TIMOTHY FULLER architects

t’s a sad exercise to look through the notes and images we carefully compiled for our first meetings with Tim. I keep searching our home for the details and style unique to us but never find them. Tim was fixated on his own tastes and architectural fads, and would not engage enough to generate ideas in line with what we actually wanted. In the end he essentially refused to implement our style because it didn’t match his own taste, at times even insulting our choices. When we called attention to things we weren’t happy with, he would generally throw up his hands and leave it to us to find solutions. We did not get suggestions on many significant aspects of the design and ended up having to cobble something together with the builder. As a result our home lacks any coherent style and has almost no relation to what we envisioned at the outset. Attention to detail was poor and Tim exhibited a range of unprofessional behaviors like ignoring emails, forgetting to do promised work, making rude and condescending comments, and cutting off scheduled meetings early to head up north. He seemed to loose interest and essentially checked out of the project long before the build even started. The rare site visit was primarily devoted to addressing his oversights. A representative episode: a wood fireplace with hearth was one of the most important features of our house and was in the programming notes from our very first meeting. Whenever we tried to bring it up throughout the design process though, it was always something he’d “circle back” to. He never did, and when we got to the build phase he seemed surprised to learn that we had a wood fireplace at all, apparently excusing the fact that he’d forgotten a chimney. When this became clear I asked him to visualize some options, which he said he would do. He then forgot to do this, went on vacation, and left us with no chimney (there’s now a section of aluminum pipe). Multiply this experience by virtually every aspect of a house and the result is incredibly disheartening.

It was a pleasure to work with Tim. He brings a breadth of experience to the table. He excelled at organizing the project and interfacing with our builder/contractor and was appropriately mindful of our budget. Tim met any deadlines and was very responsive. We have received many compliments about the design of our project particularly as it relates to complementing and fitting with the original style of our home.

Tim designed my dream lake “cottage” and it is still getting adoring reviews from family and friends. When Tim and I began the design process, little did we know the challenges we would encounter with my quaint (i.e., very small) lot on Lake Minnetonka. Together we persevered several challenges and changing rules with the City, but through each step of the changes required Tim was patient, responsive and creative. The end result is my dream lakeside cottage; a home even better than I imagined. Tim maximized the lake view and the sunlight in every room while adding the architectural detail that makes this a home that my friends and family enjoy to share. It is a charming, efficient use of space and detail. The summer of 2014 was an especially challenging year for homes in my neighborhood due to historic high lake levels and flooding; our streets and yards were under water and most homes were sandbagging and pumping. But, through it all the house that Tim designed stayed dry. This was the ultimate test and the home performed and exceeded expectations. I hope that you consider Tim for your home project and that you will love the home that Tim designs as much as I do.

We hired Tim Fuller to design a major renovation and expansion to our 1908 four-square in the historic Saint Anthony Park neighborhood in Saint Paul, MN in 2007-2008. The scope of the project involved increasing the square footage from approx 1400 to 2500 and, in the process, creating a master suite and renovated bath on the second floor, a family room/expanded kitchen/mudroom and powder room on the first floor, finished space in the basement, a new two-car garage, and re-siding/re-roofing the entire home. We trusted that he would honor the style of the home while creating spaces that a modern family of five would use and enjoy. Throughout the process, Tim listened carefully to our ideas and proposed a variety of solutions to meet them. We are delighted with the results and recommend him with complete confidence.

Tim helped us evaluate potential houses prior to putting in bids--general structural quality, remodel ideas and feasibility. It turned out to be virtually a whole house remodel. We really feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Tim. He completely understood what we were trying to accomplish, and came up with a number of creative ideas that were far ahead of what we were thinking. His ideas for ways to make the house work for us have all been right on the mark (even the ones of which we were initially skeptical). Three years later, we love our house!

Tim listens. It's an important skill when imagining a customer's dream project. Tim has worked on three projects for us, the first being a small office addition in the late 1990's and the latest a simple garage. In between those two, he handled the design and planning of a major two-story addition which included a new kitchen and master suite. His professionalism, design skill and ability to interpret our vision, resulted in an renovation that landed us on the Minneapolis/St. Paul Home Tour. While being on the tour was rewarding, the best thing about our renovation is that we thoroughly enjoy being in our space every single day. Tim's sensitivity to our needs, our vision and our budget, added to our home's efficiency and warmth. We love being here.

It's always a pleasure to work with Timothy. He has a wealth of knowledge in the architectural world and is exceptional with people. You can tell he loves what he does. Stephen Roche Showcase Renovation, Inc.

We engaged Tim Fuller to design the re-model and updated floor plan for our 1915 era home. The design included a first floor mudroom and laundry area combined with a second story mater bath. Tim included our desires and vision into the re-model plans and we could not have been more pleased. Our home now has all the 'modern' amenities but has lost nothing of the style and charm of the era when the house was built. Even after three and half years since the project was completed, my wife and I can find nothing that we would have done differently.

Tim designed several of the additions we have built. I really appreciate his design sensibilities, sense of space. and easy way of working with the clients. As a contractor it's always a pleasure collaborating with Tim during the design and construction phases of the project.

Tim and his associate, Sara Whicher, provided excellent architectural services to us as we did a major renovation of our 1964 mid-century home before move-in. He provided complete project management, from conceptual work at the start of the project to assistance every step of the way, including close coordination with our contractor and interior designer. The end result was a fantastic home that stays true to its mid-century origins while being completely updated and functional. Our home was featured in Minnesota Homes in May of 2005 and has been a place of warmth and welcome to many guests since then. i would work with Tim again and recommend him without hesitation.

We liked the “Not So Big House” concept when we built our home in 1977 even though we were not aware of it as a concept at that time. We just thought it made good sense. Over the years since then, we have made phased improvements in function and quality (without adding square footage) as our finances allowed. When it came time for what became our biggest renovation project, we called upon Tim Fuller to guide us through the process because we could count on Tim to recognize our preferred style in his design elements, help us focus our efforts on the best improvements, honestly tell us when our ideas were not on target, and provide us with great alternatives to improve upon the way we live in and enjoy our home.

My husband and I had lots of ideas about our home but they were not well formed. Tim listened carefully, helped us clarify our thoughts and translated them into a home that has brought us immeasurable joy. Truthfully, there is nothing that we would change. Tim was a delight to work with on what I would consider the most important project of our lives. Laura Goodrich Author/Innovator