--- title: "Stewart Associates Architecture & Interiors — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/stewart-associates-architecture-and-interiors-pfvwus-pf~503392788 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~503392788.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Stewart Associates Architecture & Interiors" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/8d4350c70e4314df_8416-w400-h400-b1-p10--.jpg address: "1351 Laurel Street, San Carlos, California 94070, United States" latitude: 37.4969 longitude: -122.2674 phone: "(650) 591-8283" website: http://www.stewartassociatesdesign.com rating: 4.6 review_count: 10 best_of_houzz_awards: 5 followers: 212 last_updated: 2026-08-10 --- # Stewart Associates Architecture & Interiors Original Houzz profile: [Stewart Associates Architecture & Interiors](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/stewart-associates-architecture-and-interiors-pfvwus-pf~503392788) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** San Carlos, CA - **Serves:** San Mateo, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Foster City, Burlingame, San Carlos, Belmont, Stanford, Hillsborough, Los Altos Hills, Atherton, Woodside, Emerald Lake Hills - **Houzz rating:** 4.6 out of 5 (10 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 5 awards (2013–2016), for Service, Design. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 10,000 Ideabook Saves Stewart Associates was founded in 1982 and has been focused on Custom Single-Family Residential Architecture ever since. We are a father and son team who have a passion for Architecture. Over the past few years, we have had to reduce the size of our firm to keep our quality as high as possible and to make sure all our clients get personal attention from us. We work on projects of all sizes, from small additions or interior remodels all the way up to large estates with over ten thousand square feet of building area. Above anything else, we are wanting to connect with people who value design, from the impact when you enter a home for the first time to how your life plays out while you live in that home. We design every project hoping it will be an heirloom for the family and a place where they can make amazing memories that are cherished through many generations. Our understanding of Classical Architecture differentiates us from many other designers. The importance of classicism has been lost throughout the recent history and we find that to be very unfortunate. Even contemporary homes benefit from an understanding of historic design principles. These principals guide us towards designs that value natural light and offer efficiency and ease of construction. From an ornate Victorian to a contemporary take on a farmhouse, all homes benefit from this knowledge…even modern ones! We have extensive experience working throughout the many communities along the Peninsula. Each of them has their own unique challenges and advantages, with our experience we can create designs that quickly get through various design review processes. We have contacts at most of the Planning and Building Departments in the area and have a good network of Consultants and Contractors to bring in on projects. We have lots of experience with local zoning ordinances and have even helped shape a few of them, as well as the residential building codes. We pride ourselves on the detail and accuracy of our plans, that leads to less confusion in the field and a smoother construction process. We are always continuing to learn and grow. We have been involved with the local chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art for many years. We enjoy learning from our peers and people who we look up to within our community. The basis for a successful project is a good design, and that is where we excel and where our passion lies. ### Services Provided - Home Remodeling - House Plans - New Home Construction - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Floor Plans - Space Planning - Construction Drawings - Custom Homes ### Areas Served - San Mateo - Redwood City - Palo Alto - Menlo Park - Foster City - Burlingame - San Carlos - Belmont - Stanford - Hillsborough - Los Altos Hills - Atherton - Woodside - Emerald Lake Hills ### Typical Job Cost $100,000 - 5,000,000 Total Construction Cost We are a full-service Architecture office. We can take your project from an idea to a finalized design and are experts at getting through the tough design approval processes found throughout the Bay Area. From there we can prepare a full Building Permit submittal, coordinating with any necessary consultants, review bids from contractors, and more. We offer free consultations to give you a better idea of what your project will entail. ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Stewart Associates Architecture & Interiors | | Address | 1351 Laurel Street, San Carlos, California 94070, United States | | Phone | (650) 591-8283 | | Website | http://www.stewartassociatesdesign.com | | Followers on Houzz | 212 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stewart-Associates/104428429623745 - LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/pub/john-stewart/4/584/370 - Blog — http://www.stewartassocaia.com/wordpress/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Stewart Associates Architecture & Interiors](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/stewart-associates-architecture-and-interiors-pfvwus-pf~503392788) - **Website:** http://www.stewartassociatesdesign.com - **Phone:** (650) 591-8283 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Member of AIA San Mateo - Best of Houzz Design Award 2013-2015 - Best of Houzz Service Award 2014 - **Best of Houzz:** 5 awards (2013–2016), for Service, Design. **Affiliations** - [AIA Custom Residential Architects Network](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/aia-custom-residential-architects-network-pfvwus-pf~629398549) - [The American Institute of Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/the-american-institute-of-architects-pfvwus-pf~1350720471) - [AIA San Mateo County](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/aia-san-mateo-county-pfvwus-pf~1863726644) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 4.6 out of 5 — 10 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 40.0 - Value: 50.0 ### All 10 reviews **★★★★★ — turnfam, April 2025** > We hired Stewart Associates for a full home remodel, and the experience was exceptional from start to finish. John & Jason blended creativity with functionality, completely transforming our space while staying true to our vision. Communication was seamless, timelines were met, and the quality of work exceeded our expectations. We couldn't be happier with the results—highly recommend! **★★★★★ — Danielle Steves, June 2018** > We worked with Jason and we couldn’t have been happier. We bought a house that needed 100% renovation. We had an addition designed as well as a complete overhall of the main living spaces. > > Jason was professional, timely, and listened to us so we got exactly what we wanted. Price was very fair. We used the structural engineer he suggested and glad we did. The overall experience of a project like this can be overwhelming for a first time home buyer, especially in the very expensive peninsula, but Jason made this experience a positive one and answered our questions quickly, he even did site visits when I had bigger questions ensure things were going smoothly. > > We highly recommend using them for any project the work and designs he creates are functional and gorgeous. **★ — Erin Z, May 2018** > I hate to have to write this review because John Stewart is a really nice guy but a lot of things happened which warranted this 1 star review. > We hired John Stewart because we really liked his designs but instead we were given to his son Jason. Possibly because we weren't a big enough job. After numerous times back and forth, Jason was not able to give us what we asked for in design. Anytime we questioned something or voiced a concern, he became borderline angry at us and gave us attitude. We addressed this with John and he agreed it wasn't professional and apologized for his son's behavior. > > We finally decided to stop working with them and were handed a 2,000 dollar bill for extra work Jason supposedly did after our last meeting (work we never saw). > > No happy at all with the outcome. Sorry. **Comment from Stewart Associates Architecture & Interiors:** > Erin and Trevor, > > We are sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the services we provided to you. > > Through the history of this business there have been many Designers, Draftspeople, and Architects that have worked here and it has been common to have one or more of them be involved in your project. John is personally involved in every project and attended the majority of the meetings on your project. He stopped attending because you were concerned about the costs that were adding up and you specifically asked to meet with only one member of our team to save money. We work the same way on projects of all sizes, John oversees all of the projects so unfortunately at times he can not be as hands on as he would like. He personally reviewed your drawings many times before you even saw them at every stage of the project. We don’t recall any “borderline angry” meetings or a conversation where he agreed anyone at Stewart Associates acted unprofessionally. We are sorry if you felt that way and sincerely apologize. > > Your project was a challenging one. You had floor plans already drawn before we started to work on it as well as many images of homes you liked and a bare lot that has significant slope. We tried to marry the floor plan to the images while taking the slope into account and as we remember you received the initial design very well. You had some minor changes you wanted to make, moving the Master suite to a different location (the initial location was specifically requested by you), and we successfully incorporated those changes. Then you no longer liked the exterior and wanted to go a completely different direction. To make a long story short, you changed your minds several more times throughout the process. As we explained to you, during the design phase we work on an hourly contract because there is no other way for us to be fair to ourselves and to our clients. We met with you 9+ times and even went as far as to work on the design live with Erin looking at the monitor to try to streamline the process since there were concerns early on that we were spending too much time on things before you could give us feedback. In the end Erin, who we met with most of the time, was very happy with the design and was excited to show it to Trevor. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter Erin emailed us to let us know that Trevor was concerned about the resale value of the style that you had selected and wanted to go with something more common in the area. > > By this point we were over our original estimate and you questioned how that had happened. We sent a thorough email basically detailing everything stated above in more detail. We give out estimates based on many years of projects and typically we are significantly under what we estimate. Unfortunately, when a client changes the direction of the project so drastically several times the charges do add up. > > To that email Erin responded “Totally understand now. I can come in Monday at 12:00 if that works for you?” and we proposed some other times as we weren’t available that Monday at 12:00. That meeting was to discuss the possibility of yet another completely new design. That was the last communication we had from either of you. This was over 11 months ago, and we didn’t hear back from you. We had several invoices for work that we had already performed totaling over $2500 that went unpaid for almost a year. Finally, after sending bill after bill without hearing anything from you we decided to hire a debt collection firm to try to collect what was owed. If you read your contract, we are entitled to 1.5% interest monthly on unpaid invoices. We didn’t even add that to your bill, we just wanted to be paid for work we had done. We took a 25% loss on the bill to pay the debt collector and we fell that we have been nothing but fair. Had you come to us with these concerns instead of just ignoring our bills for months we may have been able to work with you but after 11 months we didn’t feel that was fair. > > At no point did we bill you for work that wasn’t performed or that you didn’t see. You may have received a bill after our final meeting due to the nature of our billing process, but no work took place that you didn’t request. Our final meeting was on 6/6/2017 and after that date we billed an additional 3 ½ hours’ worth of time. The majority of the unpaid balance was from an invoice you missed paying in May, well before that meeting and was likely what we reviewed during that meeting or even a revision past what was billed for during that invoice. We can’t recall the exact specifics, as it was almost a full year ago, but those 3 ½ hours must have been work that was requested during that meeting as well as fielding your emails about another change in style. > > Sorry it didn’t work out. > > Sincerely, > The Stewart Associates Team **★★★★★ — asolway, Feb. 2015** > We hired Stewart and Associates to draft the plans for a new single family home in Palo Alto. John did an outstanding job. He is both a talented artist and excellent architect. He was always professional. He listened to us and gave us good advice on space planning. I highly recommend this firm. **★★★★★ — S Basta, Dec. 2014** > John and Jason Stewart swooped in our project and saved us! We had spent a few years with a different architect and couldn't get a design done within our budget. John and Jason worked swiftly to meet our needs and created a design within a budget we could tolerate. They were quick to draw up our first set of plans, and were responsive and quick in the refining process. They were kind, respectful and fun to work with. They were also willing to incorporate design changes along the way, including a 2 day turn around on a great room expansion last minute, and even a tricky master bath change up so that I could get my dream sauna included in a tight floor plan. It all worked! We are so grateful for John and Jason! What a team they are! John's vast experience and demeanor was very comforting in the process. **★★★★★ — amyjas, July 2013** > Working with Stewart & Associates was the highlight of our remodel. What began as a kitchen and bath remodel and turned into a 90% remodel, was the definition of scope creep. John and Jason Stewart stayed with us the entire process! They helped keep the project on track, both with regard to budget and timing, were so easy to work with as we made changes in the field and helped get the project through our town's red tape without so much as a hiccup - an important extra bonus. The house is everything we imagined. **★★★★★ — ceoconstruction, July 2013** > Stewart ans Associates was the Architectural firm hired by the owners of this residential remodel. Stewart and associates provided construction design and drawings. It is another feather in the firms cap for taking a bad 70's addition to a rancher and turning it into a gorgeous well thought out floor plan. This project from the curb will not appear to be an addition but a transformation. CEO Construction, Inc. was the general contractor. **★★★★★ — RKI Interior Design, June 2013** > Stewart Associates is an experienced architectural firm specializing in high-end residential projects in the San Francisco Peninsula. They provide excellent 3D visualization as well as creative hand drawings. They are also known for their successful track-record for achieving building permits. **★★★★★ — geoff55, June 2013** > I am a structural engineer who has worked with Stewart Associates for ten years. I have always found them to be very professional and that they provide the hightest quality design that is economical to build. > > Regards > Geoffrey Clifford Structural Engineer > BCA Structural Engineering Inc **★★★★★ — Markay Johnson Construction, Feb. 2013** > Markay Johnson Construction has worked with Stewart and Associates in building many custom homes in the Atherton California area. John and his team have a flare for timeless design, yet each project is unique and beautiful in its own way. His plans are always perfected and every detailed accounted for, we highly recommend Stewart Associates Architecture for your architectural and design needs. ## Selected projects - [San Mateo Spanish Revival](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/san-mateo-spanish-revival-pj-vj~5333173) - Location: San Mateo, CA - Photos: 17 - Description: Beautiful spanish revival home in the heart of San Mateo Park. - [Menlo Oaks Farmhouse](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/menlo-oaks-farmhouse-pj-vj~5332951) - Location: Menlo Park, CA - Photos: 10 - Description: Beautiful contemporary farmhouse in a great setting surrounded by mature trees. - [Menlo Oaks Tuscan](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/menlo-oaks-tuscan-pj-vj~5333578) - Location: Menlo Park, CA - Photos: 10 - [Atherton Shingle Style](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/atherton-shingle-style-pj-vj~46118) - Location: Atherton, CA - Photos: 14 - Description: Beautiful shingle style home like what you might find along the east coast. - [Hillsborough Spanish Revival](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/hillsborough-spanish-revival-pj-vj~685825) - Location: Hillsborough, CA - Photos: 3 - Description: This was a nice remodel project of a very nice home that just wasn't quite big enough. We added some living space an a nice new garage. In addition we restyled the exterior slightly to create a timeless design. - [Hillsborough French Revival](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/hillsborough-french-revival-pj-vj~17428) - Location: Hillsborough, CA - Photos: 20 - Description: This project was a mid sized new construction estate in Hillsborough, Ca. - [Other Projects](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/other-projects-pj-vj~65548) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 16 [See all 7 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/stewart-associates-architecture-and-interiors-pfvwus-pf~503392788) ## Ideabooks - [Random](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/131840931/list/random) — 1 idea - [Valentine](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/103190184/list/valentine) — 3 ideas - [283 Stockbridge](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/98526324/list/283-stockbridge) — 16 ideas [See all 3 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/jasonstewart) ## Community Q&A **Q: What is the grey exterior paint color?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: I'm sorry but we don't have any records of this color. Best bet would be to take a copy of the picture down to the paint store with you to use a reference. Thanks, Jason **Q: Dimensions/pendant lights** *(in Photo Questions)* Can you please tell me the size of the glass pendant lights over the table? A: They are roughly 1'-3" across and 1'-6" tall, the homeowner actually picked all the finishes/fixtures/etc. she really did a great job! **Q: Paint** *(in Photo Questions)* What is the paint color A: I'm sorry but we did not select the color. If you take this photo to a local paint dealer they should be able to get you close. Good luck with your project! **Q: Window in a shower? Y/N?** *(in Design Dilemma)* My architect discourages us from planning to put window in shower because of mildew collection over time. Opinions? I'd love to add more natural light and view there is overlooking trees. Any advice welcome. Thanks!! A: We advise against it as well for the reasons that have already been stated. While it can be made to last a long time it is still a concern, in some cases the Bathroom can be rearranged to allow a window (depends on where the door is really) if it is really important to the client. Other alternatives would be to add a Skylight or Solatube to get some natural light without the downsides of a window in the shower. Good luck with your project! **Q: What is the brand & color of the stain?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: To be honest I have no idea, likely the shingles were pre-finished. If you are doing a DIY project where you need to stain something I would recommend getting a few smaller containers to do some tests with, make sure you use the same wood in the same condition as the wood you will be staining. If you are working with a contractor show them this picture and ask them to match the color, they can do some test pieces and get you close. Thanks, Jason **Q: Kitchen dimensions** *(in Photo Questions)* Would you be willing to share the kitchen dimensions? Thank you! A: It is 17' deep (along the wall on the right of this picture) and 19' wide. Thanks, Jason --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-10.*