Process
How we work.
Six stages. Every one essential. We take you through the entire journey from first conversation to final styling — so you always know where you are, what comes next, and why.
Initial Consultation
Site Assessment & Feasibility
Concept Design
Detailed Planning & Permits
Construction
Styling & Handover
Initial Consultation
Free — 45 minutes
We begin with a conversation, not a contract. We want to understand how you live, what you value, and what you're hoping to create. No pressure. No pitch. Just listening — and the occasional question that no one has asked you before.
What happens
- —Meet the Clearstone team at our Portland studio
- —Share your vision, constraints, and aspirations
- —Discuss site, budget, and timeline
- —Determine whether we're the right fit for each other
Site Assessment & Feasibility
2–3 weeks
We visit the site, commission any required surveys, and produce a clear-eyed feasibility report. What is possible here? What will it cost? What are the risks and opportunities? This step is about clarity — so you can make a real decision.
What happens
- —Site visit with lead architect and developer
- —Topographical and boundary survey
- —Planning and zoning assessment
- —Preliminary budget range and timeline
- —Formal feasibility report delivered
Concept Design
4–8 weeks
This is where we begin to build — in drawing, in model, in material. We present a concept that represents our best thinking, explain why we made every decision, and then refine together. No design by committee. No death by options.
What happens
- —Architectural concept drawings
- —Interior design direction
- —Material palette and specification
- —Physical and digital models
- —Revised budget estimate
Detailed Planning & Permits
8–16 weeks
The unglamorous work that makes the glamorous outcome possible. We manage every detail of the permit process — structural engineering, mechanical coordination, compliance documentation — so you don't have to.
What happens
- —Developed architectural drawings
- —Structural and MEP engineering
- —Permit applications and approvals
- —Construction documentation
- —Contractor tender and selection
Construction
6–24 months
We do not disappear once the build begins. Nadia or a senior member of the Clearstone team visits every site weekly. Problems are identified and solved before they become issues. Quality is not inspected in — it is built in.
What happens
- —Weekly site visits by senior Clearstone team
- —Real-time client updates and photo reporting
- —Proactive issue identification and resolution
- —Subcontractor management and quality control
- —Ongoing interior design and FF&E coordination
Styling & Handover
2–4 weeks
We don't hand over keys and disappear. The final weeks of a Clearstone project are about making sure that every cushion is in its right place, every light at its right level, and every system fully understood. We stay until it's right.
What happens
- —Final interior styling and placement
- —Art and accessory installation
- —Full systems walkthrough and training
- —Defects and snagging resolution
- —Photography and documentation
Ready to begin?
The first step is free. Schedule an initial consultation and let's find out if we're the right team for your project.