We desire a comfortable well-arranged home, simple, in good taste, and not ostentatious.

Henry Clay Frick

Architecture is really about well-being. I think that people want to feel good in a space.

Zaha Hadid

As an architect, you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.

Norman Foster

Innovation is often the ability to reach into the past and bring back what is good, what is beautiful, what is useful, what is lasting.

Sister Parish

Real comfort, visual and physical, is vital to every room.

Mark Hampton

Form follows function—that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.

Frank Gehry

The best rooms have something to say about the people who live in them.

David Hicks

The details are not the details. They make the design.

Charles Eames

Be faithful to your own taste, because nothing you really like is ever out of style.

Billy Baldwin

You will express yourself in your house whether you want to or not.

Elsie de Wolfe

You will soon find that your joy in your home is growing, and that you have a source of happiness within yourself that you had not suspected.

Elsie de Wolfe

Simplicity, suitability and proportion.

Elsie de Wolfe

You will soon find that your joy in your home is growing, and that you have a source of happiness within yourself that you had not suspected.

Elsie de Wolfe

Learn More

About Virginia Design Group

Virginia Design Group’s desire is to bring the client’s ideas to life, and even better than imagined. Through honest communication, lots of planning, hands on project management, and attention to detail, we want your renovation project to exceed your expectations and be well-loved for many years to come.

Our team will walk you through the design and specification process, guiding and educating you on the benefits and challenges of products to ensure you make the best choices for the way you and your family’s changing needs will live in your home. Longevity through daily use is of utmost importance when making the investment in your home. We don’t cut corners because we want you to love your spaces with minimal maintenance for years to come.

We will plan every detail and work closely with the contractors to ensure the design plan works seamlessly before the building process starts.

Because of this expertise and planning, we will know all of the materials costs and get real contractor bids for labor, so you can have a much more accurate total price than traditional renovation processes.

Regardless if you use us to manage your renovation, Virginia Design Group strives to keep as much stress off our homeowners as possible. We will work closely with your builder, or we will schedule and manage your project to the end. When we manage a project, every step is scheduled in advance. We don’t start until we have all the parts in warehouse and staged, which allows the build process to finish as quickly as possible.

With our project management, we are in constant communication with the trades and homeowners regarding the day’s work and upcoming steps. We protect surrounding areas as much as possible from the dust and debris of the work being done. Project managers are onsite weekly to oversee the work. Designers are available for questions and regular site visits. And, homeowners have a point of contact for all questions or concerns that may arise.

Meet Our Founder

Jennifer Duncan, CKD

JenniferDuncan-Portrait

Jennifer Duncan began her professional journey in design, quite by accident, in 1990. Working in a beloved South Richmond design and gift shop, she was often pulled into the design studio to assist the interior designers with color and pattern selections. Jennifer has a natural eye for color and balance, which the designers recognized and helped foster.

After over a decade in interior design, Jennifer was asked to come on staff at a local Richmond kitchen design and appliance company. Looking forward to a new challenge, Jennifer gladly accepted the opportunity. After months of learning the ins and outs of kitchen design, Jennifer was quickly recognized in a Home Section cover page article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Jennifer continued honing her design knowledge and by the end of 2006, Jennifer tested for and was awarded the prestigious Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD) designation by the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA).

Since then, Jennifer has served as a board member on both the Virginia State and National Board of Directors for NKBA. Most recently Jennifer served on the Central Virginia PRO (Professional Remodelers Organization) board, as well as the Executive Leadership Board of PRO Inc.

Jennifer has been recognized with the Crystal Choice Award, multiple CoTY awards from NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry), and Remodeler of the Year awards from PRO.

She has also been included in several magazine articles from R Home to Real Simple Magazine.

Jennifer continues learning and expanding her design skills to this day and continues to look for new challenges. In 2018, Jennifer branched out on her own and started what is now Virginia Design Group. Jennifer pictured a company that offered clients a flexible design experience. She recognized a need for design only services for clients who already had a contractor selected or wanted to have a plan to use to bid multiple contractors. Of course, there are many clients who prefer for us to bring in a team of licensed contractors who we know and will bring the designs to life. Whether you need help our with just the design, product procurement, or facilitating with contractors and tradesmen, we are here for you.

Jennifer sees Virginia Design Group growing to be a resource for homeowners and designers, as well. We look forward to Virginia Design Group growing to offer not only renovation and interior design to our clients but growing to offer other home services and to have a network of architectural and landscape designers, artists, and possibly even photography and wedding design. The sky is the limit!

vdg-stamp-signatur3

Meet Our Senior Designer

Melissa Utt Heatley

JenniferDuncan-Portrait

Melissa as been in the design and construction industry for over 20 years and joined Virginia Design Group in 2025 with a BFA in Interior Design from James Madison University and Masters in Architecture from Virginia Tech.  Melissa has worked for award-winning architects and interior designers in the Richmond area and has also taught architecture and design at the University of Louisiana.

At VDG, Melissa combines a unique skill set with an understanding of the construction process.  She posseses acute attention to detail and takes on every single one of her clients’ projects as if it was for her own home.  Because of this, she fortifies strong client relationships and has developed long-lasting friendships through her process. 

When she’s not design custom kitchens and baths, Melissa thrives on being mother to 6 year old daughter, Tallulah James, exploring Virginia’s craft breweries and wineries, cooking gourmet meals in her own kitchen, and caring for chicken and cats, Scarlett and Julep – two true Southern belles!

Virginia Design Group’s desire is to bring the client’s ideas to life, and even better than imagined. Through honest communication, lots of planning, hands on project management, and attention to detail, we want your renovation project to exceed your expectations and be well-loved for many years to come.

Our team will walk you through the design and specification process, guiding and educating you on the benefits and challenges of products to ensure you make the best choices for the way you and your family’s changing needs will live in your home. Longevity through daily use is of utmost importance when making the investment in your home. We don’t cut corners because we want you to love your spaces with minimal maintenance for years to come.

We will plan every detail and work closely with the contractors to ensure the design plan works seamlessly before the building process starts.

Because of this expertise and planning, we will know all of the materials costs and get real contractor bids for labor, so you can have a much more accurate total price than traditional renovation processes.

Regardless if you use us to manage your renovation, Virginia Design Group strives to keep as much stress off our homeowners as possible. We will work closely with your builder, or we will schedule and manage your project to the end. When we manage a project, every step is scheduled in advance. We don’t start until we have all the parts in warehouse and staged, which allows the build process to finish as quickly as possible.

With our project management, we are in constant communication with the trades and homeowners regarding the day’s work and upcoming steps. We protect surrounding areas as much as possible from the dust and debris of the work being done. Project managers are onsite weekly to oversee the work. Designers are available for questions and regular site visits. And, homeowners have a point of contact for all questions or concerns that may arise.

Client Testimonials

WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT US

Jennifer and her team did a fantastic job remodeling our laundry room and powder room. Jennifer does a great job providing ideas and helpful suggestions (I'm loving my cabinet for storing my vacuum and mops!). I'd work with Jennifer and team again for future projects.

Amy

Carolyn and I certainly appreciate the opportunity to work with you again on our kitchen renovation... a small but challenging project. Everything from design to completion went very well and the new hood, in all its "stainless steel glory", is a joy to use!

Bill and Carolyn

Thank you for all your help with our kitchen design! It was a pleasure working with you.

Karen

Dear Jennifer, Thank you for your phone call, and for your spot-on design ideas, creative solutions, and most of all, your patience.

Hazel

Jennifer was our design consultant for our kitchen renovation. She was excellent at knowing what we wanted and guiding us through the process of picking out cabinets, hardware, appliances, etc. She was very professional and friendly. She was accessible and responded promptly to emails, texts, or phone calls. We were pleased with the process and thrilled with the outcome.

Sarah

Jennifer is not only one of the most talented designers in the Richmond area, but she also has extensive knowledge of the remodel process and knows what it takes to make the job run smoothly and efficiently. She has an amazing eye for detail and does a great job of simplifying the process for her customers so that they don’t get overwhelmed while making selections. I highly recommend Jennifer if you are looking for someone to help you manage your remodel projec

Billy

Jennifer, Thank you so much for all of your professional advice and emotional support as we prepared our home for sale. You are awesome! You were extremely knowledgeable, committed, and dedicated to our timeline and budget while delivering in a high quality, beautiful manner. We can’t thank you enough for everything that you did for us.

Frank Gehry

Jennifer is a very talented designer. I have had her do 3 renovations in my house, including the kitchen (amazing!), master bedroom and bath, office spaces, and living room. She will work with you to come up with designs that suit your needs and wants, be it financial or a wish-list, or both. She’s very creative, and puts a lot of thought into her plans. I will use her again!

Carol

With the guidance of Jennifer, we completed a master bath remodel to include moving the shower, replacing large box jacuzzi, lowering the vaulted ceiling, replacing cabinets, etc. Jennifer did an outstanding job from the design to tile recommendation, to colors, cabinets and light fixtures. She understood our vision and made it even better! The extra items like heated floor, light above toilet paper roll and drawer for electric hair items made the remodel extra special. Jennifer is an excellent communicator. She is timely, responsive and full of great suggestions. I would highly recommend her work.

Deborah

Be faithful to your own taste, because nothing you really like is ever out of style.

Billy Baldwin

You will express yourself in your house whether you want to or not.

Elsie de Wolfe

You will soon find that your joy in your home is growing, and that you have a source of happiness within yourself that you had not suspected.

Elsie de Wolfe

Simplicity, suitability and proportion.

Elsie de Wolfe

You will soon find that your joy in your home is growing, and that you have a source of happiness within yourself that you had not suspected.

Elsie de Wolfe