--- title: "Open Door Architecture — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/open-door-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1099331803 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1099331803.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Open Door Architecture" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/fae367ef019bf640_5618-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "1121 Eleanor St., Knoxville, Tennessee 37917, United States" latitude: 35.998 longitude: -83.9152 phone: "(865) 603-4756" website: http://www.opendoorarchitecture.com rating: 5 review_count: 29 best_of_houzz_awards: 4 followers: 129 last_updated: 2026-09-23 --- # Open Door Architecture Original Houzz profile: [Open Door Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/open-door-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1099331803) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Knoxville, TN - **Serves:** Knoxville, Maryville, Oak Ridge - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (29 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 4 awards (2014–2017), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 10,000 Ideabook Saves We're a husband and wife architecture firm located in Knoxville, Tennessee. We specialize in renovating historic homes for modern lifestyles. ### Services Provided - House Plans - New Home Construction - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Kitchen Design - Sustainable Design - Energy-Efficient Homes - Floor Plans - 3D Rendering - Bathroom Design - Space Planning - Universal Design - Historic Building Conservation - Construction Drawings ### Areas Served - Knoxville - Maryville - Oak Ridge ### Typical Job Cost $50,000 - 3 million ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Open Door Architecture | | Address | 1121 Eleanor St., Knoxville, Tennessee 37917, United States | | Phone | (865) 603-4756 | | Website | http://www.opendoorarchitecture.com | | License Number | TN 103937 | | Followers on Houzz | 129 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/OpenDoorArchitecture ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Open Door Architecture](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/open-door-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1099331803) - **Website:** http://www.opendoorarchitecture.com - **Phone:** (865) 603-4756 ## Credentials - **Best of Houzz:** 4 awards (2014–2017), for Service. **Affiliations** - [The American Institute of Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/the-american-institute-of-architects-pfvwus-pf~1350720471) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 29 reviews** ### Reviews **★★★★★ — juliebraude, June 2016** > We cannot say enough good things about Open Door Architecture. Sara and Sean are great listeners. They are creative, open-minded, original thinkers. They never made us feel self-conscious about budget constraints, or special requests. From a business perspective, Sara and Sean were incredibly organized and detail-oriented. Finally, we are thrilled with our home. We'd work with them again in a heartbeat! **★★★★★ — wpartain, May 2016** > Sean and Sara have been invaluable to us as we've gone through a large renovation. What started as a few aesthetic upgrades unexpectedly expanded into everything from structural issues to mechanical deficiencies. Through it all, Sean and Sara had creative ideas, connections with reliable engineers and contractors, and a sense of joy about the work. I cannot recommend them highly enough. **★★★★★ — abster35, March 2016** > My husband and I are working on doing a home addition. Sara and Sean have been a great couple to work with during the whole design process. They listen well to your wants and have great feedback. This was our first architecture experience and it has been a pretty painless one so far. **★★★★★ — John Palk, Feb. 2016** > Sean and Sara have provided us continual assistance in design, construction management also with space planning. Their attention to detail is refreshing. For a home owner, they made us feel comfortable in decision making as well as gave us the information to make educated decisions. I would recommend them to anyone! **★★★★★ — ward3782, Jan. 2016** > We used Open Door Architecture for a master bathroom and bedroom remodel. They were great to work with - their services were affordable, they were respectful of our budget, and they made using an architecture firm very approachable and easy (something we would have thought was out of our price range before). It was great to see different plans and layouts for our remodel and discuss how different options would fit with our budget. We would definitely use them again! **★★★★★ — Josh Birdwell, Jan. 2016** > We have used Open Door Architecture on multiple remodel projects and could not be happier and more satisfied. Sean and Sara are professional yet personal enough to get to know us and our tastes and style. We own a home built in the late 40s and the remodels fit the house perfectly - we could immediately tell Open Door Architecture's experience with older homes was exactly what we needed. They were very budget conscious and were very helpful finding budget friendly solutions without sacrificing quality. While Sean and Sara have contractor recommendations, they were excited to work with anyone we brought to the project. As problems arose (and they always do!), they were quick to deliver new ideas, solutions, or recommendations - way above and beyond what we expected. > > We will continue to use Open Door Architecture for any major projects in the future. **★★★★★ — Letterman & Sons, Jan. 2016** > We worked with Open Door Architecture as the architect/ designer on an craftsman style front porch addition for a mutual client. As a General Contractor, I would highly recommend using Sara and Sean from the smallest remodel to the largest custom home. They are very quick to respond to our questions and up to-date on all the latest trends in design and technology. My clients really loved the 3D rendering they provided this helped visualize the project beforehand. I have and will continue to recommend Open Door Architecture to my clients and colleagues! **★★★★★ — Denise Phillips, Dec. 2015** > Sean and Sara are wonderful to work with! We were very pleased with the plans they designed for our renovation; they came up with some really creative solutions to a few tricky issues in our old house. I can't recommend them enough. **★★★★★ — Prime Renovations, Nov. 2015** > I am a contractor and have worked closely with Sean and Sara on several remodeling projects. They are very detailed, easy to work with, and create beautiful designs. In addition to being amazing architects they are just great people. I will certainly continue to recommend them to any of my clients needing professional design. **★★★★★ — carol\_odonnell3, Nov. 2015** > We hired Sara and Sean Martin of Open Door Architecture to design plans for 1) the restoration of our 100 year old brick garage and 2) an expansion of our kitchen to open it up and create an eat-in space. Their work is innovative while matching the architectural style of our house. They are fabulous listeners and were able to incorporate our various desires and ideas into keen architectural vision. Their designs included various levels of design options, that could be adjusted based on the reality of construction costs. Lastly, I never realized how important their services would be during construction in interacting with the contractor and helping us with color and product choices. Their costs were very fair and helped us realize we could tackle these renovation projects. > Excellent work, vision, professionalism, and cost! **★★★★★ — lizupchurch1, Nov. 2015** > I really appreciate Sara and Sean because they really listen to you as a customer, and their designs are very thoughtfully done. They are really specialists in making the most of the space you have and provide really interesting options in their design. They also know very good contractors and help with that interface. **★★★★ — User, Nov. 2015** > We recommended Open Door to clients who wanted to renovate a very large, disfunctional bathroom. Neither the general contractor or the clients knew what to do with it. Sara completely rethought the space and designed a fully functional space that met all of our clients needs and made the most of the space. ## Selected projects - [Luttrell Street \#1](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/luttrell-street-1-pj-vj~1210377) - Location: Knoxville, TN - Photos: 15 - Description: An unfortunate porch fire caused severe damage to this 1909 house, burning much of the front and interior. The owners wanted to bring their home back from the brink by creating an open, light-filled design that honored the house's simple symmetry and spare classical detailing. - [Eleanor Street \#1](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/eleanor-street-1-pj-vj~361425) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 15 - [Eleanor Street \#2](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/eleanor-street-2-pj-vj~755292) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 15 - Description: This 1905 Victorian cottage in Knoxville's Fourth & Gill neighborhood had a sagging foundation, outdated bathrooms, and a non-functioning kitchen. The new owner challenged us to design a renovation that would be respectful to the remaining historic details and bring an open, modern feel to the house. - [Quincy House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/quincy-house-pj-vj~361203) - Location: Knoxville, TN - Photos: 3 - [Midcentury Kitchen](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/midcentury-kitchen-pj-vj~361217) - Location: Knoxville, TN - Photos: 1 [See all 5 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/open-door-architecture-pfvwus-pf~1099331803) ## Ideabooks - [J+A: fence examples](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/65154919/list/j-a-fence-examples) — 10 ideas - [1019 bathrooms](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/72092854/list/1019-bathrooms) — 2 ideas - [new house](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/61368101/list/new-house) — 3 ideas - [examples](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/61463238/list/examples) — 3 ideas [See all 4 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/opendoorarchitecture) ## Community Q&A **Q: Shower Curtain** *(in Photo Questions)* Love how the curtain pulls the brown over from the vanity. Could you tell me who makes it, please? Thanks! A: Yes, it's a West Elm shower curtain. I don't think they make it anymore, but I have seen it available on eBay. **Q: Love the wall file, where's that from?** *(in Photo Questions)* Is that a custom made product on the wall? Looks like steel and really would like to find one if possible. A: Hi, sorry for the delayed response! Actually, that magazine rack is an old, discontinued Ikea design. Just saw one on eBay, I'm sure for more than the original would have cost, but it is a good product: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ikea-Spontan-Wall-Mounted-Steel-Newspaper-Magazine-Rack-201-181-74-New/222666436905?hash=item33d7f43129:g:veUAAOSw5FpZ1CeO Good luck! **Q: HGTV 2017 Urban Oasis Wood Flooring** *(in Design Dilemma)* Does anyone know the what the exact wood flooring is that is used in the hgtv urban oasis home? I am looking for something exactly like that for a new house but I can't find it referenced anywhere. Thanks! A: Hello! Here's a link to the flooring product: https://www.authenticreclaimedfloors.com/floor/830/american-hardwoods/appalachian-trail Good luck with your project! **Q: Grout color** *(in Photo Questions)* Beautiful bathroom! Could you tell me the color of the grout you used and if it's the same color on the floor and in the shower. Thanks! A: It's called Delorean Gray -- sort of a neutral, medium gray. We use it a lot. Good luck! **Q: Grout behind tub** *(in Photo Questions)* What color grout was used on the wall behind the tub? A: It's called Delorean Gray -- sort of a neutral, medium gray. Good luck! **Q: What size is the subway tile?** *(in Photo Questions)* What size did you end of using here in the tub? A: It's standard 3x6 glazed subway tile. Probably the one Home Depot carries -- we use that one a lot! --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-23.*