--- title: "Anderson Shirley Architects — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/anderson-shirley-architects-pfvwus-pf~1636487383 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1636487383.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Anderson Shirley Architects" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/34139e7802e16248_2472-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "695 Commercial St. SE Suite 5, Salem, Oregon 97301, United States" latitude: 44.949 longitude: -123.004 phone: "(503) 371-1140" website: http://andersonshirley.com rating: 5 review_count: 4 best_of_houzz_awards: 1 followers: 46 last_updated: 2026-08-23 --- # Anderson Shirley Architects Original Houzz profile: [Anderson Shirley Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/anderson-shirley-architects-pfvwus-pf~1636487383) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Salem, OR - **Serves:** Portland, Salem, Keizer, Hayesville, Four Corners, Independence, Aumsville, Mount Angel, Sublimity, Turner, Labish Village, Brooks, Eola, Rickreall - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (4 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2016), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - 1,000 Ideabook Saves The goal of Anderson Shirley Architects is to provide attentive, high quality service and thoughtful design to clients with residential, commercial, and educational projects. Although Karl and John take what they do seriously, they also like to have fun along the way and relish the friendships they have developed with their clients. The work of the firm is neither exclusively historical nor modern. Instead, each project is a carefully considered response to the client, the site, and the context which it inhabits. Karl Anderson and John Shirley graduated from the architecture school at University of Oregon in 1986. In 2004, they founded Anderson Shirley Architects. Prior to forming the firm, Karl worked at various firms in Portland and Salem, most recently with Carlson Veit Architects. John worked in Portland, Baltimore, and Salem, most recently with Architects Four. ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Home Remodeling - Sustainable Design - 3D Rendering - Structural Engineering - 3d home design - home restoration - remodeling ### Areas Served - Portland - Salem - Keizer - Hayesville - Four Corners - Independence - Aumsville - Mount Angel - Sublimity - Turner - Labish Village - Brooks - Eola - Rickreall ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Anderson Shirley Architects | | Address | 695 Commercial St. SE Suite 5, Salem, Oregon 97301, United States | | Phone | (503) 371-1140 | | Website | http://andersonshirley.com | | License Number | 3893 | | Followers on Houzz | 46 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/andersonshirleyarchitects/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Anderson Shirley Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/anderson-shirley-architects-pfvwus-pf~1636487383) - **Website:** http://andersonshirley.com - **Phone:** (503) 371-1140 ## Credentials - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2016), for Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 4 reviews** ### All 4 reviews **★★★★★ — Caroline Hart, June 2016** > We are so grateful for their very professional guidance and thoughtful inputs into the design of our home. We enjoy the results every day!! **★★★★★ — alit58, Dec. 2015** > John Shirley came highly recommended to us by a friend who is in the construction industry, and who has high standards. We are building a mid century influenced vacation house and apartment, and we were looking for an architect who understood our design aesthetic. From our first meeting with John, we could tell he listened carefully, got preliminary plans to us in a timely manner, and has been there for us as we had questions an challenges during our build. John has honored our need to stick to our budget, helped us design our home with passive solar gain in mind, and supported us in finding some more innovative building materials for our project. We highly recommend John Shirley as an architect who will collaborate with your to make your home become a reality. **★★★★★ — Kraft Custom Construction, Oct. 2015** > Anderson Shirley Architects have provided the Design in many Design/Build projects we have been involved with in our 35 years of business. They are especially gifted in helping to bring "architecture" back to the residential realm from which it has been missing for way too many years. > Specifically, the team at Anderson Shirley Architects listens to the client's needs and wants and develops a solution to the problems without "over designing". This results in a project design that is both thoughtful in it's approach but simple in it's implementation. > Some projects have obvious solutions, some require a more in-depth analysis. In the end, the form follows the function while addressing the client's needs in a way that can be built efficiently. **★★★★★ — mskindrud, Feb. 2015** > We hired Anderson Shirley Architects to design our new residence for our retirement, and work with our contractor during the construction phase of the project. John Shirley was the firm's principal in charge of our project. > > We first met John and Karl when they came to our rural building site to check it out and talk to us about the site and its relationship to the kind of house we had in mind. They talked about the land, how to design a home that would work with the land and surrounding countryside, about designing a house with both indoor and outdoor rooms that would bring the outside in, and ways we could ensure a light filled house, a plus for Oregon's grey winter days. They were reading our minds on these issues. We concluded they were not only anticipating our concerns, but that they would be open to the kind of participation in the design process we wanted. > > We were not disappointed. We worked with them over two years on the design for a modern 2,800 square foot home, with lots of light and real integration with the land. We were as involved as we wished to be. The design process took two years because that was our timeline, working with John and Karl from another state before we moved to Oregon, and we wanted to go slowly. Construction took another year. Our time lines and budget were met. > > We really enjoyed working with John and Karl. They have breadth and lots of talent, and their people skills helped us work through the inevitable challenges that arise during the construction phase of a complicated building project. We very much recommend them to others. > > Photos of our home are shown on the Anderson Shirley website under Northwest Modern Rural Residence. ## Selected projects - [Northwest Modern Rural Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/northwest-modern-rural-residence-pj-vj~822507) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 10 - Description: This house is designed for a soon-to-be-retired couple. They desired a single-level, compact house that would accommodate frequent guests and reflect their love of the outdoors. The house is sited along the edge of a gently sloping meadow, bordered on the south and east by forest, with views of the distant hills to the north and west. The approach to the house is orchestrated such that only short views are visible along the quarter-mile drive from the road to the house. One then passes through t… - [Dallas Arts & Crafts Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/dallas-arts-and-crafts-home-pj-vj~827556) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 8 - Description: This is a renovation of an existing single story ranch home into a breathtaking two story arts and crafts structure inspired by Greene and Greene. Each individual who was involved in the project left their mark by offering ideas based on their expertise from their particular craft. After many on site mock ups and educated decisions the result is a home that truly is a piece of art. Every detail has been carefully considered and the craftsmanship is very well executed. http://artsandcraftshomes.c… - [West Salem Modern Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/west-salem-modern-remodel-pj-vj~822523) - Location: Salem, OR - Photos: 4 - Description: The remodel of this 1960's Modern Period home included renovations to the kitchen, master bathroom, and an outdoor space while maintaining the original modern style. The client had a vision to upgrade their typical master bathroom into a high end spa that is full of natural light and connects to an adjacent outdoor space. Rich materials provide warmth and a new layout allows for added amenities. A glass door leads to an outdoor deck where multiple materials create a playful pattern around a circ… - [Kitchens](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/kitchens-pj-vj~822602) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 12 - Description: Over the years we've helped homeowners create the Custom Kitchen of their dreams. From Traditional to Modern we make the Client's vision a reality. - [Fairmount Park Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fairmount-park-remodel-pj-vj~1360583) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 3 - [Fairmount Hills Cottage](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fairmount-hills-cottage-pj-vj~822491) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 5 - Description: This 1920's cottage has always looked like it belongs in a fairy tale. The client wished to keep its idyllic character intact, but needed more space. The additions were carefully planned to preserve the original form of the house as much as possible. A new bay window in the living room provides just the right amount of space for the client's furniture. A master bedroom and bathroom are housed in a miniature "house" of their own, connected lightly to the original building. Interior and exterior d… - [Contemporary Portland Condo](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/contemporary-portland-condo-pj-vj~1360571) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 8 - [South Salem Hills Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/south-salem-hills-residence-pj-vj~1360590) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 3 - [Portland Willamette River Condo](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/portland-willamette-river-condo-pj-vj~1438179) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 4 - [Custom Green House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/custom-green-house-pj-vj~905594) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 2 [See all 10 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/anderson-shirley-architects-pfvwus-pf~1636487383) ## Ideabooks - [Wish List](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/157716441/list/wish-list) — 7 ideas [See all 1 ideabook](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/johnmichaelshirley) ## Community Q&A **Q: What are the cabinets made out of and are they custom? Thanks** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Sapele, and yes they are custom **Q: Who is supplier for stools?** *(in Photo Questions)* Love the shape of the stools and how they work with the overall wonderful kitchen and the shape of the pendant lights. Impressed by the range of residential and commercial work that you do. A: We were not involved in the purchase of these stools, so I'm not sure where they came from - **Q: What is the stain color used on the floor, please?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Hi - Sorry to be so long in getting back to you. I was on vacation and I couldn't find a way to respond on the iPad. We first saw a sample of the flooring at a place in Portland called Surface. It was ordered and installed by Restoration Creek Inc. in Salem. Best wishes on your project! John --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-23.*