Meet Emeline Tinsman and Cody Jones, the dynamic wife-and-husband duo behind Armitage Interiors in Bucks County. With a shared passion for beautifully designed spaces, they’ve built a design-build studio that seamlessly blends creativity with craftsmanship. Emeline's exceptional ability to modernize historic homes without sacrificing their timeless charm sets her apart, while Cody’s expertise as a master craftsman and team leader ensures that every project is executed with impeccable precision. Together, they combine their skills to create environments that not only reflect their clients' personalities but also honor the history of the homes they transform.

What truly makes Armitage Interiors stand out is its holistic, in-house approach. Their dedication to creating welcoming, respectful spaces grounded in progressive values and empathy makes them a perfect fit for discerning clients who want to infuse modern elegance into the heart of historic homes.

So, let's dive into their design philosophy and discover how their meticulous attention to detail transforms ordinary spaces into extraordinary ones.

Q: How did you come up with the name Armitage Interiors? Is there a story or special significance behind the name that you can share with us?

Cody: Armitage is Emeline’s middle name, passed down through the family, which has deep roots in Bucks County. Plus, our favorite road for Sunday drives and leaf peeping is Armitage Road, a windy back road in Carversville that’s mostly one-lane and has some beautiful houses along it. So, Armitage felt like the perfect fit!

Q: Emeline, what was your inspiration for choosing a career in interior design?

Emeline: Honestly, growing up, I had no idea interior design was even a career path. When it came time to decide what I wanted to study in college, I was completely unsure. I’ll never forget when my high school guidance counselor suggested interior design. I looked into what it actually involved, and everything just clicked. I knew about architecture and decorating, but I had no idea that interior design was an option to pursue.

Throughout my school days, I spent most of my time daydreaming about how I would turn the gymnasium in my school into a home. Like most designers, I rearranged my room every couple of months. I have always admired my grandmother's amazing decorating skills. While I knew I was creative, just like many others in my family, I never felt a strong pull toward a specific fine art. I will forever be thankful for that guidance counselor! I am so fortunate to be exactly where I am meant to be.

Q: Emeline, your mother is a renowned jewelry designer. How did your early life in a design-oriented family influence your personal aesthetic with respect to interiors?

Emeline: My mother has always been profoundly inspired by nature and how things form to their surroundings and how their surroundings form to them! By winding rivers, a twisty twig, a smooth river stone. All the way they are because of what is around them.

I really think the same goes for people and their surroundings. We need to be surrounded by spaces that allow us to thrive and are shaped to suit us. And it is my job to help shape these spaces. Some things, though, take shape naturally! I remember when my parents built their house, the newel post of the stairs was a pine log. My mom always talked about how it would become smooth over the years, worn down by us holding it as we went up and down. And sure enough, after nearly 20 years in that house, it was perfectly smooth!

Q: Cody, your experience spans everything from crafting custom furniture to restoring historical architecture. How has this diverse background shaped your approach to home renovation projects?

Cody: I am so grateful to be in Bucks County, where we have such a rich and interesting history. The culture of craftsmanship here is truly remarkable. To understand conservation and historical renovation is to understand the nature of building materials. In order to build beautiful furniture, it must also be functional. A large part of carpentry lies in understanding how wood behaves. The way a tree grows and responds to its environment – its unique experience of climate – shapes how the wood will move and settle over time. This movement might manifest as stress released during the process of ripping down stock on a table saw or as the seasonal shifts experienced by massive beams on a constant basis.

You cannot build great furniture if you do not understand the life of a tree. You cannot restore or renovate historical architecture if you don’t understand the materials and processes that were used in its construction. Once you have a feeling for how to use lime plaster or the qualities of oak versus pine planks, among many considerations, you can begin to build a palette, and just as a fine painter restores a canvas, you can do your best to blend your renovations into the work of previous generations of builders.

Historical buildings breathe, move, and settle, and that movement is also what allows them to withstand hundreds of years of wind, water, and sun. In the same way that a chair’s joinery must be strong yet flexible enough to accommodate wood’s natural tendencies, a historic home’s stone, mortar, and wood must be both strong and adaptable to withstand the passage of seasons and the often extreme climate swings we experience here in Pennsylvania.

Q: Your design philosophy emphasizes integrating contemporary elements within historical contexts. How do you ensure that each design reflects your artistic vision while resonating with your clients’ personal stories and heirlooms?

Emeline: We worry very little about our own individual artistic vision and more about bringing our clients' unique styles to life. The principles of interior design provide us with a set of guidelines that ensure our designs are cohesive and functional, but it’s our clients' personal tastes and artistic vision that truly drive the process. We listen very deeply and observe our clients' homes and lifestyles to ascertain their likes and dislikes. From there, we create a framework into which they can pour their ideas and interests. The result is a space that is truly their vision – slightly reshaped and polished through the lens of good design principles to ensure that each space functions as it should.

Q: Historic renovation requires a delicate balance between preservation and modernization. Can you share your approach to overcoming practical challenges in this area?

Cody: Our approach is very simple: to do as little as possible. We have always found that simple solutions are often the best solutions, so we do our best not to overcomplicate matters. A common request we receive is to brighten spaces that were once dim. Thankfully, modern LED technology offers a perfect solution. With compact lights and transformers, these systems can easily fit into even the tightest spaces, making it possible to illuminate areas that were previously hard to reach. The reduced voltage means that we can generally power an entire ceiling's worth of LED wafers using a line that previously supported just a single flush mount.

Heating and cooling demands can be more challenging as there is not much you can do to minimize the volume of air required in a ducted system. What we try to do in most cases where a utility chase must be created is to design a fitting set of cabinets or built-in features that complement the architecture of the home. Sometimes, if there are exposed beams or coffered ceilings, we can manipulate the trim detail to hide what we need to and not affect the overall appearance of the room. Of course, we are always careful that whatever new elements we introduce are always architecturally appropriate and contextually relevant to the period in which the home was built or the style in which it is designed.

Q: Can you walk us through your approach to getting to know a client and how that informs your design decisions? Briefly tell us about your process.

Cody: Our process begins with a design consultation, where we spend a few hours walking through the project with clients. We discuss what they love, like, and dislike about the space, their lifestyle, and their priorities. This is also a chance for us to share more about our team and explore creative ideas. Whether the client is passionate about fitness, cooking, or entertaining, we tailor the conversation to uncover what matters most to them. If feasible, we provide a rough estimate during this meeting or follow up with a preliminary budget for more complex projects.

Once the client agrees to the estimate or provides a specific budget, we draft a Design Agreement to dive deeper into the process and refine the scope of work. During the first meeting, we present initial ideas, explore floor plan options, and begin selecting key elements. By the end of this session, Emeline usually has a solid understanding of the client's preferences, allowing us to make quick and thoughtful revisions.

In the second meeting, we present renderings to help the client visualize the space and finalize most material selections. A preliminary budget is also reviewed, with costs broken down for transparency. Throughout the process, we maintain an updated budget that reflects the financial impact of every decision, helping clients make informed choices.

After two or three meetings, we bring subcontractors on-site to assess the project and provide their estimates. We aim to coordinate all subcontractor visits on the same day – our “trade day” – to minimize disruptions. If clients are unable to attend or don’t live on-site, their presence is optional, but they are always welcome to join.

Once designs, budgets, and scopes are finalized, we compile everything into a detailed contract. This document includes the agreed budget, scope, and timeline, as well as a payment schedule linked to project milestones. With all details meticulously planned, surprises and change orders are minimized during construction. After signing, we submit permit applications and set a start date for the work to commence.

Q: You offer a wide range of services, from custom furniture design to full-scale renovations. How do you ensure that each element of a project, from space planning to furniture selection, aligns with the client's vision?

Emeline: Our detailed design process, as described earlier, ensures that every element aligns with the client’s vision. Sometimes, if we see a piece or really love something for a client, we insert it into the renderings so they can get a taste of the visual impact. A lot of times, in the course of the design meetings when ideas are flowing and everyone is getting inspired and feeling creative about the space, that's when pieces of furniture get designed on the fly to be refined later in the office.

Q: How do you cultivate and sustain relationships with sub-contractors? Are you consistently seeking out new partnerships? What specific criteria or qualities do you prioritize when hiring a sub-contractor?

Cody: Our subcontractor network is an ever-changing and evolving animal. We have multiple subcontractors for each trade, ensuring that if our first choice isn’t available or schedules don’t align, we always have another reliable installer or company ready to step in to fill any gaps. Over the years, we have been so impressed by some of our subs that we ask them for recommendations on other skilled professionals they trust, and some of our best guys have come from those types of connections!

In other instances, we have used larger companies that we know have solid reputations in the area. Our most important criterion for using subs is the quality of the work they perform. We must have confidence that they are masters of their respective trades and are providing real value for our clients. Beyond that, we look for responsiveness and customer service. We only want to work with trades who stand by their work and can talk things through should explanations be needed.

Q: Can you elaborate on the benefits of your comprehensive in-house approach? How does managing every phase of the project enhance the final outcome?

Emeline: Accountability and communication! Having the owners of the company present and involved in your project means that you’ll never have to repeat yourself to anyone else on the project. All your requests and requirements will be communicated to everyone thoroughly and in detail. You'll also have a single point of accountability for anything and everything having to do with your project. We want our clients to be able to focus on their daily lives while the work is underway, and that is much easier to do if you only need to communicate with one person who ensures your message is heard by the 20 or so team members working on your project at any given time.

Q: As a design and build firm, how do you balance the creative aspects of interior design with the technical demands of construction and remodeling?

Cody: We think that the constraints imposed by the technical demands are the canvas upon which we paint the design. If we have an aesthetic we are aiming for or a feeling we want to create, it has to make sense within the space as it exists. We have an excellent engineer that we work with when we need to open spaces up, and we seem to remove load-bearing walls all the time. During the remodel of a historic farmhouse kitchen, we removed a load-bearing wall and installed a new beam. We were able to source an old beam from the barn on the property, which we hollowed out and used to wrap our structural work and cover the misalignment between two ceilings. The beam is literally as old as the house and seems perfectly appropriate in its new position, even as it conceals some very modern engineering. We always look for opportunities for creativity within the confines of our medium.

Q: In your view, what distinguishes your company from other design-build firms?

Emeline: It’s kind of cheesy, but I like to call it the Armitage Advantage – a principle of selflessness! We understand that our clients are hiring us to guide them, not to tell them what is and isn’t attractive. We’d like to think our portfolio demonstrates that we do not have a style or a look that is unique to our company. We’re here to help organize and implement the things our clients are already in love with, in such a way that enhances the beauty of the entire space. What sets us apart is that we set ourselves aside and listen to what our clients really want.

Q: Looking ahead, where do you see Armitage Interiors in the next 5-10 years? Do you have any goals for expanding your services or areas of expertise?

Emeline: There are two main goals that we are looking forward to within the next five years. Cody’s next big project is to build out a custom furniture woodshop and to produce Armitage Interiors’ first furniture line. Secondly, we have our eyes on a historic Bucks County property we’d like to develop. And, of course, we are always plugging away at improving our own home. We hope that eventually, the 18 acres we are currently living on will become a working regenerative landscape in some form.

Thank you, Emeline and Cody, for taking time out of your busy schedules to chat with me! I’m so excited we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek into your incredible interior design world!

If you're looking to stay inspired by Armitage Interiors, be sure to explore their website for some truly stunning design ideas. You can also follow their latest projects on Instagram,  Facebook, Pinterest, and Houzz.