We are an integrated practice where licensed architects, interior designers, and in-house fabricators share a single studio — so every decision, from structure to surface finish, is made together rather than in sequence.
The spaces we build endure because the briefs that produce them are built with the same care as the rooms themselves. Before we set a single line on paper, we spend time understanding how a client actually lives, works, and moves through space — not how they imagine they do.
That patience is not a luxury. It is the reason our spaces work. The functional and aesthetic decisions made in week one are still present and intentional in the finished room, because nothing was assumed and nothing was lost between the original conversation and the final reveal.
We believe the best design is invisible — not because it is minimal, but because it fits its inhabitants so precisely that it never demands their attention.
Most design firms separate the disciplines. We built ours around the conviction that they should never be separated in the first place.
Architects and interior designers work together from day one. Structural decisions and aesthetic vision develop simultaneously — eliminating the misaligned drawings, conflicting specifications, and duplicated change orders that arise when two firms work sequentially on the same project.
Our in-house fabrication capability means we can design and build custom millwork, cabinetry, and bespoke furniture pieces that no catalogue can replicate. When a detail matters enough to get it exactly right, we build it ourselves — to the millimetre, to the finish, to the brief.
Our portfolio spans Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, and international projects in Doha, Budapest, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Qatar. Working across jurisdictions and cultures has sharpened our ability to translate complex briefs — whatever the context, the discipline of the work remains constant.
Arch & Handle is headquartered in Washington DC and licensed to practice across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Our work does not stop at jurisdictional borders.
We have completed projects across the United States and delivered engagements in some of the world's most demanding markets — where precision and cultural sensitivity are not optional extras but baseline requirements.
These are not aspirational statements. They describe the actual conditions under which every project at Arch & Handle is delivered.
The wall that defines a room is also the surface that finishes it. The structural beam is also the visual element. We treat every element of a space — from foundation to furnishing — as part of a single design decision, which is why our outcomes are coherent in a way that projects managed across separate firms rarely achieve.
Our in-house fabrication capability is not a production service. It is an expression of the conviction that certain details are too important to delegate to a catalogue. When we design something that matters — a bespoke piece of millwork, a custom cabinetry system, a particular joinery detail — we build it ourselves to ensure it is exactly what the design requires.
Every engagement begins with a complimentary discovery consultation. We produce a written, scoped proposal with a fixed-fee structure — no percentage-of-construction fees, no vague estimates. You know exactly what the engagement covers and what it costs before you commit to it. Proposals are delivered within five business days of your initial consultation.
We do not disappear after design and leave you to manage the build. Arch & Handle provides construction oversight, procurement, contractor coordination, and installation management — maintaining the design intent through the full delivery process so the finished space matches what was designed, not a compromised version of it.
Every great space starts with an honest conversation about what you need, how you live, and what is possible. We respond to all enquiries within one business day.