jARCHITECTS: Jim Rymsza, RA

Jim was an easy architect to work with. His design perfectly captured what we were after and he gave us some excellent advice early on that saved us a lot of money. The construction company was easily able to use the plans that Jim developed, and we are very happy with the finished product.

Jim was very helpful from the start. He listened to our needs and wants. He came up with a great floor plan and presented us our dream home. In the end he designed us a home that will create lasting memories.

Jim’s plans worked beautifully for our basement remodel, transforming unfinished space into two bedrooms, a bathroom, laundry and family room, all with an eye toward making the area light and welcoming. He also did the permitting process for us, which saved time and hassle.

Jim provided us with an incredible design to remodel our home and add a second story. We wanted to keep the feeling and style of our Craftsman home but needed more room for our family. He was able to integrate this and our home now has ability to be our forever home. Jim was really great at helping early on to explain the process as well as provide consultation during the actual construction when the contractor was getting off track. Many of our neighbors have complimented the house as it feels like it was always built this way.

Jim has some great ideas of how to lay out a house floor plan, how to open up the house potential for space, natural light and practical livability, yet making it appealing. Jim also makes the house blend with the neighborhood yet making it unique. Jim also puts together a very professional package which in our case got through the city planning department without any issues. Jim also has good contacts as far structural engineers and contractors which really helped us get a feel for what complete work statement of the renovation would take in cost and time.

Jim helped us with a particularly tricky remodel/addition to the back second story of our home in Ravenna/Bryant. It was especially tricky due to the limited height of the existing roofline and underlying structural support of a 1920's craftsman home. Along with a complete second story interior remodel, we wanted to add space and had originally explored adding a dormer to the front of the house with a different architect. We weren't pleased with the resulting design, cost, and ultimately minimal additional space added by the effort. So, we connected with Jim who proposed a solution that was cost effective and could better integrate into the structure of home, while minimizing visual impact from the front. Although not the perfectly ideal solution (from the rear it is fairly clear that it is an addition), from the street the effect is the appearance of two original-style dormers on the north and south sides of the house (although underneath they are a completely separate and new structure). The resulting interior space added much needed ceiling height and additional square footage to accommodate a full master bathroom. Although the interior remodel was of our design, Jim provided many useful recommendations and suggestions (such as providers, feedback on our choices, etc.) and included some structural touchpoints that had a great impact on the interior space - in particular the exposed collar tie beams in the non-replaced section of the second story. As a visual designer, I appreciated that Jim was open to collaborating/iterating on some of the interior layouts (such as the bathroom layout). Jim's fees for his services were reasonable as well. Jim was very professional and yet personable and easy to talk to. He was very accommodating with our many questions and issues and even when it became difficult to locate a contractor with availability, Jim was able to help out there as well. Jim also kept up regular communication which was appreciated, and of course a bonus is that he happened to be a nearby neighbor so on-site visits were easy and relatively frequent.

Jim helped us with an addition on our single family home. We pretty much knew what we wanted initially. He drew up the plans and consulted an an engineer. We quickly found out that the scope of the work was beyond what we were willing to take on. An alternate plan was put together and Jim quickly drafted another set of plans and we ultimately moved forward. We are happy with the result !

Our 1955 home was in dire need of a complete remodel and we were cautious and nervous about undertaking a huge project. Jim listened to our concerns and wishes and patiently described each step of the process with us. I wanted a semi-open kitchen and Jim's idea of a pass-through provided the privacy I wanted while cooking, but open enough to have dining room conversations. We wanted to have our 3 small bedrooms made into 2 large bedrooms. Jim designed spacious bedrooms and gave the master a walk-in closet and a bump out with a built-in bench for quiet gazing into our garden. Jim kept the general footprint of the house, but his design provided better use of space. We love everything about our house now. Jim was easy to work with, calm when I was panicked and always available when we called him with questions. He was open to our ideas and honest when he felt some things were not possible. He offered great advice about choosing contractors who were great (CB construction). Jim is knowledgeable, honest and we had complete confidence in his ability. We recommend him highly and would not hesitate to use him again.

As a residential builder and remodeling contractor, we firmly believe that a collaborative approach to design and construction provides greater value to homeowners and results in better project outcomes. We have worked with Jim on several projects and look forward to many more opportunities to work together. His open communication and early involvement of team members allows for the exchange of ideas that helps identify creative building solutions, problem-solve unforeseen obstacles, avoid delays, and minimize cost for homeowners. Definitely all of the ingredients for a successful project! We would gladly recommend Jim to any homeowner looking for a custom home or remodel design.

My husband and I knew we wanted to fix up our 1927 home but we didn’t know where to start. The house needed new wiring and plumbing throughout and the bathrooms needed complete over haul. We consulted with Jim because we had seen and admired the design and work he did in an older home like ours on our street. We asked Jim if he would do a walk through of our house and give us some ideas about where to begin and, at a minimum, to draw up plans for our master bath. Jim was an immense help to us (we are novices in construction and design). He listened to what our goals were and looked at the structure of the house (and even brought in a structural engineer for confirmation) to advise us what could be done without expensive structural changes. Realizing that we didn’t have clear ideas of what we wanted, he advised us to visit bathroom/kitchen display stores and he generously shared his own architectural design magazines so we could better formulate what we liked. After a few weeks of research we asked Jim to draw up plans for the master bath that would include a larger shower area and that would use the existing bathroom space and some attic area. Additionally, we asked him to look at creating a closet area out of some of the attic area without changing the roofline. Jim was very conscious of our budget and he kept in mind that any design should be suitable for a 1927 house. In a short time Jim presented us with a creative architectural drawing that turned our existing long, narrow bathroom space into a master closet that included a linen closet, and used attic space for a bathroom that included a larger shower, toilet, and double vanity. We were delighted with Jim’s plans. Jim then arranged meetings with several contractors and did a walk through with them and us. After we accepted a contractor’s bid, Jim stepped aside but was readily available for consultation if we or the contractor had questions. We will definitely work with Jim when we are ready to remodel our kitchen.

My husband and I hired Jim to design a home to be built on our lot in Seattle. He took our rather vague ideas and came up with a floor-plan that absolutely worked for us. Jim also knew the materials, details and finish work that would make the house special while keeping it within our budget. The set of plans he provided are flawless and completely ready for our contractor and Jim has made himself available to help whenever needed during the building process. We couldn't be more pleased.

We hired Jim a few years ago to design the remodel and expansion of our 1942 bungalow in Seattle’s Hawthorne Hills neighborhood. The work involved a whole new kitchen, living room, master bed & bath, and a guest room. Our ask of Jim: design the space in a way that opens up the house, fits our culinary & social lifestyle, and still presents a 1942 "face" to the street (no McMansion!). I'd heard that architects can be a prickly sort to work with, especially if you don't fully embrace their designs (really, who likes their baby to be called ugly?). Fortunately, that wasn't the case with Jim. As the project went along, there were a few changes that we asked for, and he was deftly able to adjust the design. Jim really believes in what he says above about the value of collaboration in his work. We wouldn't have ended up with such a fine result if our architect (and his recommend builder, S2) hadn't been such great team players.