NGage Properties Group
as Featured in Architectural Digest
The Feature: Architectural Digest, Excellence in Design, D.C. Metro
NGage Properties Group is the only design-build firm selected for Architectural Digest's D.C. Metro Excellence in Design feature in the January/February 2026 edition. Explore the feature below…
The only design-build firm selected for Architectural Digest’s D.C. Metro Excellence in Design. January/February 2026 | D.C. Metro Edition | Excellence in Design
Architectural Digest does not select firms by application. It recognizes them by distinction.
In its January/February 2026 edition, Architectural Digest featured NGage Properties Group in its D.C. Metro Excellence in Design section — highlighting the firm as a singular example of what luxury design-build looks like when led by someone who has lived on both sides of the executive table.
The feature, titled "Executives in Luxury," profiles Nicole Butler, Founder and CEO, whose background spans corporate banking, federal government service, nonprofit leadership, and classical operatic performance — training that included time at Juilliard and performances with the Washington National Opera. That convergence of disciplines, the article notes, is precisely what makes NGage's approach to luxury renovation unlike any other firm in the region.
Architectural Digest explored NGage's signature white-glove concierge model — what Butler calls "caring for the whole client." The concept extends well beyond design and construction: when clients travel to showrooms or project sites, NGage sends a chauffeur in a black SUV. When renovations require temporary relocation, the firm coordinates corporate housing, full-service packing, moving, storage, and unpacking. On move-in day, NGage sends a private chef to cook the client's first dinner in their new home. The article describes it as a model in which "the journey is as refined as the finished product."
The feature also showcases a Maryland whole-home renovation completed by the firm — a residence designed to feel simultaneously light and layered. Guided by Butler's travels to more than 50 countries and specifically shaped by time in Northern Europe, the project infuses Nordic and Scandinavian principles of simplicity, light, and timeless materiality into every room. A 560-square-foot family room ceiling clad in Artisan Oyster ceramic tile set in a herringbone pattern. A living room anchored by a cast-stone fireplace and slab of Ice Flakes Quartzite. A dining room wrapped floor to ceiling in Secluded Woods green and illuminated by a hand-strung beaded, 1920’s-inspired French, smoke-grey chandelier.
At the center of the feature is Butler's concept of "managed vulnerability" — a design philosophy drawn directly from her operatic training. On stage, preparation required fully inhabiting a character's emotions while maintaining technical discipline. In design-build, she applies the same method: deeply absorbing a client's desires and aspirations while orchestrating every element of construction with clarity, precision, and expertise.
"We find the harmony between timeless and personal. By blending our clients' stories with globally inspired design, we create spaces that are elevated and approachable." — Nicole Butler, as quoted in Architectural Digest
NGage Properties Group leads an 85-person team of artisans, project managers, architects, engineers, and interior designers — all operating under one roof, with one mission. "Everyone on our team is on the same page," Butler told Architectural Digest. "We have one mission, one vision, and one ethos. That's what produces the best workmanship."
NGage serves residential and commercial clients across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, with a particular depth of work in Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac, Georgetown, and the surrounding communities.
“Many of our clients are busy executives, so we remove every obstacle we can for our clients.”
"We find the harmony between timeless and personal. By blending our clients' stories with globally inspired design, we create spaces that are elevated and approachable."
"Everyone on our team is on the same page. We have one mission, one vision, and one ethos. That's what produces the best workmanship."
Living room — cast-stone fireplace, Ice Flakes Quartzite slab. Scandinavian-influenced materiality.
560 sq ft herringbone ceramic ceiling — Artisan Oyster-polished
Dining room — Secluded Woods wallcovering, hand-strung smoke-grey chandelier.
Kitchen - Artisan Oyster - polished ceiling tile, white oak cabinetry, white oak hand-sawn wood flooring, Wolf induction 36" cooktop, Bosch dual oven and refrigerator, imported custom Rubinet faucets, Taj Mahal Quartzite with hidden in-wall spice rack; and center island with Dekton Laurent countertop
Rear exterior with expansive flagstone patio a set of 3 6ft wide French doors, western red cedar awning, western red cedar fencing, custom copper gutters, and outdoor kitchen with grill and smoker.
Butler Pantry with white acrylic floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, white oak herringbone flooring custom butcher block countertops and backsplashes with LED lighting throughout.
What Our Clients Say
"We just finished a project with NGage and had a wonderful experience. From helping provide some design inspiration to taking our own ideas into consideration, Nicole and the team helped us every step of the way. She surrounds herself with great communicators and is very transparent — providing answers to any and all questions. After walking through a home she was working on and seeing our finished product, I can say with certainty: NGage does not settle for great. They achieve luxury. Thank you so much for our beautiful dream home."
— Jordan and KatherineA note from nicole Butler, Founder & CEO
This recognition belongs to the homes we've built — and the people we built them for.
When Architectural Digest reached out, my first thought wasn't about the firm. It was about the clients. The space they featured was created because someone trusted us completely — with their home, their investment, and the way they wanted to live inside it.
My path to this work wasn't linear. I came from banking. From government. From a stage in Italy, singing roles I had prepared for years. What all of those worlds taught me — and what I brought into every project at NGage — is that the process matters as much as the result. The experience of building or transforming your home should feel as refined as the home itself.
That is what Architectural Digest recognized. Not just the spaces. The standard.
If you're considering a renovation — a kitchen, an addition, a whole-home transformation — I'd welcome a conversation. A dialog about what your home could become, and whether we're the right people to take you there.
With grace and grit,
Nicole Butler Founder & CEO NGage Properties Group
As Recognized By
As recognized by leading national and regional media
Integrated Design. Global Perspective. Concierge-Level Client Services
NGage Properties Group approaches whole-home renovations differently. Our integrated design-build structure ensures architectural cohesion from the earliest concept discussions through final installation. Our global perspective informs material sourcing, spatial planning, and architectural finishes — elevating homes beyond trend toward timeless distinction. Our Signature NPG Concierge Client Services reduce disruption and protect the homeowner experience throughout construction.
This is not fragmented contracting.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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NGage Properties Group is a full-service luxury design-build firm based in Washington, D.C., serving residential and commercial clients across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia metro area. Founded in 2013 by Nicole Butler, the firm integrates architecture, interior design, and construction under one roof, providing a white-glove concierge experience from initial consultation through move-in day.
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Architectural Digest selected NGage Properties Group for its D.C. Metro Excellence in Design section in its January/February 2026 edition. The feature — titled 'Executives in Luxury' — recognized Nicole Butler's distinctive approach to design-build: combining globally inspired design, a seamless white-glove client experience, and her background in corporate banking, government service, and classical operatic performance. NGage is the only design-build firm featured in this section.
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NGage's design-build process integrates architecture, interior design, and construction under a single contract and team. This eliminates the coordination gaps that arise when homeowners hire separate architects, designers, and contractors. The process includes an initial consultation, 3D laser scanning of the existing home, conceptual design, detailed architectural drawings, permit acquisition, and full construction management — all led by a dedicated project team under Nicole Butler's oversight.
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NGage Properties Group serves Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia, with primary focus areas including North Chevy Chase, Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac, Kensington, Georgetown, American University Park, Cleveland Park, and surrounding communities.
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NGage specializes in luxury whole-home renovations, home additions and expansions, luxury kitchen renovations, custom home builds, and commercial design-build projects. The firm also offers full interior design services as part of its integrated design-build model.
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Investment levels for luxury renovation in the Chevy Chase and Bethesda corridor vary by scope. Luxury kitchen renovations in this market typically begin at $150,000 and can exceed $300,000 for fully custom projects. Whole-home renovations for homes in the $1M–$2.5M value range typically range from $400,000 to $850,000 or more. Home additions, including rear additions and front elevation expansions, generally begin at $250,000. NGage provides a preliminary investment estimate during the initial consultation process at no charge.