Experiential design, creating your favorite place to be

Kitchens, baths and whole home remodels across the greater Charlotte area, designed around how you actually live. The ultimate test of great design is not how it looks. It is how you feel living in it.

Best of Houzz Service

10x winner, 2017 to 2026

Certified and credentialed

NARI, NKBA and AIBD

35+ YEARS

Design, construction and custom home building behind every plan

SEE IT FIRST

Photo-realistic renderings and walk-through videos of your new space

COMPLETELY PERSONAL

A design drawn from your preferences, never an imposed house style

How we can help

Design work for kitchens, baths and whole homes, from first idea to permit ready drawings.

A better remodel begins with understanding you

Completely Personal Homes is the design practice of Christopher Ely, working with homeowners across the greater Charlotte area.

Design discovery here starts with the people who live in the house, not with a style borrowed from somewhere else. We listen to what you like, find the patterns inside your own choices, and shape the plan around them. That is what makes a finished room feel like yours rather than like a showroom.

Thirty five years of design, construction and custom home building sit behind every drawing, which means beautiful ideas are tested against what can actually be built, and what it will cost, long before your builder sees them.

Meet Christopher

Kitchen opened into the adjoining dining and family rooms in a Rock Hill home

35+

Years of Experience

Kitchens, baths and whole homes transformed across three design disciplines.

10x

Best of Houzz Service

Awarded every year from 2017 to 2026, decided by the homeowners we work for.

What our clients are saying

Ten years of Best of Houzz Service awards, and the reason behind them.

Client testimonial

“I love my kitchen so much, I do not even want to go out to eat. After dinner everyone used to head into the family room. Now no one wants to leave.”

B.M.

Kitchen makeover

Client testimonial

“We decided to remodel even though we only planned to be in this home another four or five years. Now neither of us can imagine moving away.”

A.D.

Kitchen remodel

Houzz

“Chris has been helping us for a year. First the kitchen, then the dining room, now the living room. He does so much more than kitchens.”

Julie J.

Kitchen, dining and living

Client testimonial

“When I work from home I set up my office in the kitchen, simply because it is my favorite place. I would never have to leave if there were a bed in the cabinet line.”

R.G.

Kitchen remodel

Houzz

“He immediately grasped what my hopes and tastes were, and made a number of excellent suggestions I would not have thought of.”

Jane T.

Kitchen changes

Client testimonial

“My home is free of congestion and clutter now. I got a beautiful space, and a sense of ease I never dreamed I could have at home.”

S.A.

Whole home

Houzz

“We worked with Chris on our kitchen and downstairs remodel and the results were all we hoped for. He listened to our vision and made great suggestions.”

James M.

Kitchen and downstairs remodel

Houzz

“To have someone come in, present ideas and discuss the pros and cons, plus ergonomics and the building code, was enlightening and empowering.”

Cynthia L.

Kitchen and laundry remodel

Houzz

“Experienced and capable, and especially passionate about project design and building to the customer’s satisfaction.”

Dean and Sarah H.

Whole home project

Open living space in a South Charlotte home after a full gut renovation

35+

Years in Home Transformation

Design insight backed by building experience

Beautiful ideas have to work in the real world. Knowing how a house goes together is what keeps a design buildable, priceable and worth committing to.

Value engineered

Construction knowledge used from the first sketch, so beautiful ideas stay inside a budget that is real.

Guided selections

Products, showrooms and trends navigated with you, which keeps the choosing efficient and genuinely enjoyable.

Approvals handled

Architectural control committee submissions prepared and presented, one less thing standing between plan and permit.

Book Free Consultation

Our process

The aim is to give you every tool you need to make good decisions, from the first visit through to drawings your builder can price and permit.

STEP 01

In-home consultation

A no obligation 90 minute visit, usually all it takes to get a sense of what is possible, what is practical, and how to weigh the pros and cons.

STEP 02

As-built plans

Measurements and photographs capture every existing element, from mechanical locations and millwork to the art and furniture you are keeping.

STEP 03

Concept drawings

Walk-through videos and photo-realistic 3D renderings let you feel the new space from every angle before anything is committed to.

STEP 04

Pre-construction drawings

Demolition and electrical plans, cross sections and notes, so your builder can price the work accurately rather than guess at it.

STEP 05

Architectural approval

Many projects need sign-off from an architectural control committee. Preparing and presenting that package is part of the service.

STEP 06

Selections

On about half of our projects we guide the product selections too, bringing knowledge of the showrooms, the trends and how to keep it enjoyable.

STEP 07

Working drawings

Finalized drawings ready for permit and construction, often running to twenty four sheets by the time the set is complete.

Questions, answered

What to expect from the first visit, the drawings, and everything in between.

It is a no obligation appointment of about ninety minutes, in your home. We walk the space together, talk about what is frustrating you and what you would like it to become, and you come away with a sense of what is possible, what is practical, and how to weigh the options in front of you. Most people find that single conversation clarifies more than months of browsing.

Yes, and this is the part clients tell us made the difference. Every project includes walk-through videos and photo-realistic 3D renderings matched to the colors and finishes you have chosen. You can move through the new space from every perspective and confirm it feels the way you want it to feel, long before a cabinet is ordered.

The work here is design, and it is prepared so a builder can price and construct it accurately. That includes demolition and electrical plans, cross sections, construction notes and permit ready working drawings. Having spent years designing and building custom homes and major remodels, we know exactly what a builder needs from a set of drawings.

We serve the greater Charlotte area on both sides of the state line, including Charlotte, Concord, Monroe, Matthews, Waxhaw, Mooresville and Cornelius in North Carolina, and Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Lake Wylie in South Carolina. If you are nearby and not listed, ask.

On roughly half of our projects we guide the selections as well. That means bringing product knowledge, showroom relationships and an eye on current trends, and keeping the process efficient rather than overwhelming. If you would rather make those choices yourself, the design accommodates that just as easily.

Yes. Many homes in this area sit under an architectural control committee, and preparing the approval package is a standard part of the service. It is drawn and presented properly the first time, which is usually what determines how smoothly approval goes.

Still have questions?Read all FAQ’s

Let us talk about what your home could become

Whether you are just beginning to imagine a change or already have a project in mind, a conversation is the best place to start.

Book Free Consultation

SERVING THE GREATER CHARLOTTE AREA

35+ YEARS OF DESIGN AND BUILD EXPERIENCE

10x BEST OF HOUZZ SERVICE WINNER

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