Desk with hand sketches of a courtyard design on tracing paper beside a tablet showing a 3D model of the same project

HOW WE WORK

A clear path from first idea to finished home.

Desk with hand sketches of a courtyard design on tracing paper beside a tablet showing a 3D model of the same project

HOW WE WORK

A clear path from first idea to finished home.

Desk with hand sketches of a courtyard design on tracing paper beside a tablet showing a 3D model of the same project

HOW WE WORK

A clear path from first idea to finished home.

Every project is different. The site, the client, the brief, the budget. No two are ever quite the same. But the process that gets you to a great result follows the same essential path every time:

Clarity before design,

design before documentation,

documentation before construction.

Every project is different. The site, the client, the brief, the budget — no two are ever quite the same. But the process that gets you to a great result follows the same essential path every time:

Clarity before design, design before documentation, documentation before construction.

We don't just draw plans; we advocate for your vision.

We guide you through every phase, from the first conversation about your vision to the final site walkthrough when your home is complete. You always know where you are, what comes next, and what decisions are ahead of you. No surprises. No guesswork.

The six phases outline how we work. Click any phase to learn more.

01 // The Foundation

Before a single line is drawn, we take time to understand your site, your goals, and your real constraints. This upfront investment is the most valuable thing you can do for your project. It identifies potential roadblocks early, keeps budgets realistic, and ensures the design process begins on solid ground. "If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first four sharpening the axe."

02 // The Vision

With your goals defined and a realistic budget in place, we begin shaping your vision. We refine your brief, test layout ideas, and explore design directions together. Once the concept captures your vision, we finalize spatial layouts and select the preliminary material palette.

03 // Refinement

This is where the design is fully realized. Exterior details, interior layouts, and room sizes are finalized. We coordinate all necessary consultants (structural, mechanical, etc.) so you have a single, cohesive plan.

04 // The Blueprint

The roadmap for the builder. Once the design meets your objectives, we resolve all technical aspects. We produce detailed documents and specifications that serve as the instruction manual for your builder, and we handle the building permit process for you.

05 // Partner Selection

Finding the right team. We don’t leave you to find a builder alone. We send documents to selected contractors, answer their technical queries, and help you evaluate bids to ensure you select the right partner at the right price.

06 // Stewardship

Ensuring quality on-site. We stay actively engaged during construction. We attend site meetings to monitor progress, review builder submittals, and ensure the work is carried out exactly as designed. This is the ultimate way to protect your investment and ensure the final quality matches your expectations.

We don't just draw plans; we advocate for your vision.

We guide you through every phase, from the first conversation about your vision to the final site walkthrough when your home is complete. You always know where you are, what comes next, and what decisions are ahead of you. No surprises. No guesswork.

The six phases outline how we work. Click any phase to learn more.

01 // The Foundation

Before a single line is drawn, we take time to understand your site, your goals, and your real constraints. This upfront investment is the most valuable thing you can do for your project. It identifies potential roadblocks early, keeps budgets realistic, and ensures the design process begins on solid ground. "If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first four sharpening the axe."

02 // The Vision

With your goals defined and a realistic budget in place, we begin shaping your vision. We refine your brief, test layout ideas, and explore design directions together. Once the concept captures your vision, we finalize spatial layouts and select the preliminary material palette.

03 // Refinement

This is where the design is fully realized. Exterior details, interior layouts, and room sizes are finalized. We coordinate all necessary consultants (structural, mechanical, etc.) so you have a single, cohesive plan.

04 // The Blueprint

The roadmap for the builder. Once the design meets your objectives, we resolve all technical aspects. We produce detailed documents and specifications that serve as the instruction manual for your builder, and we handle the building permit process for you.

05 // Partner Selection

Finding the right team. We don’t leave you to find a builder alone. We send documents to selected contractors, answer their technical queries, and help you evaluate bids to ensure you select the right partner at the right price.

06 // Stewardship

Ensuring quality on-site. We stay actively engaged during construction. We attend site meetings to monitor progress, review builder submittals, and ensure the work is carried out exactly as designed. This is the ultimate way to protect your investment and ensure the final quality matches your expectations.

Three ways to work together.

We know that “one size fits all” doesn’t apply to custom homes. We offer three tiers of service, customized to your preferred level of involvement.

ESSENTIAL

The Foundation

We provide the creative vision and the architectural roadmap, giving you a strong design concept to hand off to your builder.

best for:

Clients who have a trusted builder and are comfortable managing the engineering, permitting, and construction process themselves.

includes:

Essential architectural documentation required to visualize the design and sufficient to submit for permit including but not limited to site plan, floor plans, sections, elevations and 3D massing.

SIGNATURE

The Technical Partner

We bridge the gap between a pretty picture and a built reality. We handle the technical coordination and permits so you have a comprehensive set of plans.

best for:

Clients who want expert design leadership without the administrative burden. We handle the heavy lifting: coordinating engineers, permits, and technical details; so you can focus entirely on the enjoyable aspects of the creative collaboration.

includes:

Drawings and documentation in sufficient detail for permitting, bidding, and construction; consultant coordination, permit management, bidding support and site supervision during construction.

BESPOKE

The Immersive Experience

This is our most comprehensive level of service. We expand the architectural scope beyond the building shell to include rigorous interior architecture and specialty integration. We don’t just deliver a permit set; we design the tactile experience of the home, from custom millwork to lighting transitions, and remain your design advocate until the project is complete.

best for:

Clients who view their home as a work of art and want every detail rigorously designed. This is for those who value a high-touch, collaborative process, including guided showroom visits and photorealistic visualization. They want their designer to remain the guardian of the architectural integrity through the entire construction phase.

includes:

Everything in Signature + Comprehensive Interior Architecture (custom cabinetry, finish palettes, lighting), Photorealistic 3D Renderings, Guided Showroom Selections, Specialty Consultant Coordination (AV, Landscape, etc.), and Active Construction Observation through to move-in.

Fair questions.

The things most people want to know before a first conversation, answered plainly. If yours is not here, it is probably a good one to bring to that conversation.

That depends on the scope and complexity of the project, so we can only give a real number once we understand both. As a guide for early budgeting, design fees for custom residential work typically fall between 10 and 15 percent of construction cost.
Once the scope is defined and a service tier is selected, we typically set a lump sum fee for all design and documentation phases. Additional services and project administration are billed hourly.
A ground-up custom home in Wine Country typically takes around three years from start to finish: roughly 18 months for design, documentation, and permitting, and another 18 months for construction. That schedule can vary significantly with the size of the project, the complexity of the site, and the local jurisdiction. We map out a rough schedule with you at the start, so you know which decisions come when.
No. Many people come to us before any of those are in place, and that early stage is exactly what Foundation is for. If you would rather start on your own, our free handbook and workbook walk you through it. A site, a rough budget, or a few images of homes you like will make a first conversation more useful, but none of it is required.
Yes, and the earlier the better. A builder who joins during the early design phases can test the budget as the design takes shape, and that is the way we prefer to work. If you don't have a builder yet, we send the documents to selected contractors, answer their questions, and help you compare bids, so you choose the right partner at the right price.
Any number given without context is a dangerous guess. Construction cost depends on the site, the size, the level of finish, and the complexity of the design, and only a builder can price it. We provide rough estimates for budgeting purposes only, starting with the cost ranges in our Starter Handbook and the feasibility check at the end of Foundation. Anything more precise needs to come from a builder.
The studio is based in Cotati, in Sonoma County, and most of our work is in Sonoma and Napa counties and the San Francisco Bay Area. We have also designed homes in Hawaii and taken on projects in other states and abroad, and we are always happy to talk about work further afield.
Mostly custom homes: new builds, major remodels and additions, and accessory dwelling units. We are also open to selected commercial projects where design matters and there is room for a real conversation with the client.
Fabian Graf, the founder and principal, is your main point of contact from start to finish. Along the way, some tasks are handled by members of the studio team, who also coordinate with the engineers and other consultants. But every milestone and every important decision goes through Fabian.

Most practices start at phase two.

Foundation is the research, the questions, the budget test, the brief. It ends with a feasibility check, not a design contract, so you can walk into that decision knowing what you actually have.

The handbook and workbook are that phase, in your hands. Both free, and yours whether you hire us, hire someone else, or wait.

Begin with Foundation →

About

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About

Process

Projects

Toolbox

Contact

Jobs

Your Vision

Our Expertise

No Shortcuts.

About

Process

Toolbox

Projects

Contact

Jobs

© Studio Graf, 2026

Your Vision

Our Expertise

No Shortcuts.

About

Process

Toolbox

Projects

Contact

Jobs

© Studio Graf, 2026