Hutch Johnson WHJ Design

We bought a home in Chapel Hill, NC after living in Chicago for 35 years. The home was built in 1928 near the campus on a beautiful property, but needed (we thought) a small addition. We hired Hutch Johnson as our architect at the suggestion of our builder and after seeing some of his work. Hutch not only answered our desire for a family room addition, but transformed the home in creative ways we had not imagined and helped to create outdoor spaces that we will enjoy for many years, all while maintaining the character of the vintage home. Hutch was very creative, thoughtful, and responsive to our preferences. We completed the project while still living in Chicago, making periodic trips to Chapel Hill for project meetings. Doing such a large project long distance could have been stressful, but it was not - we were kept up to date, the project was completed on time, and we had a team we completely trusted. We are happy with the end result and the value of his services.

My company, Capehart & Washburn, LLC, is nearing completion of a large build for a client who hired Hutch to draw their plans. From the very beginning, Hutch exemplifies professionalism and is truly a joy to work with. The builder / architect relationship can be challenging, but not with Hutch. His ability to work with all parties to quickly, politely and efficiently solve problems is wonderful...everyone moves forward positively to get the job done. He has been 100% accessible to answer questions throughout the process. He is an advocate not only for his clients, but for all parties working to complete a quality home. In my experience with many architects over the years, Hutch is easily the best to work with.

We hired Hutch Johnson @ WHJ Design to create a new porch on our historic farm house, with extended seating and dining space. The design WHJ produced was perfect, respecting the existing roof line and incorporating the outside lines of the original house (1870's). I recommend him highly not only for his design skills and ability to respect the lines of an older house, but also for his professional manner, and respect for his clients desires. I should also note that our builder appreciated the care taken in preparing the design details, and was able to move ahead with the project without any "surprises."

My husband and I worked with Hutch to renovate our current home and he couldn't have made it a more relaxed and exciting experience. His thoughts on room layouts, views, sunlight, and current trends all helped us create our dream home. Hutch helped explain his recommendations clearly and met us at the house numerous times to help step through what each potential change would do to a space and the pros and cons of each decision. Without his input, we would have spent a great deal of money and ended up with a home that didn't suit all of our needs. His years of experience and expertise in the industry were a huge asset as we redesigned our home!

New Leaf Homes NC is a semi-custom home builder in the the Boone / Blowing Rock Region of Western North Carolina. We have had the opportunity to build 4 of Hutch Johnson's designs in the last 2 years. Hutch is an innovative designer that has provided functioning home designs to very unique and challenging homesites. He has worked with us on solutions to provide maximum usable square footage, very functioning outdoor living, while still considering budget without sacrifice of aesthetic appeal. We have enjoyed working with him as he emits a very professional and enjoyable disposition. I would highly recommend his services to anyone.

I am a Professional Civil Engineer that has worked with WHJ Design on approximately 20 homesites in the mountains of North Carolina. I have found Hutch to be a consummate professional with his knowledge of architecture and design. His quality of work is excellent and I extremely enjoy working with him on projects.

Aligning yourself with the right architect is critical to the success of your project whether you are a homeowner or a builder. Speaking as a builder, Hutch is a great partner and we have worked successfully together on projects of various sizes over the years. He brings his passion for design and architecture to every job and is very hands on during the course of the project. He is always available to field questions from our team during the project and we often run into him doing impromptu site visits to ensure the project is turning out the way he envisioned. WHJ Design comes with our highest recommendation.

Although not professional house flippers, we have started to feel that way after three major renovations and new constructions in the last five years. Our latest project started with a 1960s single-story ranch with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths; the end result will be a completely renovated main level and new second floor with a total of 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths. Although we had a basic idea of what we wanted to do, Hutch Johnson was instrumental in helping us think through each and every detail based on how we want the house to “live.” (I will admit I’ve always taken for granted which way doors swing, where drawers open, how light comes into a room, sight lines in hallways and between rooms, etc.) Hutch’s prior knowledge of the house was a factor in our initial consultation, and this history proved very helpful at multiple times during the project. He also leveraged this information to help contain costs in areas that could have otherwise been even more expensive. Overall, working with Hutch was an absolutely fantastic experience. Beyond being a very gifted and talented architect, he was thoughtful, patient and maintained a wonderful sense of humor throughout the process. We made a number of changes on the fly (including the addition of a 400+ sq ft screened porch and outdoor fireplace well after construction was underway). At every turn Hutch provided advice, counsel and invaluable suggestions that went well-beyond the structure itself. He has a keen attention to detail for lighting, symmetry, flow and consistency-of-style both within and outside of our home. From raising windows to tying together myriad fascia lines, he was masterful in bringing the home together. He managed to preserved the charm of the home we bought (which was very important to us) while elevating it into the space we need. Most of all, he was with us every step of the way and worked seamlessly with our contractor to ensure our concepts, his design and the end product are one in the same. He was on site regularly (and sometimes on very short notice) and frequently pointed out design/construction discrepancies we hadn't even noticed to ensure every detail was addressed. It is our pleasure to offer Hutch our highest and unqualified recommendation.

I am Charles Woods of Charles Woods Builder, Located in the Triangle Area. Hillsborough NC. I have worked with Hutch for 25 + years. His designs always make for a great product for a builder to have in his portfolio. The most important attribute that Hutch brings to the project is "TEAM building". There is always the TEAM of the customer/property owner, Hutch & the contractor and others as they are needed. Hutch will often ask TEAM members for their thoughts and especially the contractor to just make sure his designs will work. His eye for design is "top shelf". I highly recommend Hutch for the design of your up coming project.

This was my first time building a new home and Hutch was very respectful of my "rookie" questions and helpful in stepping me through the process and making recommendations. We took an existing design and he made many significant design changes to accommodate just what I was looking for and within my budget. On some custom features that I had questions about, he even sent me photos of similar projects to help me in the decision making. He was always quick to answer questions or turn around new design ideas. In the end, I couldn't be happier than how it all turned out.

Hutch was amazing to work with. This was our first experience with building a home and it couldn't have gone easier. Hutch listened to our thoughts and visions and made it a reality. We gave him direction with my wife's Pintrest account and he took it from there. He came up with 2 sets of plans -- we chose one and really didn't need to make many changes. The whole process took only a few months and he made it incredibly easy and stress free. We would work with him again without hesitation.

We had never designed or built a house before but Hutch made the process enjoyable and fun. We had strong opinions but he was great at challenging us to avoid "rookie" mistakes. Another thing that we loved about Hutch was his ability to visualize our idea or concept and incorporate it into the final design. We wanted a medium size house with big house features, zero wasted space and room for 8....not an easy task but he delivered an awesome design. We would work with Hutch again for sure.