What Inspires Charles l Silbernagel, Owner of ClS Architects, Inc.

Why did you go into design?

Design came to me at an early age. Around six years old, I began drawing on the walls throughout our family home. My parents noticed all these ideas and creations developing on the walls and thought there may be a future for me in design. Throughout my curriculum, I always utilized drawing as a form of communication and it was an easy way for me to portray my thoughts through design.

Who is your biggest design inspiration?

Most people would answer another architect, however, I feel that my clients are my biggest inspiration. I take their wants, their needs, and their ideas and turn them into a reality.

What is your style?

My style is very client-centric. I listen to their vision and develop a program surrounded by that being the focal point. Thereafter, I basically follow that vision from start to finish.

Who is a part of the ClS team?

We have long-term relationships with contractors and recommend them (around five) to our clients through the ClS team. These contractors have been working with our firm for over twenty years. We also have a close relationship with Elan Studio. They are our in-house interior designers at ClS, and we work hand-in-hand on most of our client relationships (see daughter, Heather Silbernagel-Somers, feature). We have two architects on our ClS team, and we feel that we can really connect with clients on a personal level with this structure in place.