything and everyone involved in the process/project; they pay attention to every detail (even ones you don’t know or think about); they will always do the right thing; and they have a passion for pleasing and pride themselves in delivering unparalleled customer service. Their excitement and passion for design is contagious. It really made us understand and appreciate how the right design centered around function and style can dramatically improve the way you live…it certainly has for us.
Working with Grace Thomas Designs has been amazing, fun, and exciting. Their professionalism, their focus on making our designs “functional and fabulous,” and complimenting how we live as a family – now and into the future, their creativity, their ability to “wow” their clients, and their “we will take care of everything” approach has been such a rewarding and pleasing experience. They made us feel relaxed and stress-free knowing our projects were in their hands.
We can’t recommend Grace Thomas Designs enough. Look no further. They are the real deal. No one does it better!”
“Michelle and her team at Grace Thomas Designs do not disappoint! I recently worked with Michelle to design the first level of our new home and we were so lucky to have found her. She has an eye for detail and hit our style spot on! We asked for a colonial Williamsburg, but modern look for our home (and baby friendly as we have a little one) and she delivered the most amazing designs. We are constantly getting compliments on everything from our drapes to our furniture and the look and feel of our home. We couldn’t thank Michelle and her team enough for their hard work and eye for functional and fabulous designs! They were wonderful to work with from day one and kept our budget and style at top of mind the entire time. Very thankful to have worked this team! If you’re considering a design project look no further – Michelle and her team are the best in the business.”
“Grace Thomas Designs helped me renovate my basement from a sad, basic space to a fabulous and sophisticated entertaining area! I generally tend to select art and furniture myself, but found myself without the time and energy to tackle all of the selections involved for my house and the office. Michelle has a really well-edited style and taste that incorporates her client’s vision, but upgrades it to another level! Michelle and Margaret were so lovely to work with and were just the kindest and most generous people. They helped with paint color selections, lighting, flooring/rugs, tile, and furniture for not only my basement, but also my main level. Michelle also ended up consulting on artwork for our new office space and it looks amazing! My husband and I are so pleased with our newly updated house, and are looking forward to future projects together.”
“Michelle Troxell of Grace Thomas Designs and Euclides Moreno (USQ Home Improvement) were phenomenal. They completely transformed and updated two bathrooms as well as refreshed our outdated kitchen for the fraction of the cost of a total renovation. The bathrooms and kitchen are so beautiful. For the kitchen, they recommended keeping the cabinets and granite because they were quality material, but recommended painting the cabinets a beautiful grey, adding a backsplash, new pulls, a fabulous faux stone wall near our breakfast bar, new lighting and fresh paint. The place looks brand new! We love it. We didn’t tell our college age son who was returning home for spring break and surprised him when he walked into the kitchen from the airport! His mouth dropped and he was speechless (never happens!). He immediately said “Wow, what did you do? It looks beautiful!” Eu and Michelle were wonderful to work with and we will definitely be calling again to use their services for future projects. Unlike some other contractors who come and go during the project, Euclides and his team didn’t leave our site until the job was done! Michelle’s design suggestions were perfect. She collaborated with us, including my children who would be the main users of the bathrooms, and listened to our ideas and input. Any issues, they corrected and addressed, without question and very quickly! It was the best and easiest renovation we’ve ever gone through! Thank you Michelle and Eu!”
“Grace Thomas’ owner Michelle Troxell found every single thing I wanted for my master bathroom Reno, and then added a wow with her design touches. Her ability to be a go-between with GC is unparalleled. Phenomenal work. Cannot wait for our next project.”
“We highly recommend Grace Thomas Design. We worked with Michelle and Tom on our Irish Pub themed basement project. We absolutely love it. It was our first time working with a professional designer and it was an amazing experience. Michelle’s designs are stunning and her team is highly skilled and professional. She completed our project in an extremely tight deadline and it is everything and more than we hoped it would be.”
“Our experience with Grace Thomas Designs was fantastic! Michelle took a room that we had no idea how to get to where we wanted to go with it and made it our own little cozy escape! In addition, she helped us add accents to our kitchen that helped turn it in to the cooking space that I wanted. Working with Michelle and her team was easy and all the work that was done completely fit the concept of what we wanted for our home. Michelle worked within the ideas that I provided and did not try to pressure me to do something different. I loved working with her and if I have any additional design needs, I will be sure to work with Grace Thomas Designs!”
“Wow! It’s hard to describe how much I truly appreciated Michelle and Tom when we redid our living and dining room (and foyer). I have used other designers in the past, but I have not experienced the same level of professionalism, enthusiasm, or attention to every detail as I had with Grace Thomas Designs. From the first consultation, to the design boards, to the final product, they deliver! The focus on detail and “getting it right” did not go unnoticed. I didn’t have to do one thing, they really offer white glove service and it shows. Michelle was able to quickly pick up on the look that I wanted and translated that into beautiful rooms.”
“We had been searching for a designer to help us give our 12 year old home a facelift for over a year and finally decided to use Michelle Troxell at Grace Thomas Designs! My husband and I have different tastes but she was able to obtain a complete comprise so that both us LOVE our new home! It feels like it did when we first moved in! She made the process so easy and fun and we now have a home that reflects us as a family. I would NEVER had been able to do it on my own and I can’t express the gratitude we have to her! Now my friends are using Grace Thomas Designs when they saw what she had done! I would be the FIRST to say that you are missing out if you do not utilize the talents of Grace Thomas Designs.”
“Michelle and her team have been simply amazing to work with. She transformed our deck and pool area from boring and outdated to more than we could have ever imagined. We now have an incredibly luxurious spa-retreat! On our deck off the house, Michelle not only repainted the deck and recommended beautiful new furniture, but her team built an awesome grill island from scratch, and removed an unused hot tub to replace it with a custom-built fire pit! Our family absolutely loves this space for conversation, hanging out with friends, and making s’mores of course! The furniture is spectacular, and perfect for our large family. She was even able to locate a wonderful bar-height circular dining table, one of our must-haves for evening cocktails! On our pool deck, I don’t even know where to begin. We now have a spectacular retreat which feels like a 5-star spa. The furniture is not only stunning, but functional and durable enough for our kids. The dining set and umbrellas are gorgeous. And we now have enough seating and “areas” where we can either host a large dinner party or have a small, intimate get-together. Both feel equally comfortable and delightful.
Michelle is awesome. Her sense of style and creativity results in absolutely stunning living spaces, and her ability to understand and meet the needs of our individual family put us completely at ease. It is very comforting knowing that you can trust your budget with someone who truly understands your needs and wants, and then can transform your space into something so much more than you could ever imagine. All of our guests comment on how beautiful and comfortable everything is. We feel incredibly lucky to be a client of Grace Thomas Designs, and have already asked her to transform some additional spaces in our home. We can’t wait to see what’s next!”
“Our master bathroom was in dire need of updating as it was original to the house which was built in 1987. We had heard great things about Grace Thomas Designs – especially how quick and efficient they were once the work started. This was so true! Michelle and Euclides met with us to get ideas of what we wanted and then presented us the design about 2 weeks later. They were able to start less than a week later. They took really good care of our house – putting down floor coverings up the stairs, etc. and it was amazing to see what they accomplished each day. We absolutely love the finished product – it is beautiful! We would definitely work with this team again. I included before and after pix – you will know which is which.”
“I contacted Grace Thomas Designs well into the planning process for our kitchen. After 10 visits to various stone yards I realized I needed help with making material choices and had previously seen pictures of rooms completed by Grace Thomas Designs as well as several good reviews. Michelle responded back quickly and walked me through the process. Working with Michelle made the process so much less stressful! Michelle is both very professional and kind. She understands the needs of a busy family with young children and is very conscientious of budget. Not once during the process did Michelle push us into making any choices or try to push more expensive products. Michelle helped us to pick out our countertop, backsplash, cabinet hardware, 2 different kind of barstools, and paint color for our entire main level and upstairs hallway. We are so happy with the end results and were really impressed with Michelle’s skills as a designer and responsiveness. For my next home renovation project I’m going straight to Michelle!”
“Michelle and her team did a fantastic job transforming our formal living room and dining room. She leveraged my important pieces and added details that just made an incredible difference. I cannot wait for our next project with Michelle!”
Let me start by saying, Michelle is absolutely amazing to work with. Her eye for design is flawless, and she has an overwhelming desire to ensure everything is perfect. I hired Grace Thomas Design to do a 3 room project in a commercial setting. Michelle and her team were able to take our vision and design it into reality, only more beautiful than we could imagine!