Design-Build Firm Pasadena
Home Remodeling Start to Finish
Personally-led architecture design, interior design, and construction.
★★★★★ 5.0 Google/Houzz Reviews
As Featured In
The typical remodel experience looks like this:
You hire an architect. They hand you beautiful plans. Then you find a contractor who tells you half of it can't be built on budget.
Now you're mediating between two teams who don't talk to each other. Change orders stack up. The timeline slips. And somewhere along the way, the original design intent gets lost.
It doesn't have to work this way.
A studio where design leads. From the first design conversation to the final walkthrough.
Dacotah Studio is a designer-led architecture design-build firm in Pasadena. We don't hand you off between departments. You work directly with our founders, Shawn and Christina, from concept through completion.
Why Choose Dacotah Studio
Design-Led
Your home is designed before it's priced. Not the other way around.
Personally Led
Your project is led by our dedicated team with direct oversight from our founders Shawn and Christina.
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Fully Integrated
Architecture, interior design, permitting, and construction. Clarity, consistency, and accountability at every stage.
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from design to buildStart with a planning conversation. Leave with clarity.
Before any design work or costs are discussed, we begin with a focused 30-minute conversation about your home. Just a clear-eyed look at what your project actually involves.
30 minutes with Shawn. Currently booking [May 2026] projects.
What you’ll walk away with in our first conversation:
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Not every project is a good fit for our design-build approach. We'll tell you honestly - and if we're not the right match, we'll point you in the right direction.
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Not a guess. Not a "it depends." A grounded estimate based on the type of home, the scope of work, and what we've seen across similar projects in your neighborhood.
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When could design start? How long does permitting take in your city? When would you realistically move back in? We'll walk through the phases, so you're not operating on hope.
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We'll map out the full process for you, the sequence, the decision points, and exactly where we handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on the choices that matter to you.
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You'll be working closely with us for 8–14 months. This conversation is a chance for both sides to see if the fit feels right.
TESTIMONIALSWhat Our Clients Say
Meet the Team
Shawn and Christina are a husband-and-wife team who've spent over a decade building Dacotah Studio together. Shawn brings construction and project management expertise; Christina brings 15 years of creative direction from the fashion industry. It's a combination that's rare in residential construction — design sensibility backed by building knowledge. They live in Northeast LA, they've built in your neighborhoods, and they'll be the people you work with from start to finish.
Questions we hear most
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Our fee structure is tiered and based on the project scope and budget. Smaller jobs (from $100k-$250k) are 12-13% of overall budget. Medium and larger jobs ($300k-$1.5M) are 10-12% of the overall budget.
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Projects can range from 4 months to 1.5 years, based on the scope of work and city involvement needed.
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When design and build are separate teams, you become the project manager - mediating between firms with different priorities, timelines, and budgets. In our integrated model, the people who design your home also build it. One team, one line of accountability, one vision carried through from concept to completion.
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The best time to reach out is before decisions are locked in. The earlier we can engage, the more effectively we can guide planning, scope, and priorities through design - before pricing and permits constrain your options. Early is exactly right.
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We're based in Pasadena and serve Northeast Los Angeles and surrounding areas - including Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Silver Lake, Glendale, South Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Altadena, Arcadia, and more. We live and work in these neighborhoods. We know the homes, the agencies, and the permitting landscape.
from design to buildStart with design.
The best projects begin with a conversation before anything is priced, permitted, or promised. If you're considering a renovation and want clarity on what it actually takes, this is the place to start.
30 minutes with Shawn. No obligation. No pressure. Just a clear picture of what's possible for your home.
★★★★★ "From the start they were very professional in every stage." - Vida
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★★★★★
“Dacotah Studio is amazing! Their designs are stunning, and they really know how to bring a space to life. The team is super reliable, easy to work with, and pays attention to every detail. Highly recommend!”
Katie H