We were introduced to Corey from Bright Black at t...

We were introduced to Corey from Bright Black at the Parade of Homes in Bozeman (Summer 2019). We were in the very early stages of planning a build of our own and had decided that we wanted to work with an architect firm on a design so we could get exactly what we wanted in our dream home.

Marissa and Rachel of Bright Black met us at our property in Butte a week later to get a feel for the land, topography, and to ask us questions about who we were as people so our home can reflect us, our daily patterns, our vision, etc. They genuinely wanted to learn about the people living in the home first, before even thinking about the design. We knew right after this meeting that Bright Black was who we wanted to work with for our home.

First and foremost, we loved them as both architects AND as people. We felt like we could sit down and have a beer with them easily and talk forever. This was REALLY important because it helped open up a lot of dialogue and communication with them. We felt 100% comfortable sharing our thoughts and ideas with them and we felt comfortable letting them know when something was not going to work and we needed to make adjustments. This made the design process a lot less stressful than if we were working with someone else.

Second, they always kept our dream home vision a priority, but also helped us manage expectations. They were extremely honest and open about what we would be able to build within our budget, and helped us come up with alternative options if needed. They genuinely wanted us to LOVE everything about our house! We were involved where we wanted and needed to be, but also looked to Bright Black to provide their professional guidance. We trusted them 110% and they always delivered.

Third, they listened to what we had to say and asked meaningful and effective questions, and paid attention to the details. This was evident during our first meeting with them at the property. They asked us so many questions and documented our answers to reference throughout this process. Bright Black truly listened to everything we had to say about our ideas, concerns, etc. They literally thought of everything when designing our home! Although some of this extended our timeline a little bit, it was worth making sure that everything was just right for us.

Finally, their communication was just right balanced and effective. There were a number of times that we would frantically emailed Marissa at 3AM about something that we forgot to consider or include. She always calmed me down, tackled the issues, came up with options, and made necessary adjustments. We liked that they were a smaller firm and we knew exactly who we were working with at Bright Black. We had actual face time (or Zoom time, once everything was shut down) with them on a regular schedule which was helpful too.

If we had to do it all over, we d choose them again and again and again!

Nate & Krissy
Butte, Montana