Architects, Architecture Firms, & Building Designers in Santa Monica

“We hired Open Mode and worked with Sarah Le Clerc, who was amazing. She helped us remodel our house which included new layout, new window plan and roof. Sarah was super professional and contributed a ton of value by working out the new layout of the house, specifically the kitchen and bathroom, drawing detailed plans so we could visualize the concept and also submitting everything to get permits turned around quickly. I also asked Sarah a million design and finishing questions and her opinion helped us so much to make the right decisions. Project costs were very fair and she was transparent with her estimate. If I ever need an architect again, I would only want to work with Sarah.”

“I grew up with a father who is a master contractor. In my adult life, I have been involved in countless home renovations, so I've always thought architects are a waste of time & money. They always seem to be writing checks with the customers' money, and have no basis in reality or practicality: they seem so frivolous. Hubby and I bought a mid-century modern home that had been turned into a tuscan style by the previous owners. (can you imagine?) We needed help getting approval from the local city planning board who are a NIGHTMARE to deal with (average of 8-10 plan checks, most cities do 2-3!?) We hired Glen with EZPlans to help us. Glen handled acrimonious city officials, seeming design impossibilities (and even a few vastly different design ideas between hubby and I) with tact, professionalism, and good humor. Dealing with EZ Plans was a breeze. I am so impressed with their vision, their professionalism, and the very talented, creative (and practical) architects they hire. They are exceptional communicators, and are as intuitive as they are talented. EZ Plans turned a simple contractor grade design we could have come up with ourselves, to a design that respected the mid-century bones of our home, and brought it to the practical standards we needed the home to suit. The design they came up with easily increased the value of our renovation tenfold. the only direction they had from me was "I want to respect the home's bones with materials in their natural element, nothing frivolous, but we need the house to be super specialized for our dogs." (maybe that's a bit frivolous....) They took this and ran with it. Incidentally, they are AVID dog lovers (almost as nutty as hubby and I are, ) so they came up with such cool suggestions that will make our old dogs' lives (and our lives) easier. As someone who has scoffed at the need for an architect, (come on, my dad is a contractor!) I can assure anyone: the design of a talented architect is worlds apart from what a contractor, or even designer, could come up with. They take things to another level. Glen increased the value of the renovation by making the design in line with architectural design elements, not current trends that would be outdated quickly after installation. More importantly, they made changes to the home to fit OUR lifestyle and needs, instead of us changing our needs and lifestyles to accommodate the home. This is the difference: architects build homes, contractors build houses. Hubby and I are so pleased with our experience at EZPlans. They make incredible planning, design and architecture...easy. :)”

“My husband and I worked with FoxLin Architects on our custom ground up home in Carlsbad (north of San Diego), California and we would very highly recommend them. The home is now complete and it is remarkable down to the last detail. We felt like our values were always considered and we had countless conversations about even the smallest of details from paint colors to the cabinetry handles. At times we questioned the proposals and in the end we could see and now can understand their vision. Juintow and Michael are both very talented, innovated and experienced architects, designers, and project managers who can easily show many iterations on the computer as well as obtain countless physical samples of tiles, stain samples etc. This level of personal dedication and attention to detail is what constantly put us at ease on the design of our new home. 
 The bottom line is that we count on them for envisioning designs and that is also what set them apart from others. It is also worth mention that they were always grounded enough to understand our budget and make not only beautiful, but also realistic proposals. Again, we are highly recommending FoxLin Architects to anyone who wants a bit more than norm.”

“Neo & Associates are the best in the business! I have been working with them for years and they go above and beyond on all levels! Magnificent designs and delicate touches make every project stand out from others.”

“Koffka Phakos designed our 3,400 square foot home from blueprints to finish. They were with us every step of the way. We believed them to be collaborative, creative, helpful and such nice people. We are thrilled with the way our home turned out and thoroughly enjoyed the process of working with Adrian, Cynthia and their staff.”

“My wife and I hired Jeannette Architects to assist us with a major remodel (interior/exterior) of our 3,500 sq. ft. ranch style home in Newport Beach. The task: incorporate warm contemporary design into our 1970's "woody cabin." As a real estate developer and because it's our third major house remodel there were many design elements we knew we wanted but many more that we needed help with. As capable as Jeff (Jeannette) is with his design sense, we believe that it's his ability to listen to his clients, understand client goals, how we will live in the space and how that fits into our budget is what sets Jeff apart from other architects. The Jeannette team met aggressive time constraints, produced a thorough set of construction documents, were always quick to provide clarification and answers to our questions and were great resources for product and material options and information. True professionals that we would use again and confidently refer to others. Our project is nearing completion and I can't wait to share photos.”

“Great ideas, comprehensive design, very responsible for the work. The job involved city permit which requires tenacity and perseverance by the architect!!! Overall, could not have done it without her!!!”

“Novum has helped me with two different home renovation projects. Alberto was great to work with. He had great ideas, and was professional every step of the way.”

“We've toured the residential and commercial projects created on Bainbridge Island by Coates Design, and have followed their work for years. Our office was in the same building, and we often stopped in to learn more about their projects. We've always been impressed by their great architectural sense of aesthetics, and their ability to create innovative work that blends well into the surroundings of the project location. Very professional, very pleasant and very accomplished.”

“Our project is still in progress, but Gina has been wonderful to work with. She's come up with ideas that we'd never considered that we love.”