The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Laying It Out: Jim and Nancy Dumas have drawn up architectural and interior designs for several Willow Glen homes, including their own.

Husband-and-wife design team sets up shop on Lincoln Avenue

Couple creates homes from the outside in

By Christine Frey

Willow Glen residents Jim and Nancy Dumas have a vested interest in the appearance of their neighborhood. However, their concern is more than that of homeowners. It's their job.

The husband-and-wife architectural and interior design team moved their 11-year-old business, Dumas + Associates, to Lincoln Avenue June 1. Their office--with its tangerine and teal walls, special lighting and modern furniture--is one example of their interior design work.

Although they have worked primarily with commercial buildings, the Dumases are looking to expand their residential division. Four homes in Willow Glen, including their own, have been remodeled under their watchful eyes.

"Willow Glen is an old neighborhood. We don't want to see [its character] destroyed," Jim, 48, says, sitting with blueprints and portfolios in front of him.

In their nine years in the area, Jim and Nancy have seen many changes to local commercial and residential buildings. They say more will be seen with the current Willow Glen building trend of tearing down existing homes and rebuilding on location. They are currently working on one such project.

The Dumases pride themselves on the diversity of their designs, which vary from a 5,500-square-foot Mediterranean-style home to a 2,600-square-foot 1920s-style home. "What we try to do is create a design that reflects our client's personality," says Jim, who has 23 years of architectural experience.

Besides architectural and interior design and remodeling, the Dumases offer services that go beyond the drawing board. They take contractor bids for clients to assist in controlling costs; make weekly visits to construction sites to ensure that the houses are being built correctly; and create color schemes with paint, carpet and tile samples.

Nancy, who has worked as an interior designer for 15 years, says the combination of architecture and interior design is what makes Dumas + Associates unique. "The two go hand in hand, and it's nice to have them in the same office," the 38-year-old asserts.

For more information on Dumas + Associates, call 248-1195.

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