A cozy living room corner with a stone fireplace and a wood mantel. The fireplace has a burning fire inside with flames visible through a glass door. The room features large windows with dark trim, allowing natural light to fill the space. The walls are partly wood-paneled, and the ceiling is vaulted with exposed wood beams.

DESIGNING A HOME IS AN EXPERIENCE.

Handwritten style text reading "here's what it feels like" against a black background.
A black and white photo of a modern house with large glass windows and a triangular roof, surrounded by trees and reflected in a body of water.

Creating a home goes far beyond drawings and measurements. It’s a collaborative, thoughtful process where your ideas, lifestyle, and dreams become the foundation for every design decision. Sheri guides you through each step with clarity, care, and decades of expertise — so you always feel supported, understood, and excited about what’s taking shape.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

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  • A woman with wavy brown hair and a white sweater is sitting at a table, talking to a woman with curly red hair wearing an orange sweater. A laptop and plans are on the table near them, with a window in the background.

    01 Discovery

    A collaborative conversation to understand your vision. Sheri learns what you want to build, where it will live, how you hope it will function, and the timeline you’re working within. This is the moment she begins to understand you—how you communicate, what matters most, and what a successful project looks like from your perspective.

  • A woman with curly red hair and glasses is sitting at a wooden table, holding a pen over an engineering or architectural blueprint, with a laptop showing an aerial view of a landscape nearby.

    02 Property & Survey Review

    Sheri studies your site through county records, maps, surveys, and environmental data. She assesses topography, water setbacks, easements, and any unique conditions that may influence design. This careful review ensures your future home fits seamlessly and responsibly into its landscape.

  • Three people sitting at a wooden table reviewing house plans and proposal documents.

    03 Proposal

    Once the foundational details are clear, Sheri prepares a thoughtful proposal outlining scope, deliverables, expected timelines, and optional or recommended services. It’s transparent, organized, and designed to help you feel confident in the path ahead.

  • Person measuring a wooden wall with a tape measure near a window.

    03 Field Measuring (For remodels & additions)

    Sheri documents the existing structure by hand—an old-school approach that ensures unmatched accuracy. She captures the details, quirks, and realities of your home so the new design blends beautifully with what already exists.

  • Blueprints and architectural drawings of a house on a wooden table, with two people examining the plans.

    04 Design Phase

    With inspiration, function, and budget in mind, Sheri brings your vision to life through floor plans and elevations. She balances beauty with practicality, shaping spaces that feel intuitive, inviting, and uniquely yours.

  • Woman reviewing a house floor plan on a laptop while sitting at a table with others.

    05 Revisions

    Design is a conversation. Whether it takes a few versions or several, Sheri refines alongside you—adjusting, improving, and clarifying until everything aligns. Her goal is a plan that feels deeply right for your life and your land.

  • Person reviewing architectural blueprints and contractor bids on a wooden desk.

    06 Bidding Support

    When the plans are complete, Sheri prepares and distributes the full plan set to contractors, lumber suppliers, and trades. She can also join proposal meetings to help you interpret bids with clarity and confidence.

  • Person filling out a permit application form at a desk with architectural building plans and blueprints.

    07 Permitting

    If requested, Sheri handles the permit process from start to finish. She coordinates with town, county, and state departments, prepares all documentation, and ensures each step is completed correctly and efficiently.

WHAT ITS LIKE TO WORK WITH SHERI

  • “We tasked Sheri with an enormous and deeply personal responsibility: to design our dream retirement home on a piece of land that has been our family treasure for 34 years. Bringing Sherry onto the project was the best decision we could have made. She was the perfect collaborator—she embraced our ideas, respected our deep connection to the land, and used her incredible expertise to refine and elevate them. She listened, understood the assignment, and transformed my ‘pretty good’ sketch into a functional, beautiful, and truly professional design. She didn’t just design a house; she helped us design the next chapter of our family’s story, and the final home has exceeded our wildest expectations.”

    John and Ann Gallo

  • “We had the opportunity to design and bring our dream log cabin to completion with Sheri. During the entire process Sheri was careful to listen and encouraged us to not just settle. The result is our home that we would not change anything. We are thrilled with the outcome.”

    Bruce and Barb Gabrielse

  • “Sheri has been great!  She assisted me on 2 remodel projects.  She is very responsive, answered all my questions and had great ideas!  I would recommend her to anyone needing someone to design their space – she listens well and provides honest feedback!”

    Linda Long

  • “Sheri was GREAT to work with. She is talented, fastidious and listened carefully to our requests, ideas and specific input! She designed our beautiful lake home with valued and experienced input from load bearing walls to square footage floor plans for each room. She is knowledgeable about types of wood species to use, both inside and out and made qualified recommendations! We highly recommend working with Sheri!”

    Pam and Jack Cooper

  • “Sheri’s knowledge and creativity to meet customer needs are an excellent resource for me and my homeowners. She is committed to every project from the initial ideas all the way through to the finished home or remodel. Her experience and flexibility are an asset to any project.”

    Matt Wirtz

  • “Sheri and her team at Designs by Nature did an exceptional job with our very complicated renovation project. Sheri guided us through the decision whether to renovate or rebuild, enabling us to preserve a unique grandfathering situation.  Most importantly, she carefully listened to our ideas and created a cost-effective solution to make those ideas even better than we could have imagined.  We highly recommend Designs by Nature without any reservation.” 

    Mary and Ed Wynn

  • I wanted to thank you for your creativity, patience, support and guidance as we find our way through this process. It has been an absolute joy and comfort working with you!

    Tarianne Babicz

  • “Sherri met with us, visited our property, and listened to our desires and concerns, and we were very impressed with her translating our ideas into a functional design that fit well with the native landscape. We contacted several builders when we came to Wisconsin from Tennessee wanting to build a lakeside cottage, and were told repeatedly that we should seek out Sheri Jensen of Designs by Nature. When we finally selected a builder, we were pleased by his positive reaction that the plans would be coming from Sheri Jensen, as he felt her plans were consistently straightforward, easily understood, and gave him the information he needed to build a solid home. She was available for questions throughout the process and managed to share our excitement for our project. We would be delighted to utilize her services again and would encourage anyone who needs architectural expertise to seek her out.”

    Art and Jenny Adams

  • We used her two times to design two different additions to our cottage in Manitowish Waters. We liked her a lot, very personable, knowledgeable and very easy to work with. We would highly recommend using her!

    Joy and Chip Stringer

Ready to Begin Your Design Journey?

Whether you're starting a new build or reimagining a space you already love, Sheri is here to make the experience clear, creative, and enjoyable.

Reach out with your questions or project vision — she’ll take it from there.

Kitchen with wood ceiling and flooring, white cabinets, black window frames, farmhouse sink, and pendant lights.