Bringing together the structural needs and the finer details, co-owners Kayla Stauffer and Liz Curtis named their full-service remodeling company after the sides of their partnership that clicked perfectly into place. Dovetail Group, founded in 2015, brings together Curtis’ background in home furnishings, finishes, and fixtures with Stauffer’s remodeling and construction expertise. After years of referring clients back and forth, the two grew together and became one of the only design firms in Indianapolis to offer comprehensive full-service remodeling and interior design all under one roof.
The all-female team attributes some of their nearly 10 years of success to transparency in project cost across residential remodels, furniture & styling projects, residential new build construction, and commercial projects.
“We had a client who wanted us to do his whole home but couldn’t afford to do it all at once,” says Curtis. “We designed it and priced it all upfront and for four years we worked on his house one level at a time.”
While the Dovetail Group team loves designing whole homes and main floors, they can also put together a master plan with a cohesive design and then tackle one room at a time.
When Curtis and Stauffer first meet with potential clients in their home, they ask questions about their project scope and design styles. From there they customize the process to fit the client’s needs. Once hired, Dovetail Group generates 3D imagery of the design options. Clients can meet in the Dovetail Group studio to visualize the finished product and walk through all the details. They also offer the same process virtually.
“It lowers their stress level so much because they don’t have to look at just one single tile and wonder if it’s going to make a pretty backsplash, “says Curtis.
Once a design is established they’re able to speak more specifically on budgets by using itemized pricing software.
“That’s a huge piece because we don’t want to make a pretty design that’s unattainable,” says Stauffer. “At the same time, we never sacrifice design for budget.”
“Clients know what they’re paying for, and if they want to lower their budget, we’re open to helping them do that,” says Curtis.
Andy and Kim H. came to Stauffer and Curtis for a full-home gut job and remodel. The whole project felt daunting and complicated until the Dovetail team guided them through it.
“The entire process was organized, professional, and seamless,” says Andy
During their initial meeting, the couple had an idea of what they liked, but they didn’t have the designer vocabulary to describe their design aesthetic beyond broad, generalized terms. They brought together ideas from Scandi, contemporary and minimalist inspirations. At their next meeting they were presented with three floor plan layouts which went beyond what they could have envisioned. From there, the team moved into interior design, selecting cabinets and countertops, digging into plans for plumbing, lighting, windows, and tile, addressing the hardwood, carpets, and rugs throughout the house, and narrowing down options for all interior furniture and fixtures.
“There were lots of moving parts that were handled effortlessly with a bare minimum of running around to vendors,” says Andy, who was impressed by Dovetail’s grasp of their Scandi-Contempo-Minimum ethos concept.
“They delivered a cohesive, comfortable, beautiful product,” says Andy. “Plus, they were a fun group to work with – always positive and communicative. We never had to wonder what our next step would be.”
If you’re looking for expertise, inspiration, and brilliant ideas, talk to the seasoned team at Dovetail Group.