A Designer Who Built Homes First

A Career Built on Both Sides of the Blueprint

My path into design was unconventional. Before founding Daniel Allen Designs, I spent more than twenty years as a custom home builder — managing projects from foundation to final walkthrough, coordinating subcontractors, solving field problems in real time, and learning firsthand what makes the difference between a home that looks good on paper and one that actually works on a job site.

That experience fundamentally shaped how I design today. When I draw a detail, I can see the framer's hands building it. When I specify a material, I understand its lead time, its installation requirements, its cost implications. When I lay out a mechanical chase, I know whether the HVAC contractor will thank me or call me.

This is not something you learn in a design studio. It is something you learn on a job site, over years, in every season, on every kind of project.

Why Construction Experience Matters in Design

The most common source of frustration in custom home building is the disconnect between design and construction. Beautiful drawings that cannot be built as drawn. Specifications that do not account for real-world conditions. Details that look elegant in 3D rendering but create nightmares in the field.

I founded Daniel Allen Designs to eliminate that disconnect. Every project we take on benefits from what I call The Builder's Eye — a systematic review of every design decision through the lens of constructability, cost, and coordination. The result is a set of construction documents that builders can trust, price accurately, and build with confidence.

The Studio Today

Daniel Allen Designs serves clients building luxury custom homes throughout Metro Atlanta — including Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Milton— as well as clients nationwide. Our projects typically range from 4,500 to 12,000+ square feet, with construction values of $2 million to $8 million and above.

Design Philosophy

I believe architecture should support life — composed, calm, and timeless. Great design balances emotion with execution. A home should feel serene, intentional, and quietly powerful. Restraint, proportion, natural light, and material honesty are the foundations of every project we undertake.

And above all, a design is only "great" if it can be built — in real-world conditions, within a realistic budget, without the chaos that too often accompanies custom home construction.