--- title: "Sayler | Owens | Kerr design studio — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/sayler-owens-kerr-design-studio-pfvwus-pf~755038225 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~755038225.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Sayler | Owens | Kerr design studio" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/f163993a0f96b914_0792-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "534 Pine St., Sandpoint, Idaho 83864, United States" latitude: 48.312 longitude: -116.5332 phone: "(208) 265-9160" website: http://WWW.SOKDESIGNS.COM rating: 5 review_count: 16 best_of_houzz_awards: 9 followers: 379 last_updated: 2026-09-03 --- # Sayler \| Owens \| Kerr design studio Original Houzz profile: [Sayler \| Owens \| Kerr design studio](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/sayler-owens-kerr-design-studio-pfvwus-pf~755038225) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Sandpoint, ID - **Serves:** Sandpoint, Ponderay, Kootenai, Dover, Colburn, Pacific Northwest, Sagle - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (16 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 9 awards (2013–2023), for Design, Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 50,000 Ideabook Saves Located a couple of blocks from the picturesque Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, ID, SOK design studio collaborates with clients from around the world to create custom dream homes, cabins, and commercial architecture. From the first phone call to the toast at the housewarming party, we are there for our clients to ensure their vision is realized. Firm partners Matt Kerr and Eric Owens lead an exceptionally talented team of designers, including Lance Markley and John Callison. Jon Sayler, the founding partner, is retired, but his influence on the region's architecture and our firm resonates to this day. ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - Home Remodeling - Architectural Drawings - House Plans - New Home Construction - Home Additions - Home Extensions - Kitchen Design - Sustainable Design - Kitchen Remodeling - Energy-Efficient Homes - Floor Plans - 3D Rendering - Bathroom Design - Green Building - Space Planning - Universal Design - Drafting - Barn Design & Construction - Basement Remodeling - Basement Design - Deck Design - Laundry Room Design - Custom Homes ### Areas Served - Sandpoint - Ponderay - Kootenai - Dover - Colburn - Pacific Northwest - Sagle ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Sayler \| Owens \| Kerr design studio | | Address | 534 Pine St., Sandpoint, Idaho 83864, United States | | Phone | (208) 265-9160 | | Website | http://WWW.SOKDESIGNS.COM | | Followers on Houzz | 379 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/sokdesigns/ - Blog — http://www.sokdesigns.com/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Sayler \| Owens \| Kerr design studio](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/sayler-owens-kerr-design-studio-pfvwus-pf~755038225) - **Website:** http://WWW.SOKDESIGNS.COM - **Phone:** (208) 265-9160 ## Credentials - **Best of Houzz:** 9 awards (2013–2023), for Design, Service. **Affiliations** - [The American Institute of Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/the-american-institute-of-architects-pfvwus-pf~1350720471) - [NAHB Certified Green Professional](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/professionals/schools-and-organizations/nahb-certified-green-professional-pfvwus-pf~1100930283) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 16 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 50.0 - Value: 50.0 ### Reviews **★★★★★ — Jessi Egizi, Feb. 2021** > I'm not sure that I can accurately find the words to fully describe how incredible it is working with Matt Kerr at SOK. What I can say though, is that he's kind, patient, and brilliant with design. He listened to everything I told him, stepped back and let me run wild with my thoughts, then would perfectly put them into our plans while adding his own creatively genius touches. If his design skill wasn't enough, he's easily one of the greatest people to work with. I could not recommend him enough! **★★★★★ — Laura McKay, Feb. 2021** > Working with Matt Kerr on a lake home on Bottle Bay, Lake Pend Oreille. Matt has been great to work with on this project. He has taken all my artistically, “out there” ideas and brought them to life, yet has managed to marry form with function! He has designed a beautiful home for us that is unique, yet practical. He really took the time to listen to what we wanted and make it work on a challenging build site, and has done it with great patience! He understood that this is a really big deal for us and seems to care as much about getting it right as we do. Without hesitation, we highly recommend Matthew J Kerr at SOK Design Studio in Sandpoint, Idaho. **★★★★★ — HU-531493884, Aug. 2019** > Mountain lake home designed and completed by Matt Kerr of SOK Design in Sandpoint Idaho. Beautiful floor plan with every room having a Lake /Mountain View. Matt is a joy to work with. He is professional with his presentations and ideas. He designs gorgeous homes, including mine. **Comment from Sayler \| Owens \| Kerr design studio:** > Thank you for the review! We're honored to work with you! **★★★★★ — Michael Quintano, Dec. 2016** > We worked with Eric Owens as our architect and were very impressed with his commitment to our project. Through his creative design, he was able to turn our ideas into a very comfortable, efficient, and beautifully built custom home. We found him very flexible, cost efficient, and enjoyable to work with. We highly recommend him. **★★★★★ — jocelyn vick, Nov. 2016** > We stumbled into Sayler Owens Kerr by chance and have been absolutely happy with the project we created together. From start to finish it has been easy and our ideas have been translated into reality with great success. The estimate of costs were right on...rare, to my mind. Eric was efficient and the work that was produced from the office was excellent. We recommend this group, confidently and with no hesitation. I wish all our projects would be this good. **★★★★★ — Mark White, Nov. 2016** > We are extremely pleased with design of our house. Every visitor asks who designed our home. We get comments that it looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright design. It is very unique with the angles. The two protruding decks overlooking that come to a point turned out fantastic. The entry has the same angles and we get just as many compliments about the entry as we do the rest of the house. Overall, we are very pleased with the design. We are also very pleased with the friendly service and cost efficient advice that the team provided. The contractors had no problems with the designs, but we will say it was not an easy house to build. But easy was never on our wish list. **★★★★★ — Madden Millworks, LLC, March 2015** > In my 38 years of experience with Architects in the custom home building industry, few who can meet the demands of form and function like Jon Sayler. He excels at blending his beautiful exteriors with natural site surrounding. He brings the outdoors inside with view corridors and interior architectural elements that blend well together. He is great with creating fun, whimsical and dramatic with the true feeling of quality all around. > Every collaborated project was a giant success. > Thanks Jon! **★★★★★ — bczinger, Oct. 2014** > Jon and his firm are amazing. Most use him for large houses however they love to design smaller well designed homes. **Comment from Sayler \| Owens \| Kerr design studio:** > Thank you Betsy....It was so much fun working with such a creative client. You had such an open mind and willingness to explore. We have attached an image of the rendered 3D model as we have not gotten any final photos. What a fun place! **★★★★★ — Selle Valley Construction, Inc., Sept. 2014** > We have worked with Jon R. Sayler Architect, A.I.A. P.S., along with his associates Eric and Matt, on numerous projects over the years. Jon and his crew are meticulous and thoughtful with their designs, creating unique custom homes of the highest quality while keeping the client’s wants, needs, budget and lifestyle in mind. > > We often refer potential clients to Jon because of his ability to understand the dreams and goals of our customers and translate those ideas into exceptional homes. Jon Sayler and his team also ensure that the homes are elegantly constructed to feature the contours and views of the surrounding area. > > What we like best about working with them is that they are always available to sit down or meet us at a construction site; they are up to speed on the latest building trends, practices and materials; and they have a willingness to listen to a builder and include our thoughts into the design process. > > Jon, Eric, and Matt are a pleasure to work with, we highly recommend them, and look forward to continue working with them in the future. **★★★★★ — cromakerfullmer, Sept. 2014** > I can't say enough about the experience of working with Jon during the design, construction and completion phases of our beautiful home in Sandpoint. > > He is imaginative and yet never loses sight of the practicalities that need to be considered when building a home. He listened to all of our wishes and needs and responded "just right" to every single one. He worked smoothly with our builder and our interior designer so that our home would turn out to be the dream home we have always envisioned on the lake. He also stayed within budget on what was a pretty big project! > > I recommend him and his firm with no reservations and would be happy to provide further information if that would be helpful. **★★★★★ — janeberglund, Sept. 2014** > We selected Jon Sayler Architects to design our home at Priest Lake, ID after interviewing three firms in Sand Point, ID. Our selection criteria included; a firm with experience in North Idaho/Priest Lake, people who would listen to our wants/desires, a firm that could share the design electronically with us as it developed because we would be in another state during most of the design process, a firm that could take on our project and have it completed in a reasonable time, and people who were genuinely interested in our project. We chose a payment method of hours worked versus a percentage of the construction cost. > We are from out of state and did not know the full extent of the firm’s high quality reputation and experience until we were talking with local friends. We were thrilled to have a firm with quality credentials working on our project! > We met with Jon in his office and talked about what we wanted. We presented him with a collection of magazine photos of homes that reflected our taste, and photos of features and finishes we liked, in an effort to give Jon a good idea of what we were looking for. Jon said this was very helpful to him and his staff. Jon took us to his home (I think he said it was the 13th he had designed and built for his family) to show us some of the design ideas he was proposing to incorporate into our home. > We then paid Jon to visit our building site and he walked the entire property with us to get a feel for the place. He helped us select the building site and came up with a unique design concept based on the site topography. > Jon and his staff (Eric and Matt) developed a few alternative designs and presented them in Google Sketch-Up, which is a 3-D modeling program. This allowed us to see what the building would look like from all sides and we could rotate the building in 3-D to get a good feel for it. They also prepared preliminary floor plans for each alternative and sent them to us electronically. After discussions over the phone (we were out of state for the entire design process), and some internal competition between Jon and his staff, we settled on the final design concept. Jon and his staff then took the concept to a set of biddable drawings and incorporated our comments as they went along. > Our builder found the drawings complete and accurate, and we found them very valuable during the construction. We were heavily involved in the building and the drawings were helpful to make sure the builder was constructing the building as it was designed. Jon and his staff were always available during construction to answer phone calls from us and the builder for clarifications, changes etc. > Jon and his staff were easy to talk to, and are good listeners. They are very knowledgeable in material selection appropriate for the area, are very familiar with the peculiarities of working at Priest Lake and are a pleasure to work with. We have a one-of-a-kind home that we love living in! **★★★★★ — curtwickre, Sept. 2014** > Jon Sayler and his team designed a beautiful house for us on Priest Lake. The unique lot is angled to the lake front, but adverse to the best view. Additionally, the lot is steeply sloped and the architecture needed to integrate driveway access. Sayler's design dramatically opened the view while increasing our beach frontage appeal and meeting our parking needs. We had wanted to maintain a Priest Lake rustic feel without the traditional, dark, North Idaho log cabin appeal. The result is an open, airy, light and clean modern home with a heavy, overhanging beam roof which carries through the interior ceiling and structure. Although far from a square building, the unusual angles just happen naturally with a perfect flow. During the design phase, visualization of the end product was not always easy for us. Jon knew when to encourage us and when to offer alternative solutions. We think he nailed it - and could not be more pleased. **Comment from Sayler \| Owens \| Kerr design studio:** > Congrats to you Curt and Nancy! We cannot wait for the everything to be 100% complete and for you to settle in. It was a pleasure working with you both along the way and the end product speaks for itself.....a site influenced modern cabin! Thank you for the great experience and opportunity to share in your dream. ## Selected projects - [Rolling Stone](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/rolling-stone-pj-vj~6831838) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 7 - [Sundowner Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sundowner-cabin-pj-vj~6523514) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 12 - [Sundower Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sundower-cabin-pj-vj~6830898) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 7 - [Snowflake at Schweitzer](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/snowflake-at-schweitzer-pj-vj~6830688) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 10 - [The Sandpoint Mountain Modern](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/the-sandpoint-mountain-modern-pj-vj~6565632) - Location: Sandpoint, ID - Photos: 7 - [Syringa Comtemporary](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/syringa-comtemporary-pj-vj~6565611) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 13 - [Dover Bay Hillside](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/dover-bay-hillside-pj-vj~6525744) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 15 - [European Farmhouse In Selle Valley](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/european-farmhouse-in-selle-valley-pj-vj~6462352) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 12 - [Priest Lake Modern Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/priest-lake-modern-cabin-pj-vj~6523504) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 8 - [Carr Creek Creation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/carr-creek-creation-pj-vj~6523510) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 12 - [Five Mile Artists Life](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/five-mile-artists-life-pj-vj~6523521) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 16 - [Priest Lake Industrial](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/priest-lake-industrial-pj-vj~3538627) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 13 - [Picard Point Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/picard-point-cabin-pj-vj~650561) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 17 - Description: Emerging from a peninsula with a free form living roof this cabin is nestled into nature.........Photos provided by Woods Wheatcroft - [Priest Lake Cabin 2](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/priest-lake-cabin-2-pj-vj~792430) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 8 - [Priest Lake 2](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/priest-lake-2-pj-vj~195685) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 5 - [Custom River House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/custom-river-house-pj-vj~689048) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 38 - Description: 5,000 sq. ft home built on the Pend Oreille River just outside of Sandpoint, Idaho. 3 bedrooms, 5 1/2 bathrooms, 1 bunkroom, and an outdoor kitchen/dining area with gazebo. - [Sandpoint Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sandpoint-residence-pj-vj~48568) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 4 - [Modern Retreat](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/modern-retreat-pj-vj~1589386) - Location: Sandpoint, ID - Photos: 19 - Description: 3,500 square foot retirement home built near the Pend Oreille River just outside of Sandpoint, Idaho. 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, 1 bonus room, complete with a screened in back porch. - [Chattaroy Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/chattaroy-cabin-pj-vj~948922) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 7 - [Dover Bay Residence 1](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/dover-bay-residence-1-pj-vj~47046) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 6 - Description: A multi-story 3 bedroom house built on a cliff overlooking Lake Pend d'Oreille. The owners loved the wrap around views provided by the site and we were able to showcase that with plenty of corner windows and a 45 degree orientation to the site. This is their Northwest family retreat and set up for large groups and low maintenance. It even boasts a hidden dock storage room built into the hillside! [See all 49 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/sayler-owens-kerr-design-studio-pfvwus-pf~755038225) ## Ideabooks - [idahobbes's ideas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2205855/list/idahobbes-s-ideas) — 19 ideas - [Zimmer](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/70775607/list/zimmer) — 27 ideas - [Palmer](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/50424266/list/palmer) — 1 idea - [Vick](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/33263987/list/vick) — 22 ideas - [Exteriors](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2217432/list/exteriors) — 27 ideas - [Bedrooms](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/32220757/list/bedrooms) — 1 idea - [Kitchens](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2205884/list/kitchens) — 17 ideas - [Water Feature](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/31790186/list/water-feature) — 1 idea - [Color Schemes](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/3069690/list/color-schemes) — 3 ideas - [Gray](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/11721514/list/gray) — 13 ideas - [Patio](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2275116/list/patio) — 4 ideas - [Kid's Rooms](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2506315/list/kid-s-rooms) — 3 ideas - [Art Studio](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2947772/list/art-studio) — 3 ideas - [Family Room](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2552901/list/family-room) — 2 ideas - [Bathrooms](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2682165/list/bathrooms) — 1 idea - [Rec Room](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2218687/list/rec-room) — 1 idea - [Libraries](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2217356/list/libraries) — 1 idea - [Home Offices](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2205870/list/home-offices) — 1 idea - [Stairs](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2206565/list/stairs) — 1 idea [See all 19 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/sokdesignstudio) ## Community Q&A **Q: Does anyone know what the material in the feature wall is please?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: That is simply 1/8" sheet metal that has been flame treated. The different temperature are what give it the variation. Thanks for the great question! @Eric Owens **Q: What is sq ft of this cabin??** *(in Photo Questions)* I am wondering how large this is! A: The setbacks for this particular site allowed us to build 700 sf....so that is what we did! It was as big as we could go. @ Eric Owens **Q: Love it!** *(in Photo Questions)* Is the matress/cushion custom made? A: Thanks for the great question....YES, this mattress was custom made for the exact height and fit for this space. @ Eric Owens **Q: Trim Color for MidCentury update** *(in Design Dilemma)* We are having our 1952 house updated. We live in western WA and have chosen SW Useful Gray for walls in the main living areas because it has a slight green cast which works with the trees and water. Trim is Gray Area and is two steps darker in same family. It is close to the exterior trim which will be visible on window sills and where beam extend to exterior. I know that the trend is to paint trim lighter than wall color, but this house always had the reverse. Would love to hear others' opinions and experiences. I included two photos to give a sense of living room space. Thank you. A: Sounds like you have it spot on! Definitely go darker.... much more of a modern and sleek style....not so much of the cutesy cabin cottage.... trust your gut. Looks like a great space! @Eric Owens **Q: Help with lighting in daylight basement and kids' room** *(in Design Dilemma)* Looking for some lighting ideas for our kids' bedroom and basement. These are the ones that came with the house (photos are from then the house was staged). I'd like to replace them with something more contemporary but not sure where to start. And I don't know why the kids' light is so close to the wall?? Thanks for your input! A: Track lighting is extremely versatile... they have many styles of tracks and you can point your lighting in multiple directions, have pendants hang from them etc.... Plus they have a very modern feel to them! Good luck! @Eric Owens **Q: Plans for 6400 ft2 or 600 m2** *(in Design Dilemma)* Hi I need a plan I don't know how to start A: I would be more than happy to talk you through the design process..... a phone conversation would be helpful in identifying the scope of your project and your wants and needs. Let me know if you would like to chat! @Eric Owens --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-03.*