--- title: "John D. Kelley Architect — Building Designers and Drafters | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/building-designers-and-drafters/john-d-kelley-architect-pfvwus-pf~1989186548 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1989186548.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "John D. Kelley Architect" category: ["Building Designers and Drafters"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/88736237047f5f55_3622-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Santa Barbara, California 93109, United States" latitude: 34.4038 longitude: -119.7194 phone: "(805) 963-1013" website: http://www.jdkaia.com rating: 5 review_count: 11 followers: 48 last_updated: 2026-11-10 --- # John D. Kelley Architect Original Houzz profile: [John D. Kelley Architect](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/building-designers-and-drafters/john-d-kelley-architect-pfvwus-pf~1989186548) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Building Designers and Drafters - **Location:** Santa Barbara, CA - **Serves:** Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Montecito, Mission Canyon, Toro Canyon, Summerland - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (11 reviews) ## About ### Houzz Badges - Recommended on Houzz - 250 Ideabook Saves Award-winning architect John D. Kelley specializes in environmentally friendly design. His mission is to encourage his clients, colleagues, and community to live and build in a sustainable manner. John has been involved in design and construction since 1972 and founded his architectural firm in 1989. His completed projects in California, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico include homes and remodels as well as offices, restaurants, classrooms, libraries, and auditoriums. Several of the projects have been featured on green building tours, and several have received design awards. A Southern California native, John graduated from UCSB in 1968 and has been living and working in Santa Barbara for over 40 years. He and his wife Ellen, an award winning poet, children’s book author, and teacher, have two grown children. A founding member of the Sustainability Project and the Green Building Alliance, John chaired the Green Building Now conference in 1996 and led the creation of the Santa Barbara Green Building Guidelines in 2001. He teaches classes on green building and eco-living and he supports local efforts to promote sustainability. Emphasizing a team approach, John works with clients, consultants, and contractors to create beautiful and livable homes and workplaces that respect the environment. He provides a wide range of services from individual design consultations to complete architectural drawings and construction support. ### Services Provided - 3D Rendering - Bathroom Design - Bathroom Remodeling - Building Design - Custom Homes - Drafting - Energy-Efficient Homes - Floor Plans - Green Building - Healthy Homes - Home Additions - Home Extensions - House Plans - Kitchen Design - Lighting Design - New Home Construction - New Home Design - Remodeling Design - Sustainable Design - Universal Design ### Areas Served - Santa Barbara - Goleta - Carpinteria - Montecito - Mission Canyon - Toro Canyon - Summerland ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | John D. Kelley Architect | | Address | Santa Barbara, California 93109, United States | | Phone | (805) 963-1013 | | Website | http://www.jdkaia.com | | License Number | C19389 | | Followers on Houzz | 48 | ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [John D. Kelley Architect](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/building-designers-and-drafters/john-d-kelley-architect-pfvwus-pf~1989186548) - **Website:** http://www.jdkaia.com - **Phone:** (805) 963-1013 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - John's awards include: AIASB Award of Citation 1994 - Altito (Guest House)SB Beautiful Annual Award, New Residence 1994 - Kurland ResidenceGoleta Beautiful Annual Award 1995 - Ellwood Elementary SchoolSB Beautiful Annual Award, Institutional 2000 - Cold Spring Elementary School **Affiliations** - [AIA Santa Barbara](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/aia-santa-barbara-pfvwus-pf~2115496248) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 11 reviews** ### All 11 reviews **★★★★★ — Michelle E., Aug. 2017** > John transformed our 1940's track home into a beautiful and highly-functional forever home. He was very thoughtful with his designs and worked with us on revisions until we were completely satisfied. He effortlessly managed issues with city planning and answered questions that arose throughout the building process. He was a pleasure to work with and always very prompt with responses. **★★★★★ — Elaine T, Aug. 2017** > John did an outstanding job helping us remodel a small beach house, maximizing its potential and transforming it into a beautiful space that impresses everyone who sees it. He helped us add a new bedroom and bathroom and remodel the original bathroom and a great room, where we installed wood floors, added a full kitchen, and installed shelves next to a stone fireplace chimney to help it look more integrated. John is creative and has a great vision. He is a good listener and a true collaborator; he was always willing to consider our ideas and suggestions. At every step along the way, he made suggestions and discussed various options with us. He patiently guided us toward things that proved to be both functional and aesthetically beautiful and – importantly – away from things we had in mind that (it’s now clear to us) would have been mistakes. He provided architectural services and also made sure the work stayed on track, which we really appreciated. He paid attention to all the details that we didn’t have the patience to keep track of. And in addition to being a consummate professional, John is a really, really nice guy. It was a pleasure to work with him and we highly recommend him. **★★★★★ — Peter Schuyler, Oct. 2016** > I have worked with John on two separate occasions; one for an extensive remodel of our house and most recently for a small expansion and upgrade to the same house. John was a pleasure to work with - he listened to our ideas, suggested improvements where he saw the opportunity and produced plans that we were very happy with. He was respective of our time and budget; followed through well with promised time schedules, and and tracked the projects from start to finish as needed. Would definitely use him again and refer him to friends without hesitation. **★★★★★ — vijaya20, Oct. 2016** > John designed our remodeled front entrance in 2009 and we are still getting compliments from our neighbors and friends! We are very happy with the professional, creative and responsive way that John handled the project. I most appreciate his soft- spoken patience and practical manner all through the project construction. We would definitely hire John again. **★★★★★ — Dale Taylor, Oct. 2016** > John was such a pleasure to work with on reconstructing my home, which had burnt in a fire. He was extremely responsive to my vision of what I wanted the house to be, making many suggestions that aligned with my wishes. It seems to me that his overriding goal was to meet or exceed my expectations, as opposed to forcing his personal vision and style onto my project. He suggested and implemented many environmentally conscious features and was very helpful to me in selecting appropriate fixtures, color schemes, and other details. I give him a very high rating and would not hesitate to use him again if the occadion arose. **★★★★★ — Alan Howell, Oct. 2016** > Could not be happier with the result. Plus John was always communicative and available, able to reduce complex matters to a manageable and intelligible size, has a wonderful esthetic and great good taste, and mediated effectively when inevitable issues arose between owners and contractors. I am thankful every day for our association and friendship. **★★★★★ — sanrafaeldreams, Jan. 2016** > John Kelley is an exceptional listener and visionary. I love how he helped bring our home ideas to life. Unused, wasted space is now functional and beautiful!! The flow of our home now better allows for socializing as well as personal space when desired. > > John's background in home construction was an immense benefit throughout design and build. John had current up-to-date knowledge on building regulations and codes. Thus we were able to obtain permitting and inspection approvals on time. > > We no longer have an unsightly roof line (a creative solution that he identified). The result is beautiful curb appeal! > > It's hard to pick my favorite room. The kitchen and living room? The den? The master bedroom? The master bath? EACH room is incredible and even better than we initially imagined. I hope we get to live here for the rest of our lives. John is truly skilled at what he does. He was available to brainstorm during the project and showed genuine interest in us and our home. I would recommend John Kelley without hesitation. **★★★★★ — wstancer, Jan. 2016** > Remodel,. 90% complete demolition and construction, 2,600 sq. ft. two story, two bedroom, two bath > > We could not be more satisfied with the outcome of the project that John designed for us. > Right from the beginning, his preliminary plan captured the essence of what we had envisioned for our home. > He did a great job of patiently guiding us through the planning and development process. Giving us periodic homework assignments toward making the many, necessary choices and decisions enabled us to successfully complete the planning process without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. > His detailed set of construction plans enabled the contractor to complete the project “trouble free”. > Incorporation of “green building” design into our home was a huge plus, one which we did not fully envision in the beginning. He did a great job of slowly introducing us to all of these concepts. All of the positive attention that our home has received over the years in this regard is testimony to his expertise and leadership in this area. > In short, our home has turned out beyond our expectations. John being the careful listener that he is, and his attention to detail from start to finish, was the vehicle for making this possible. We continue to take pleasure in showing off our home to anyone who is willing to visit, and are proud to tell them that “John D. Kelly, AIA, designed it for us.” > We highly recommend him. **★★★★★ — refreese, Dec. 2015** > We hired John Kelley after seeing what he had accomplished with his own home, taking a tract home much like ours and turning it into a very up to date and more desirable living space. John was easy to work with, forecast the total job costs accurately and followed through during construction of this major renovation to our home. The result was 100% pleasing to us and we ended up with a friend for life. **★★★★★ — chesnut1329, Dec. 2015** > We enjoyed a great relationship with John as he designed our casita for New Mexico. He executed a design that realized what we wanted and included new features that we enthusiastically embraced. From visiting other of his projects here in Santa Barbara, we were particularly drawn to his aesthetic. His plans are known to be error-free which was not the case with another architect we employed. He worked within our budget and worked well within our deadlines. John is well-known within our community for promoting sustainable green building; our casita was built with ICFs (insulated concrete forms) made from recyclable materials. This provided great insulation from the cold winters and relatively warm temperatures at 7,000 feet. A steel roof and plastered walls also provided protection from wildfires. John is the ultimate professional. **★★★★★ — HARLIN LANDSCAPING, Dec. 2015** > Patient - Thoughtful - Detailed - Accurate - Timely - Creative - Considerate. > All of these qualities from John Kelley are what made the design process enjoyable with an end product we could not be happier with. ## Selected projects - [Mountain House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mountain-house-pj-vj~1275314) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 5 - Description: This rebuilt contemporary home includes: stone paving, heavy timber construction, structural-insulated-panel roofs, window walls, fiber cement siding, cherry kitchen cabinets, granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and a custom pool. - [Midcentury Modern](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/midcentury-modern-pj-vj~1479502) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 3 - Description: This remodeled midcentury home features: open beam ceilings, wood-paneled walls, light wood floors, asian decor, and a spa bath with sand-blasted glass shower enclosure. - [Craftsman Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/craftsman-home-pj-vj~1479242) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 3 - Description: This craftsman remodel and addition includes: stone paving, fiber cement siding, open beam ceilings, rustic wood floors, cherry kitchen cabinets, granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and a stone fireplace surround. - [Coyote Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/coyote-residence-pj-vj~1479238) - Location: Montecito, CA - Photos: 4 - Description: This new hip-roofed home, inspired by New Zealand farmhouses, features: insulated-concrete-block walls, plaster exterior and interior finishes, covered porches, open beam ceilings, concrete floors, casual decor, and an open living area with a central skylight. - [Zen Bungalow](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/zen-bungalow-pj-vj~1479486) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 4 - Description: This craftsman style whole-house remodel features: stone paving, open beam front porch, stucco siding, slate floors, stone fireplace surround, cherry kitchen cabinets, caesar-stone counters, spa style master bath, and volume ceilings with skylights. - [Altito](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/altito-pj-vj~1479519) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 2 - Description: This new organic style radial plan tower features: stone veneer, wood siding, beamed trellises, and segmented view windows. - [Hillhouse](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/hillhouse-pj-vj~1479518) - Location: Gaviota, CA - Photos: 3 - Description: This rebuilt ranch guesthouse includes: a stone entry, rustic wood floors, open beam ceilings, and rustic interior decor. - [Venetian Gothic Villa](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/venetian-gothic-villa-pj-vj~1479481) - Location: Montecito, CA - Photos: 5 - Description: This new Venetian Gothic style home includes: stucco walls, tile roofs, arched windows, and classical landscaping. - [Spanish Addition](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/spanish-addition-pj-vj~1479497) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 4 - Description: The stucco walls, tile roof, and arched windows of this new second story addition compliment an attractive spanish style bungalow from the 1920's. - [Kitchen Remodel \#1](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/kitchen-remodel-1-pj-vj~1479499) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 1 - Description: This kitchen remodel includes: painted wood cabinets, slate counters, and stainless steel appliances. - [Kitchen Remodel \#2](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/kitchen-remodel-2-pj-vj~1584774) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 2 - Description: This kitchen remodel features: a wood floor, natural wood cabinets, stone counters, stainless steel appliances, a vaulted wood ceiling, and openable skylights. - [Beach Cottage](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/beach-cottage-pj-vj~1479245) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 4 - Description: This cottage style whole house addition and remodel features: stucco siding, composition shingle roof, a cottage-style entry porch, and contemporary interiors. - [Custom Home Office Nook](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/custom-home-office-nook-pj-vj~2153840) - Location: Santa Barbara, CA - Photos: 1 [See all 13 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/building-designers-and-drafters/john-d-kelley-architect-pfvwus-pf~1989186548) ## Ideabooks - [Spanish Homes](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/72327514/list/spanish-homes) — 6 ideas - [Contemporary Homes](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/72504488/list/contemporary-homes) — 6 ideas - [Beach Homes](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/72327424/list/beach-homes) — 6 ideas - [Bungalows](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/72327587/list/bungalows) — 6 ideas [See all 4 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/jdkaia) ## Community Q&A **Q: Great counters! Is that Granite? Name/Supplier?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: The owner tells me that these counters are granite. He does not recall the name of the granite. He says the granite was installed by Ben Rozhko of Rozhko's Tile & Marble. I searched for contact information and found this phone number: 805-569-3027. I'll not sure if it is the correct number. **Q: Lovely wood choice, can you specify?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: Cherry cabinets --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-11-10.*