Living Swell
Local business · 154 Washington St, Marblehead, MA 01945, USA
Their work
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Verified record
- Not rated by the BBB
- 32 work photos
Highlights
- Whole-floor redesigns — 2021 and 2025 clients described multi-room projects
- Trade relationships — a 2021 client cited established carpenters and painters
- Options presented — clients repeatedly describe multiple schemes per decision
- In-house workroom — custom drapery and pillows made by the firm
- Best of Houzz — three-time award winner on the platform
- Value sub-score lowest — 4.8 against 5.0 for quality and communication
- Dated record — eight of twelve written accounts predate 2021
- Designer, not builder — construction is coordinated with outside trades
- Name change — reviews mostly reference the earlier East Coast Design Inc
One client put it in a way that explains the whole practice: after a redesign, they said the house had a warmth and lightness they had not had in fifteen years there. Living Swell is a designer's shop, and the person clients name is Diana James. It runs from 154 Washington Street in downtown Marblehead as a design studio with a home decor boutique attached, and keeps a second space in Lee in the Berkshires. The work covers residential, commercial, hospitality and yacht interiors, plus renovation design where the firm coordinates with general contractors, architects and trades rather than swinging the hammers itself. Houzz lists interior design, universal design and 3D visualisation, and notes an in-house workroom producing custom drapery and pillows. It is a Marblehead Chamber of Commerce member and a three-time Best of Houzz winner. The written record runs long but leans old. Across 11 Houzz reviews averaging 4.9 and dated 2017 to 2025, the sub-scores split in a telling way: work quality and communication both sit at 5.0, value at 4.8. The most recent, from January 2025, describes an entryway, powder room, living room and dining area redone together. A November 2021 client who had used the firm for a home, an office and their mother's condominium credited deadlines met, multiple design options every time, and established relationships with carpenters, painters and the other trades needed to finish. In a January 2021 review, a homeowner described an entire first floor and a bathroom redesign done "without glitches," down to the grasscloth wallpaper and special-order rugs. Two practical things. Most of those reviews name the business as East Coast Design Inc, the firm's earlier trading name, so you are reading the same practice under a different sign. And two-thirds of the written accounts predate 2021 — the record is real and detailed, but it is dated, with one Google comment since then and that one about the boutique's stock rather than a design project. A fit for a North Shore homeowner who wants a designer to run a room or a whole floor and hand the construction to trades she already works with. Ask what the fee structure looks like — value is the one sub-score that sits below the rest — and ask for recent references, since the deepest accounts are several years old.
Read the comments
Most recent comments
- 5.0Jan 21, 2025
Diana and her team transformed our entryway, powder room, living room and dining area into rich, textured and absolutely gorgeous spaces that we appreciate every minute we spend there. Her eye for color, style and beauty is magnificent, and we trust her with the knowledge that she will deliver the best there is! Thank you Diana, we love, love, love our new surroundings!
— ksdonlanView on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Aug 13, 2023
So quaint and so unique! Great selection and not the same stuff carried other places.
— Amanda DraganiView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Mar 4, 2022
We enthusiastically recommend Diana @ East Coast Design to anyone interested in reimagining/refreshing their living space. Diana was a joy to work with. Her process is clear, collaborative and not overwhelming. Her design sense allows "elegant" to still be inviting and comfortable. Natural light now highlights our new (coastal) color pallet and lighter floors- and brings a warmth and lightness to our home that we haven't had in our fifteen years here. After just a few weeks in our "new" home, we already view this design project as an investment in ourselves and our quality of life. Thank you so much, Diana!
— HU-735547705View on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Nov 28, 2021
East Coast Design, led by Diana James, has decorated my home, my office and my mother's condominium. I feel well qualified to provide this recommendation and I am delighted to do so. My wife, my mother, and I have enjoyed working with Diana and her team immensely. Here's some of the reasons why: 1. Diana is a visionary artist-her canvas is your home. She is a brilliant interior designer. 2. Fantastic service-meets deadlines, very responsive to texts, emails, and calls. 3. Always provides multiple design options. We tell her what we are thinking, we collaborate on ideas, she then proposes numerous options, including choices we simply didn't have the expertise to imagine. 4. East Coast Design has established relationships with trusted carpenters, painters, handymen, and all trades necessary to complete the job. 5. My office, my home and my mother's home are charming, beautiful and comfortable. Diana made that happen, and the path to get there was a pleasure. We give East Coast Design and Diana our highest recommendation.
— pspezialeView on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Jan 16, 2021
Working with Diana James and her team at East Coast Design has been exciting. She is talented and Very professional. She makes her clients feel special, and very much a part of final decisions. The result is a most satisfactory outcome-one that the client is thrilled with the completed project. Her contractors are perfectionists and a pleasure to work with. Diana James is beautiful and a delightful designer.
— Jean F. DoucetteView on Houzz ↗
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Update history
Added 12 new comments, added 32 new photos, established rating 3.9
- behind the score: Value sub-score lowest — 4.8 against 5.0 for quality and communication
What does a bathroom remodel cost in Greater Boston?
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Living Swell. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Upgrades beyond the standard like-for-like swap included in the base scope.
Estimated range
$27,500 – $45,000
Typical bathroom remodel around $36,300