Design and build, in one room.
Onyx keeps design intent and construction logic connected from the first conversation through the final walkthrough — so the home that gets built is the one you agreed to.
Design + Build
One coordinated path from planning and material direction through active construction.
Scope First
We define priorities, constraints, and execution logic before anything gets priced or built.
No Surprises
Alignment before construction begins is how we protect both the outcome and your budget.
Find the category that fits your project
Onyx works across a focused range of residential and select multifamily project types across Los Angeles — from Santa Monica to Silver Lake, Brentwood to Pasadena. Each has its own priorities, constraints, and execution logic. The approach is the same: scope first, then design, then build.
Full Remodels
For homeowners reworking major portions of a home who want design coordination, realistic budgeting, and a build process that holds the direction from start to finish.
Typical scope
Kitchens, bathrooms, layout changes, structural coordination, lighting, millwork, flooring, windows, and full interior refreshes — often across multiple rooms simultaneously.
Who it's for
Owners who want the home to feel fully considered and coherent — not pieced together room by room without a larger plan holding it together.
What Onyx delivers
Design decisions and construction planning stay connected throughout, which prevents aesthetic drift, budget surprises, and the mid-project pivots that derail most renovations.
Additions
For homeowners expanding an existing residence with new square footage while keeping the architecture, flow, and construction logic coherent between old and new.
Typical scope
Room additions, first-floor expansions, second-story additions, structural tie-ins, reworked circulation, exterior refinements, and finish continuity across existing and new conditions.
Who it's for
Owners who want the addition to feel like it grew from the house — not like an afterthought attached to it.
What Onyx delivers
Planning focused on proportion, transitions, structural needs, and how old and new conditions meet — before a single permit is pulled.
ADUs
For owners building detached units, garage conversions, or compact secondary living spaces that still require strong planning, smart design, and clean execution.
Typical scope
Detached backyard units, attached ADUs, garage conversions, compact layouts, utility coordination, finish packages, and permit-driven build planning.
Who it's for
Clients who care about usable, well-designed space and long-term rental value — not a generic small box dropped in the backyard.
What Onyx delivers
ADUs have tight constraints. Design-build coordination helps balance livability, code compliance, budget, and construction practicality in a way that a contractor alone can't.
Custom Homes
For clients developing a new residence who need a construction partner that can coordinate with the design team while protecting execution quality from the ground up.
Typical scope
Pre-construction review, consultant coordination, constructability input, material direction, sequencing strategy, cost logic, and full build execution from foundation through finishes.
Who it's for
Clients who understand that a great home is not just a good set of drawings — it's a disciplined process from the first conversation through the final walkthrough.
What Onyx delivers
We focus on how the home will actually be built, finished, and coordinated — not just how it looks on paper. That focus is what gets the design intent across the finish line.
Multifamily + Select Development
For qualified owners, operators, and developers who need a grounded design-build perspective on more complex residential project types in Los Angeles.
Typical scope
Repositioning, common-area upgrades, unit refresh programs, planning support, construction execution, and selected multifamily development work across Los Angeles.
Who it's for
Stakeholders looking for a builder who values planning, visual standards, sequencing, and realistic field execution — not just the lowest number on a bid sheet.
What Onyx delivers
Design intent and execution are not separate concerns here — they inform each other from day one, which shows in the outcome.
Planning + Pre-Construction
For owners who are not ready to break ground yet but need sharper clarity on project direction, scope, and the decisions that need to be made before anything else can move.
Typical scope
Early discovery, project fit evaluation, budgeting direction, scope organization, consultant alignment, and execution planning before design or permitting begins.
Who it's for
Clients who know the project matters, but don't want to enter design or permitting with the wrong assumptions baked in from the start.
What Onyx delivers
Early-stage planning saves time, reduces costly assumptions, and creates a cleaner runway into design and construction — which pays for itself many times over.
The clients Onyx does its best work with
Not every project is the right fit, and we'd rather be direct about that than waste your time. Here's an honest picture of where Onyx performs best — and where another firm might serve you better.
Strong fit
- You want design, budgeting, and execution to inform each other.
- You care about material quality, finish discipline, and proportion.
- You want problems identified before they become field emergencies.
- You prefer a clear, structured process over improvised decision-making.
- You've been through a difficult renovation and know exactly what you're trying to avoid.
Probably not the right fit
- You're looking for the lowest bid regardless of process or finish quality.
- You want construction to start before scope and expectations are clear.
- You expect a complex project to run without active coordination or planning.
- You want design ideas without a buildable strategy behind them.
Eight stages. One continuous direction.
The purpose of design-build is not convenience — it's continuity. Each stage is designed to set up the next one properly, so the project moves with better logic, fewer disconnects, and a more controlled result.
Discovery
We review the property, project goals, existing conditions, and scope ambition. This is where the real conversation begins — before any assumptions harden.
Direction
We establish the design and execution direction: priorities, project character, finish level, constraints, and the decision framework that will govern everything that follows.
Scope + Budget
We work toward a grounded understanding of what's being built, what drives cost, and where refinement is needed before scope is locked and money is committed.
Design Coordination
Plans, layout logic, consultant coordination, material direction, and practical field considerations are brought into alignment before permits are filed.
Pre-Construction
Sequencing, trade preparation, procurement, documentation flow, and execution readiness are all organized before the first wall comes down.
Construction
The build is managed with attention to coordination, milestone progress, quality control, and field communication — so issues are caught early, not discovered late.
Finishes + Closeout
The final phase is where most projects lose momentum. We stay focused on punch completion, remaining coordination, and a clean handoff.
Post-Completion
The goal is a project that reached the finish line with the design intent intact, the budget respected, and no unresolved items left behind.
What working with Onyx actually delivers
A design-build process is only as valuable as what it produces. Here is what clients receive — not as a list of promises, but as the tangible outcomes of keeping design and construction in the same conversation.
Project direction
A clear understanding of the intended character of the project — its priorities, finish standards, and the decision framework that will guide every subsequent choice.
Scope clarity
A structured breakdown of what's in play, where the complexity sits, and what needs to be resolved before execution begins.
Budget visibility
Real insight into cost drivers, likely pressure points, and where scope refinement can improve efficiency or protect value.
Design-build continuity
A tighter relationship between what the client wants to live in and what will actually be built — so the two don't diverge during construction.
Coordination logic
An organized path across design input, consultant work, field conditions, and construction preparation — with clear roles and clear accountability.
Execution discipline
A process that gives the project a real chance of moving through construction with intention instead of reactive improvisation.
Why design and construction belong in the same conversation
Most renovation problems don't start in the field — they start months earlier, when design decisions were made without regard for cost, constructability, or how the work would actually be sequenced. The design-build model exists to close that gap.
What goes wrong when they're separated
When an architect designs without a builder's input, and a builder builds without the architect's involvement, the result is almost always a project where the field team is making design decisions — under time pressure, without the full picture. Details get simplified. Materials get substituted. The finished home doesn't quite match what was intended, even when every individual decision seemed reasonable at the time.
The client ends up managing the gap between two teams who aren't fully accountable for each other's work. Change orders multiply. The budget becomes a moving target. Bringing design and construction into a single coordinated process eliminates most of those gaps before they become problems.
What an integrated process produces
- Design intent is far less likely to drift during construction.
- Budget conversations happen earlier and more honestly.
- Buildability concerns surface before they become field surprises.
- Material selections align with actual execution from the start.
- The client has a cleaner, more direct path from idea to finished home.
What clients typically experience
- Less time managing disconnected teams with misaligned incentives.
- More confidence that the vision is tied to real construction logic.
- A clearer understanding of what happens next and why.
- Better structure around complex decisions that can't be undone.
- A project that has a direction — not just activity.
Before the first conversation
Questions most clients have before committing time to a project discussion — answered directly.
Yes — and in many cases, that's the better time to start. Early involvement allows Onyx to help shape scope, priorities, and consultant alignment before too many assumptions are locked in. It's easier to course-correct a direction than to rebuild a set of completed drawings.
No. Some clients already have architects and completed plans. Others need a clearer starting point first. The process works in both situations — the path differs, but the discipline doesn't.
Yes. A strong design-build process can include outside professionals. The key is clarity of roles and real coordination between design intent and construction execution. We've done it successfully on many projects.
That's a legitimate and often smart way to begin. Early-stage planning and pre-construction work help clients avoid the most expensive assumptions before entering a larger commitment. It's not a lesser service — it's often where the most value is created.
Projects that benefit from strong design direction, finish quality, realistic planning, consultant coordination, and disciplined field execution. If you want a great result and are willing to invest in the process to get there, we're probably the right team.
Not just expensive finishes. Premium means clearer thinking, better organization, stronger detail sensitivity, and more disciplined follow-through from planning into construction. The finish quality is a result of the process, not a substitute for it.
Let's build something that lasts.
Onyx works with homeowners and developers across Los Angeles — from early planning through final construction. The earlier we're involved, the better the outcome. Bring the address, the project type, and whatever you have.