SHIM is a design-obsessed and craft-driven collective based in Portland, OR. We design and build custom homes, remodels, ADUs, and interiors — grounded in the belief that good design deserves good building, and good building deserves good design.
The name "Shim" comes from the humble, unseen piece in construction that ensures everything is level, aligned, and true. A shim embodies foresight, precision, and refinement — small in scale, simple in form, quietly ensuring integrity in what follows.
That's us. We align client, designer, and builder. We work behind the scenes, solving the details that make all the difference—so the final result is beautiful, enduring, and exactly as intended. We're casual people who take our work seriously—we do work we're proud of, fight for our clients' best outcomes, and aim to make the process engaging and fun.
At SHIM we are committed to:
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Prioritizing the client’s goals — your needs shape the design
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Protecting design intent — guiding the vision from first sketch to final detail
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Building with precision and care — detail by detail, joint by joint
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Thoughtful project stewardship — budgets, scope, and schedules guided with foresight and experience
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Tackling challenges with creative solutions — collaboration over compromise
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Creating spaces crafted to last — enduring quality and uncompromised aesthetic
-
A personal approach — clear, down-to-earth communication and genuine relationships with our clients and team
That's us. We align client, designer, and builder. We work behind the scenes, solving the details that make all the difference—so the final result is beautiful, enduring, and exactly as intended. We're casual people who take our work seriously—we do work we're proud of, fight for our clients' best outcomes, and aim to make the process engaging and fun.
At SHIM we are committed to:
-
Prioritizing the client’s goals — your needs shape the design
-
Protecting design intent — guiding the vision from first sketch to final detail
-
Building with precision and care — detail by detail, joint by joint
-
Thoughtful project stewardship — budgets, scope, and schedules guided with foresight and experience
-
Tackling challenges with creative solutions — collaboration over compromise
-
Creating spaces crafted to last — enduring quality and uncompromised aesthetic
-
A personal approach — clear, down-to-earth communication and genuine relationships with our clients and team
The name "Shim" comes from the humble, unseen piece in construction that ensures everything is level, aligned, and true.
A shim embodies foresight, precision, and refinement — small in scale, simple in form, quietly ensuring integrity in what follows.
Core Team
Angela Mechaley
Director of Interiors
Susan Haas
Director of Operations
Wes Haas
Co-Founder
Director of Construction
Matthew Daby
Co-Founder
Director of Design
25 years ago, Wes and Matt met working together at an architecture firm. After both moved on, they built expertise in different worlds—Wes managing full project lifecycles at a design-build firm, Matt launching a boutique residential design practice.
When the opportunity arose to partner up, they merged the best of both. They brought in Angela, Matt’s design collaborator of over a decade, along with Susan, whose background in financial planning and organizational strategy adds a critical layer behind the scenes, launching SHIM—a collective built on complementary expertise across architecture, construction, and interior design, integrated from day one.
We’re here to make the process more efficient, more thoughtful, and more rewarding for everyone involved.
25 years ago, Wes and Matt met working together at an architecture firm. After both moved on, they built expertise in different worlds—Wes managing full project lifecycles at a design-build firm, Matt launching a boutique residential design practice.
When the opportunity arose to partner up, they merged the best of both. They brought in Angela, Matt’s design collaborator of over a decade, along with Susan, whose background in financial planning and organizational strategy adds a critical layer behind the scenes, launching SHIM—a collective built on complementary expertise across architecture, construction, and interior design, integrated from day one.
We’re here to make the process more efficient, more thoughtful, and more rewarding for everyone involved.
Wes Haas
Co-Founder
Director of Construction
Matthew Daby
Co-Founder
Director of Design
Angela Mechaley
Director of Interiors
Susan Haas
Director of Operations
Based in Portland, OR
CCB# 259837
Based in Portland, OR
CCB# 259837
Current Projects
BFF Victorian
A family of three found their dream location in Portland's walkable Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood: a charming 1895 Victorian with good bones but an awkward layout. Previous remodels had created an oversized utility room at the expense of the dining room, leaving a narrow hallway with little room to gather and entertain.
SHIM reconfigured the main floor to give the family what they needed: a proper dining room with space for their piano, a walk-in pantry for a client who loves to cook, and a sleek double-door washer/dryer closet that doesn't dominate the floor plan. We enlarged the openings between living, dining, and kitchen to create flow, introduced a 3/4-height cabinet wall at the entry for storage and definition, and replaced vinyl flooring with chevron oak throughout - elegant, timeless, and a modern nod to the home's era.
Small moves, big impact.
Gimme Moore MCM
A close-knit family of four wanted their 1953 Tabor midcentury ranch to feel more open, connected, and organized: a home where everything has a place and everyone has space to be together.
We're refinishing and extending the original oak floors, stripping out previously added (and inappropriate) crown molding and tray ceilings, and restoring simpler ranch cove trim to match the existing original details. A few fun moves: redefining the entry with white oak slats and a floating bench, updating the fireplace with floor-to-ceiling tile, adding wallpaper to the dining room ceiling, and creating a pantry for better storage. The girls' bathroom gets a full MCM-appropriate overhaul with more storage and 4x4 tile in a playful color palette. Outside, we're giving the bland exterior some personality with green color-blocking, new siding, a metal awning, updated lighting, and a redefined entry that actually says "welcome home."
The kitchen? That's phase two, and we can't wait to see it all come to life!
