Leo Dowell Designs

Ive had an ongoing Love affair with French Country /Old World European Design for over two decades. Hoping that one day my dream of having my very own French Country Dream Home would become a reality. Even if it meant remodeling my brick center hall colonial. For decades I scoured through and collected French Country/ European design magazines and books. I endlessly researched the internet to find the right designer to help my dream home come to life. Unfortunately with no avail. I was always disappointed. There was always something lacking. Wether a curse or a blessing in disguise my discerning eye for authentic French/European design, my perfectionist personality and my attention to detail my Dream Home project was always at a standstill. I did not find a designer or project I was satisfied with and couldn’t pin point why. I thought perhaps there was something seriously wrong with me. The true authenticity of an idyllic era was always lacking. Hence I never remodeled my home. I’d rather dream rather than just throw together a kinda French looking house. My discerning eye thought me that you cannot just put some stone, stucco and shutters on the facade of a home’s exterior and throw and mix together some French looking fabrics and furniture pieces and create an authentic French Country Dream Home.... So fortunately for me I came across the Jack Arnold Homes and fell in love. Unfortunately I couldn’t build a new home. So disappointment insued once again. Fortunately on my quest I recently discovered the Artist/Designer Leo Dowell. And learned he had worked with Jack Arnold decades ago. Where had Mr. Dowell been hiding all of these years I thought to myself! When I layed eyes on Mr. Dowell’s French Country Village in Charlotte NC and I was in total disbelief. I thought “this has to be a village in the South of France.” I was mesmerized and totally obsessed!! And as I reviewed his work I knew I had hit the jack pot and my search was over!! I had found the “True Master” “Artist” “Genius” of Old World European Design! Sounds too good to be true right, but it is! I am in total awe of Leo Dowell’s work! It speaks for itself. Every single home and project he has created is a true masterpiece!! His attention to detail is impeccable and unequivocally unsurpassed. Mr. Dowell has no competition...Mr. Dowell is truly a dying breed of Authentic European Designers!!! He puts his heart into his work.. He dreams design as he says... He creates homes that allow you to travel in time and place to a bygone era in Europe wether it be the French or English Country side or the Hills of Tuscany. He magically brings to life these Historical Authentic Charming Environments... Through his artistic brilliance and his obsession to detail he is truly “The Master” of Old World European Design! He creates homes that are exquisitely enchanting.. Story Tale homes we dream of...He creates interiors and exteriors that capture the true spirit of 18th -19th Century European Homes. Truly Authentic!! He creates more than just homes. He recreates a bygone era...He magically brings to life an Old European World that whispers a way of living and exudes and is filled with the essence of splendor, romance, tranquility, family life, and preeminence that soothes the soul!! And a casual, rustic European elegance that allows us to live yesteryear comfortably in the 21st Century! Bravo Mr. Leo Dowell!! I am so grateful to have found Mr. Dowell. I am confident that Mr. Dowell will make my French Country Dream Home come true and exceed my expectations by a long shot!! I will keep you posted on my project! PS. Not only is Mr. Dowell a brilliant Artist he is also very charming and full of amazing stories and a pleasure to work with! Thank you for your brilliance and dedication to your clients and your work! God Bless you! C.N.

I remember the first time Leo walked into my facility to explain a project.. He walked up to the building wearing a straw hat, a bow-tie and suspenders with two tone wing tip shoes. He looked like someone out of a Renor painting. After a little conversation it was obvious Leo was thinking outside the box and is extremely creative. After working on several detailed projects... I truly consider Leo to be an extremely gifted designer and an absolute genius. We have a fun relationship where every project is a challenge and really takes creativity to make Leos drawings come to life.. I admire his ability to roll up his sleeves and actually help in creating some of his visions. We have put gold leaf on railings until 2:30 in the morning making sure the attention to detail is perfect. He really cares about providing his clients with unique designs that make you step back in total awe. He is responsive and always returns calls and follows up thoroughly. He is a joy to work with and an inspiration. His stories are enthralling and my face ends up hurting because we laughed so hard and long. When we finish a job for him I always feel satisfied and grateful that we could make things that are of the highest quality and will last centuries. Actually, I think he is an alien, I have never met a human that is so blessed with creative talent as Leo. He truly is a gift to his clients and knows how to get the best out of his associates. Our projects have ranged from a 14' chandelier, balconies, railings, structurally certified balcony supports, a fireplace smoke deflector, lamp supports, drain pipe holders, driveway gate supports and on and on.. cannot wait to see what he comes up with next!

What is different about Leo? Simple. Joy Heart Design Story Telling Turn Key He gathers rare items to create simple utilitarian spaces that bring Joy to his clients faces. when Leo is finished with your space you will feel like home. Home is where the heart is and Leo has a big heart and passion for his clients and their spaces. What to expect. Be ready for a story Telling Journey. Each item that is carefully handcrafted by artisans or hand selected by Leo has a story. your home will be part of the novel. Leo has a turn key approach. Take Care of all aspects of the design process from start to finish, hiring professional artisans to complete the project leaves you with a stress free adventure. Don't forget the Hotdogs and Lemonade!

Leo is just awesome ❗️We love his work and respect his decades of experience. He is an artist of the highest caliber and a rare find in the world of Design today. Leo has a fantastic ability to make fabric, stone, wood, paint, metal and other materials into objects of art. He transformed our house into a mini chateau and supervised every step carefully, in some cases personally doing some of the more demanding details himself. He brings together the finest manufacturers and craftsmen, antique dealers and art dealers, to bring to life his own unique designs. Each project in our house has been a splendid success, whether it was large or small. At each step, he has given us choices that fit into our budget but that met his own standards of aesthetic excellence. His taste is unerringly perfect❗️

My vision of my dream house has never been particularly specific except that I knew that the homes that spoke to me were those that appeared to have a history - firmly anchored in their setting, with various elements of stone, stucco, timbers, landscaping that had obviously evolved over time. More often than not, these elements were not ordered or symmetrical but somehow they combined to create a unique home unlike any other. During many trips to the UK and France, these were the types of homes that inspired my husband and I, and prompted us to either build a new home or renovate an existing home in the style of European Country. We recently purchased a home that we knew had great potential but quickly realized that although we had a vision, we did not have the expertise to turn the vision into a reality. After searching for anyone who could help, I had the very good fortune to discover Leo Dowell's work. After the first conversation with Leo, I knew that we had found the person who understood every detail necessary to create an authentic French Country home from a 1970's farm house design. Leo worked from pictures of the house and was able to walk us through the proposed changes and how they would contribute to the finished product - why certain materials would or would not work to achieve the desired end result. Leo then provided drawings that specified every detail of change to the house, including measurements and materials that our architect incorporated into the final plans. In addition, Leo provided us with a colored rendering of the finished product - spectacular! Our architect and contractor are fantastic but clearly none of us know how to create a truly authentic look. Leo has been wonderful to work with and offers the flexibility to be as involved with the project as we need him to be. He has provided us with a roadmap, and along the way has shared our excitement as we set about creating our dream home. Thank you Leo!!

For those not interested in reading reviews in their entirety; if you can describe the feeling you’re trying to achieve using any of the following words, you are doing yourself a great disservice if you don’t reach out to Leo. French, Country French, Old World, Romantic, Manor, Authentic European, etc. The short descriptions that many people use to communicate the architectural style they want for their homes are what my wife and I spent years attempting to find by driving through countless neighborhoods and developments, scouring the internet with very few results that resonated. We found a good number of homes that had certain elements allowing us to say, we like the windows on this one, the shutters on that one, the roof pitch here, the material usage there, but nothing that was a complete picture of something we viewed as the place we would like to call home for the rest of our lives…it seems that most homes that are intended to be built in this style (in our case, 18th century French or even “Country French”) take some of the recognizable elements of the style and then wash them out with incorrect material choice or application, traits from conflicting architectural styles, or other more typical elements (stone/brick only on the front; EIFS stuck-on lintels or quoins, countless roof styles, etc.). Leo truly understands the details of what made these great homes what they were/are and translates that knowledge into a timeless appearance, allowing us to achieve what we were after from the beginning; a new construction home that looks like it was meant to be there, like it has been there for a few hundred years. We started with an excellent architect (reviewed separately) who gave us everything we had asked of him. The architect came up with a great floor plan, provided consultation on room sizes and flow and really focused on functional rooms instead of just checking off amenities that new homes *should* have. All of this went a long way in helping us avoid those minor mistakes that some make when designing a home, not having truly thought through the way you want to live in the house. After getting everything in place, we felt that we were 95% to where we wanted to be, neither of us could put our finger on where we were missing…but we felt that we were still reaching for the authenticity and appearance of a true French home. We decided to reach out to Leo Dowell. Leo took the dreams that we had in our minds of what the house should feel like as you approach it and put those dreams on paper. He not only adds the authentic details and makes the necessary adjustments, he tells you WHY and HOW. After receiving Leo’s hand drawings at the end of this recent phase of our project, my wife and I have completely stopped wasting time driving through neighborhoods and paging through the internet; we have a clear hand-drawn picture right in front of us that represents what we will soon call home.

Hello!! Leo! This is not a review, but an enthusiastic comment!! Vicki Payne gave me your number and website because I asked her about her episode about the 3-house village in Charlotte. That episode ran at least five times on her show and I watched each time and took notes!! But I could not remember the name and asked her--and she directed me to you. I found it here on your site!! I'm about to move from an island in the Pacific Northwest to Virginia to be nearer my daughter and would love to travel to NC to see the hamlet. I lived in NC for a year and really liked it. Anyway---I love Treillage and want to use as many of your tips from that episode as I can along the way. I do interior redesign and have changed every house I have lived in. I love Country French; it does something to my soul. I just wanted you to know and tell you I found Treillage and hope to visit once I am on the East Coast. Do you mind telling me how to find it? I wish I could afford one of your houses and all the interior!! Rebecca Buffington

We are pleased to partner with such a high caliber designer as Leo Dowell Interiors! Leo Dowell specializes in exquisite European home interior and exterior design. From French style chandeliers, hand-carved balconies to Italian-inspired handcrafted fireplaces, Leo truly brings a customized feel to each home and space he creates. www.LeoDowellInteriors.com

Leo Dowell is a very talented designer who specializes in French and Italian design. We wanted to build an authentic Mas house following the traditional style and building materials of the period. Leo was hired during the architectural design process and worked with us until the house was completely decorated. Our house turned out exactly as we had hoped, and we could not have done it without Leo and his team. His enthusiasm, knowledge, and attention to detail was astounding. Leo was able to hire subcontractors who could meet his unusual demands in a timely manner. Leo was always on top of every facet of the job, without reminders. He is the only person we have ever worked with who does what he says he will do- even if that means getting in and doing the hands-on work himself. He is creative and energetic, and each job is unique to each client. In each of Leo's projects you can see his thoughtful details in the little hidden touches, that when put together, create an extraordinary image.

We hired Leo Dowell Interiors to assist with our home construction...they were involved from the design stages with the architect, until we moved in. They made improvements to the design and decor that made our house outstanding. I do not think I would enjoy my house as much if they had not been involved. They were never insulted when we rejected an idea; they just adjusted and brought more until we were happy. I would highly recommend them but I have to warn you...you are going to get something extraordinary.

Leo was fantastic to work with and because of him we turned our house into the home of our dreams. He has a genuine passion for European design and creating very warm, comfortable yet authentic spaces. The details and the layering that goes into each room makes his work unique yet tasteful. Leo is a master of his art! We have hired him for many projects over the years and have developed a sincere friendship. He is so very talented....there is no competition!

De Santana Stone has partnered with Leo Dowell to create architectural stone elements from old world European villas for new luxury homes. Leo gives homeowners the design solutions to achieve authentically designed homes inspired by France in the 18th and 19th centuries. His designs seamlessly weave together vignettes from Parisian life with modern comforts and technology. These projects have thrilled clients and given us the pleasure of building a wonderful relationship with Leo. Clients looking for a designer with an eye for detail and the vision to make the extraordinary a possibility look no further. Leo Dowell sets the bar high for French Country, luxury homes. Get a private tour of a European style villa Leo designed with our carved stonework at: http://youtu.be/3xxP8aiTvn4