Michael Mullin Architect

Remodel of a Marin County cottage from closed and cluttered to open space giving way to sunshine and mountain views. Michael approached the project from a very personal perspective asking us endless questions about our lifestyles and how we wanted to use our new home, a turn-of-the-century cottage in Marin County with tons of charm, but a history of choc-a-bloc additions. Michael got to know exactly what we wanted out of this most important purchase of our lives to date and was able to put together a simple "fix it up" plan, and a second, far more aggressive and ultimately perfect -- but costly -- "go for it" plan. We chose the latter and haven't thought twice about it since the moment we were presented the plan. It made so much sense! Our home is absolute perfection design-wise, has been featured in articles and books for its simplicity, and is a treasure that we both hope to enjoy well into our retiring years. Michael's attention to detail, assistance with the general contractor, and insights into bringing "la vita dolce" to our home are unsurpassed.

In 2005 Michael designed a wonderful addition that doubled the size of my home in LA. It included a tall great room, open to views up the mountain and natural light. Since then I've bought a farm near Ruidoso, New Mexico. In 2012 Michael designed several alternative site plans for the farm, and these have helped me to lay out parking, planting, and several new outbuildings. He designed several outdoor rooms near the house, making parking more convenient/ hidden, and shielding the house from the road. Over time I'll be implementing the ideas he proposed as the farm grows and becomes more established. He makes design look easy.

We did a major remodel of our home in Noe Valley with Michael. He came up with the initial concept of turning the basement into a new master suite and opening the wall between the kitchen and dining room. We really loved the openness of the plan and feel of the space. Michael was great to work with, helped keep things on track with the contractor, and delivered an amazing result. The SF Chronicle covered the project here: http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Deep-thinking-Out-of-darkness-comes-light-A-2492807.php

Michael is very conscientious of his clients needs and budgets and works diligently and creatively to meet their needs. Michael is very open to learning about new and proven technologies in the construction trade.

Michael was the architect on this project and he brought me in to design the garden. Working with Michael was a pleasure. He has a very collaborative way about him and because of that the garden became the exterior room that the clients wanted. He was very open to my suggestion of building stucco walls around the garden instead of your typical wooden fence. His input on the outdoor lighting integrated with the architectural language and geometry of the house. Michael's sense of space is amazing. On this project he created a strong visual connection between the kitchen and the garden... it really works during parties as we made sure the lighting doesn't glare off the windows. I highly recommend Michael and would love to work with him again. Deanna Glory, APLD Deanna Glory Landscape Design SF CA

My partner and I hired Michael to design a major renovation of our 109 year old house in San Francisco. We were extremely impressed with Michael's approach to understanding our aesthetics and how we envisioned living in the space. He worked closely with us to refine our ideas, and consistently generated bold new ideas that we quickly fell in love with. He has a keen awareness of light, volume, flow and function. Michael patiently worked with us to arrive at a final design that is well beyond what we could have envisioned on our own, and yet feels perfectly suited to us. Michael was also very active in facilitating the entire process, from securing the permits, to interviewing and selecting contractors, to selecting finishes. As the project progressed, so did the design, and Michael was extremely helpful in seeing new possibilities, evaluating the alternatives, and quickly iterating on the designs. His calm and thoughtful demeanor put us at ease as we hit the inevitable surprises and the scope of the project expanded. Our project is nearing completion and we're thrilled with how it's turning out. Michael has been a pleasure to work with. We would certainly hire him again and highly recommend him to others considering home renovations.

Michael designed a major remodel of our home. This remodel included creating a new guest room and office by incorporating an in-law apartment back into the main structure, enlarging and modernizing the kitchen, updating a loft to make it more usable, adding a laundry room from unused garage space and creating an inviting entry area. The remodel also included numerous structural updates as required by city code. He carefully listened to our desires and worked closely with us to turn our vision into a refined, beautifully designed space that is comfortable and functional. We especially appreciated the subtle design touches he added to give the house a unique look. Ten years later, his design continues to engender positive responses from first-time visitors. We highly recommend Michael.. He is professional, thoughtful and easy to work with. We were very glad he hired him and are very pleased with the results.

I am a landscape architect who has consulted with Michael Mullin Architect on a couple of projects, and he has in kind consulted with me on a couple of houses I have rehabbed over the years. With both houses he quickly visualized elegant layouts for some tricky spaces that saved us from making some big mistakes. This skill is particularly useful in the relatively tight and vertical spaces found in San Francisco houses. Beyond his spatial organizational talents, Michael has impeccable taste and a broad knowledge of materials, finishes and color combinations. In addition, Michael has proven to be sensitive to the many issues involved in the aesthetic, environmental and sustainable aspects of landscape design, unlike many architects who's main concerns with landscape and garden design is typically to showcase their work. He understands and tries to create, when opportunity permits, the ideal indoor/outdoor living and flow that is so much desired in 'California Living.'

I have worked with Michael on several projects over 15 years. He has always been extremely professional in his dealings with the client as well as me, the contractor. His designs are clean tend toward modern but his main focus has always been delivering the clients vision. Quite often clients have an idea of what they want but need help in focusing their thoughts into a constructible design, i find that this is one of Michaels strengths. Being able to bring sophistication to an idea is not always an easy task, but on a large project where time is money it is essential to be able to provide this service.

Complete remodel of house built in 1895. Michael listened carefully to what we wanted to accomplish, including the incorporation of vintage architectural details into what would be a modern house. He had input on everything: structure, architecture, permits, design, color, fixtures, and etc. He also helped us find a contractor and met regularly with us and the contractor during construction. We couldn't be happier with the results. Everything, architecture, style, color, and etc works together in one harmonious whole. For this project, we went for the whole enchilada, and chose to spend a lot of time and money on planning and architectural services. However, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Michael for less ambitious projects. If you want competence, sensibility, and style, in your architect, then Michael should be on your short list.

Michael Mullin did the architectural work on a home I had built in San Francisco. He worked in concert with me to ensure that what I wanted to achieve was in fact achieved. The end result was a stunning home, one which neighbors felt fit in with the neighborhood. It was a very creative and collaborative process and I was extremely pleased with the results.

Michael Mullin provided design consulting input on two of my residential development projects, saving construction cost and boosting resale value. He has a fantastic eye for what is possible and put forth ideas that improved on my designs tremendously. Highly recommended.