Herlong Architects + Interiors

We had an excellent experience working with Herlong Architects on the design of our home on Sullivan’s Island. From the outset, their attention to detail was exceptional, and it was clear they possessed a deep understanding of the local ordinances and regulatory environment, which is critical for a project of this nature. They guided us through those requirements seamlessly while still delivering a design that felt thoughtful, refined, and true to our vision. The team took the time to fully understand our objectives and priorities, then translated them into creative, practical solutions that enhanced both the functionality and character of the home. The result is a design that feels intentional, well-considered, and perfectly suited to its setting. We highly recommend Herlong Architects to anyone seeking a collaborative, knowledgeable, and detail-oriented architectural firm.

Our experience with Herlong Architects was great, they listened to a very general description of what we like and how we wanted to live and designed a home that was better than we could have ever imagined, it was like they read our minds. Everyone and every step of the process was a pleasure all the way through to the day we moved in. I recommend them highly.

If you want an honest architect that knows what they're doing, don't hire this firm. We decided to go with another architect that solely does work on Kiawah Island. We were told by Steve that we couldn't have a widow's walk, so I put our project on hold to investigate. It took me 30 minutes once I arrived on our street to find a neighbor with a widow's walk. Steve isn't one to push limits or boundaries. If you're wanting a basic architect, then this is probably the company for you. We're looking for truly more of a custom home. Also, we have it in an email that Steve would agree to refund any remaining deposit if we decided to part ways. Well, that was a lie. He wanted to just "call it even" so he didn't have to send us a check. Who knows, maybe he doesn't have the money to refund. He didn't get back to us for over a month because he was "sailing the Caribbean". Again, we did not have a great experience and would encourage anyone to avoid this architect at all costs.

We hired Herlong Architects to design a new home on Kiawah Island. The design process was relatively smooth and Steve was for the most part responsive taking our ideas into account. However, we did receive some push back that certain of our wishes would never be approved by the ARB. However, on a trip to Kiawah, we toured a few homes on our same street with the same features we were told were not possible. The lack of familiarity with the local ARB nearly caused us to unwillingly compromise on our dream home. Additionally, while negotiating a contract with Herlong Architects we requested that the balance of our retainer be refunded should we stop services at any time. In response, Herlong agreed that the balance of the retainer would be refunded should we stop work on our project. On July 15, 2023, we asked Herlong to provide an accounting and provide us with the balance owed on our account. In response, Herlong indicated that the balance was a little over $8,000. Subsequently, we decided to terminate our agreement with Herlong . In our email we requested that our outstanding balance be applied against the retainer with the residual refunded to us (about $1,600). Many months later in September, Herlong finally responded to us requesting that we call things even apparently due to work that was not reflected in the accounting of July 18th. To be clear, there was no work performed between the time of the accounting and our termination of the agreement. Thus, their billing practices are either sloppy or we were charged for services that were never rendered. Either way, it was clear that Herlong had simply run off with our retainer. There are a lot of great architects in the Charleston area, we would skip this one.

Incredible professionals with absolute client focus.

Great architectural firm.

Strongly recommended, full service, creative, problem solvers.

Steve and his team have developed a reputation for designing a signature style when it comes to coastal homes. This reputation for excellence and elegance, along with our own firsthand experience in seeing the finished product, is what motivated us to contact him when we began the process of building our beachfront home. From walking the site, to understanding our needs, and the "bedside manner" they had in the many frequent touchpoints along the way, Steve and his team developed and delivered an amazing design that captured the unique characteristics of our site, and the eye of many a passerby. The outcome has been nothing but a joy. Their foresight and attention to every last detail has made our new home an unforgettable experience. We couldn't be more pleased - or have found a better partner!

Best architectural firm in the Lowcountry!

We could not be more pleased with the home that Steve and his team designed for us. And he is surely pleased, too, because our home won both local and regional architectural awards. The process was a pleasure. And 13 years later, our home retains a timeless beauty. So often we hear the boaters as they go by in the creek, "Oh! what a beautiful house