Outlaw Design Company

What Outlaw Design Company does

Outlaw Design Company is a privately held boutique architecture firm founded in 1999 by Ruth Ellen Outlaw and headquartered at 1186 Old Lynchburg Road, Charlottesville, Virginia. The firm provides residential and light commercial architectural services, including new house design, renovations, additions, kitchen design, outdoor environment design, and professional workspace design. Its primary customer base consists of residential homeowners in the Charlottesville and Albemarle County region, supplemented by selective projects for healthcare providers (e.g., Downtown Family Healthcare), small businesses (e.g., Atlas Coffee), wineries/agriculture (Meriwether Springs Vineyard), and institutional clients (Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church).

The firm operates as a service-based practice using standard architectural tools and 3D modeling software. Jeff Barratt joined as a collaborator in summer 2022, adding 3D modeling capability backed by 30 years of construction and woodworking trades experience. The firm's differentiator is its founder's uncommon professional chef background, which informs its kitchen design specialty under the tagline "We cook, so our kitchens are designed to cook in."

Commercially, the firm runs on project-based professional services fees, with a referral-driven go-to-market that funnels clients through builder relationships and word-of-mouth. Pricing is not publicly disclosed for standard projects; the firm also operates a "Betterplace" program offering a 3-hour on-site consultation in exchange for a $300 donation to wildlife charities. The firm has no institutional investors, no subsidiaries, no patents, and no publicly disclosed revenue.

Name

Outlaw Design Company

Legal name

Outlaw Design Company

Website

https://outlawdesigncompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Outlaw Design Company is a privately held boutique architecture firm in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded in 1999, providing residential architectural design, renovations, additions, and kitchen design services primarily to homeowners and select small commercial clients in central Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Architectural Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Architectural Services (54131)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Residential architecture
• Home renovation design
• Kitchen design services
• Architectural additions
• Aging in place design

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlottesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural services for residential and commercial projects including new construction, renovations, additions, and specialized spaces like kitchens. Revenue generated through project-based fees for design, construction drawings, and construction administration. The firm works directly with clients and builders throughout the design and building process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Outlaw Design Company provides architectural design services for residential and light commercial projects in the Charlottesville, Virginia area. The firm delivers new house design, renovations, additions, kitchen design, outdoor environment design, and professional workspace design, engaging clients and builders in a collaborative process from initial consultation through construction administration. Projects range from single-room modifications to full new construction, with emphasis on sustainable design, functional kitchens, and aging-in-place considerations.

Product overview

Outlaw Design Company is an architecture firm offering a unified suite of residential and commercial design services. The core offering is architectural design encompassing new house design, renovations and additions, kitchen design, outdoor environment design, and professional workspace design. Projects range from single-room modifications to complete new construction, with a collaborative approach involving clients and builders throughout the process. The company also offers a community-oriented 'Betterplace' consultation service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design for residential and light commercial projects, including new construction, renovations, additions, and specialized spaces such as kitchens and outdoor environments, delivered through a collaborative process involving clients, architects, and builders.
• New House Design Design of new residential homes for Charlottesville-area families and individuals, including site planning, floorplan development, and energy-efficient construction approaches such as geothermal systems.
• Renovations and Additions Renovation and enlargement of existing residential structures, often working within constraints such as conservation easements or limited footprints, including adaptive reuse projects that preserve historic character.
• Kitchen Design Specialized kitchen design services for homeowners and restaurant industry clients, including professional-grade kitchens, summer kitchens, and integration of custom cabinetry solutions through partner millwork firms.
• Outdoor Environment Design Design of outdoor living spaces including porches, decks, terraces, courtyards, memorial gardens, and landscape-integrated structures such as poolhouses and pavilions.
• Professional Workspace Design Design of professional workspaces and commercial interiors for small businesses and healthcare practices, including medical office conversions, studios, and small-format retail and food service spaces.
• Betterplace Consultation Three-hour on-site design consultation at the client's home or place of business, offered in exchange for a $300 donation to wildlife charities, including project discussion, concept design sketches, and construction cost estimates, with no further obligation.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Abrahamse and Company BuilderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrequent collaboration on design-build projects. Notable projects include Courtyard House (energy efficient home), Folly (I-house renovation with H-house addition), and Montebello Kitchen. The firm has worked with Abrahamse and Company on multiple residential projects over many years.
• Ovation BuilderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular contractor partner on residential projects including Ardwood Kitchen, Ballard Woods, Park Street Porch, Pinemeadow House, Jefferson Park Circle Kitchen, and Fray's Grant Kitchen.
• Tom Elliott ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContractor partner on Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church courtyard project and Split Rock Farm winery conversion.
• Peter Johnson BuildersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContractor partner on Ridgeway House (vacation home on pre-Civil War estate) and Belmont Farmhouse (three-story addition with first floor master suite for aging in place).
• B.C. Young Fine BuildingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContractor partner on Dogtrot Kitchen project featuring professional-grade kitchen design for restaurant industry clients.
• Ovation BuilderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular contractor partner on multiple residential projects including Ardwood Kitchen, Ballard Woods, Park Street Porch, Pinemeadow House, Jefferson Park Circle Kitchen, and Fray's Grant Kitchen.
• Weston ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContractor partner on Dairy Road House project adding master bedroom, screened porch, mudroom, and kitchen expansion to Cape Cod style house.
• Bramante HomesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContractor partner on Elliott Avenue House infill home project designed for family in neighborhood of one-story homes.
• GME BuildersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContractor partner on Rosser Lane project renovating 1960s ranch house with unique redwood siding, soapstone floors, and wormy chestnut cabinetry.
• TEAL ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContractor partner on Chinquapin Hill farmhouse renovation and addition for family compound.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Olson Kundig: Seattle-based residential and commercial architecture firm recognized for high-end custom homes and renovation work. Comparable residential project type but at materially larger scale with national/international reach.
• Robert A.M. Stern Architects: New York-based national firm with strong residential portfolio spanning traditional and contextual design. Comparable project typology but operates at much larger scale with diversified practice areas.
• Lake|Flato Architects: San Antonio-based mid-to-large residential architecture firm with broader portfolio and award recognition. Comparable residential focus and sustainability ethos but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Studio Schicketanz: California-based boutique firm focused on custom residential design with strong sustainability and indoor-outdoor integration. Comparable residential specialization and emphasis on environmentally conscious design.
• LDa Architecture & Interiors: Cambridge-based boutique firm offering residential architecture and interior design services for renovations, additions, and new homes. Comparable boutique scale, integrated interior design capability, and similar client demographic.
• Historical Concepts: Boutique residential architecture firm focused on traditional and historically inspired home design, additions, and renovations. Highly comparable in practice type and project scope to Outlaw's residential specialization.
• ZeroEnergy Design: Boston-based residential architecture firm with deep expertise in sustainable, energy-efficient custom homes and renovations. Comparable residential focus and sustainability specialization to Outlaw's work on the Folly geothermal project.
• Donald Lococo Architects: Washington DC-area boutique firm specializing in residential architecture, historic preservation, and additions. Similar size, residential focus, and renovation/ad-addition orientation to Outlaw Design Company.
• Wheeler Kearns Architects: Chicago-based residential architecture firm with deep experience in renovations, additions, and custom homes. Comparable boutique scale and similar emphasis on collaborative client-builder relationships.
• VMDO Architects: Charlottesville-based architecture firm where founder Ruth Ellen Outlaw previously worked. Operates in the same regional market with overlapping residential, civic, and educational project experience, making it the closest local peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/outlaw.design.company
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/outlaw-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Outlaw Design Company