Dennis Thompson Architect

Dennis and his team were so great to work with on my project. Dennis really listened to what I wanted and suggested creative options that maintained/enhanced the mid-century ranch design of my home. His reputation and years of experience really came into play as we “sailed” through the design review process. Thanks, Dennis!

Dennis brought years of expertise into designing our 650 square foot ADU. What could feel small and cramped was transformed into very airy and open floor plan with vaulted ceilings, large windows and an a modern and open concept. We highly recommend Dennis and his keen eye for Architect and Design.

Dennis Thompson and his team did a superb job producing well-detailed plans for our dream home. We presented our ideas to Dennis for a hillside home with a Channel Islands view. He guided us through this process with professionalism and brought great creativity to our project. We love our new home for its beauty and well thought out details. We would absolutely hire Dennis and his team all over again!

It is hard to overstate the outstanding architectural services provided by Dennis Thompson and his firm Thompson Naylor Architects. In 2019-2020, Dennis guided my wife and me through a complete remodeling of our 1950’s-era house on the Mesa in Santa Barbara. The project was particularly challenging because we were located on the East Coast at the time and needed to collaborate remotely. In addition, our house is in the Coastal Zone and is subject to local covenants, which constrained design options and required expertise in navigating permits and design choices. Dennis, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, has extensive experience in the Santa Barbara area and has great relationships with builders, city and country personnel, and local vendors. He guided us through all phases of design and helped us select a general contractor, even providing us with model contracts for the construction. He has a keen design sense and took care to include modern features for our home while making sure that the style of the house blended well with the neighborhood. Dennis helped us think ahead to include features for aging-in-place, such as curb-less showers and ADA-compliant doorways and handles. During construction, he worked closely with our general contractor, Anacapa Builders, and recommended minor design changes or additions based on building issues that came up. What distinguishes Dennis from other talented architects is his attention to detail and his thoughtful and kind manner. He always approached design and construction challenges with sound logic and offered reasonable solutions. He listened to our needs and never pushed for more extravagant features but stood his ground if he felt we were making poor design choices. I would highly recommend Thompson Naylor Architects for any design project in the Santa Barbara/Southern California area. I would especially recommend him for anyone undertaking a home remodeling from a remote location.

Dennis Thompson designed our beautiful new home, guided us through the permit process and worked with our contractor as the dream became a reality. Despite our being remote for much of the project, Dennis communicated clearly, valued our priorities and, in addition to architecting a space that we're thrilled to be in every day, suggested creative and functional solutions when problems crept up. Highly recommend!

We have worked with Dennis twice, and each time it was a wonderful, collaborative process. He was able to see the optimal way to remodel our home without changing its essence. What I liked best was that Dennis has great ideas, but he also listened to our ideas and suggestions. His work was timely, and well executed (i.e., it got through the city with minimal issues). I can't recommend Dennis highly enough.

Thompson Naylor Architects has been a pleasure to work with over the past year while completing an extensive home renovation located on the Upper Riviera, Santa Barbara. Their well thought out plan allowed my team to build smoothly, without hiccup, to deliver a beautiful home to happy clients.

Brilliant understanding and use of natural light and flow from one space to the next. They really listen and respond to your needs and don't let their egos govern what you get. We've done two projects with Thompson Naylor. The second has consisted of a series of subtle changes, each of which has had great positive impact, to a 1914 ranch bungalow. Great understanding of vernacular style -- the result looks original, but functions for the way we live today.

Dennis Thompson designed our extensive remodel in downtown Santa Barbara. Our project included a 700+ SF addition and we went back to him for a 540SF guest house / ADU, which we completed in the spring of 2018. We really enjoyed working with Dennis. He was easy to work with, was thoughtful in his approach and found creative solutions to challenging site issues; we ended up with a great design that has really worked well for our family. He and his team also navigated the incredibly complex permit process that included design review (HLC). During our project I also bumped into several other people (other local architects and home owners) that had nothing but good things to say about Dennis' integrity and capabilities.

Both Dennis and Susette were terrific, as was Kim. I worked mostly with Susette, this was for an ADU modification/upgrade. Thompson Naylor managed the whole process for me, from a first visit and measurements, to drawing up plans, managing the permit process, and advising on the construction. Susette's patience, expertise, and attentiveness made easy a process that otherwise would have been so unwieldy we might have given up. I can't recommend Susette and Thompson Naylor highly enough.

We used Thompson Naylor Architects for several remodels and an ADU conversion and were extremely happy with their design sense, thoughtfulness and cost-effective services. Our previous remodel won energy efficiency awards, and our most recent ADU conversion increased useability of an accessory structure. We have the highest regard for their work as well as their trustworthiness and values as a professional design firm.

Thompson Naylor provides innovative design solutions and produces work that meets project goals beautifully. All of the work I've seen them produce has been of the highest caliber and completely responsive to the particulars of location and client. And--they are a pleasure to work with!

We have had the pleasure of collaborating with Thompson Naylor Architects on two projects - a large residential renovation, as well as a new private country club pool house. Having a team that works cohesively and collaboratively together, opens the door to greater, well conceived design decisions. Dennis and his team review all of the pertinent details with us to mutually confirm the design meets everyone's expectation. We appreciate the collaborative approach, and look forward to the next venture!

I want to commend and recommend “Projects by Giffin & Crane” who have just completed – within the anticipated two and a half to 3 week time period – a plan created by architect Dennis Thompson to remodel the entry hall of our home. The entry area was level with the hallway to our bedroom/office wing, but led down steps to our living room and up a step to our dining area/kitchen wing. The living room wall immediately seen from the entry was all windows displaying a wide view of the mountains, a scene which tended to distract guests from the changes in floor level. The hazard had been recognized by previous owners, but the complexity of eliminating the danger while maintaining the charm of the view was delayed until our own falls required consulting with professionals. The project necessitated changes in our living room floor so we included removing and replacing a large, unattractive fireplace during the same time period. The courtesy, consideration and reliability of both our contractors and the subcontractors they had chosen allowed us to remain in our home, adjusting to change of entrances, from the beginning to the completion of the project. At the beginning of every workday, at any point when changes were needed, and at the end of each day, at least one of the contractors was at our front door, to open up the area and consult with the subs. They were also readily available if we needed to communicate with them by phone, and they consulted with Dennis Thompson whenever it appeared adjustments needed to be made. We are delighted with the results, the timely completion of the work and the handling of changes in plans as the work progressed. The estimate of costs was reliable, along with the cost of the few changes which we requested or authorized. I am encountering many friends of our age with similar issues in their homes. I will continue to recommend architect Dennis Thompson and contractors Christi Clayton and Cherilyn Milton of Projects to help make critical adjustments when these people want to remain in the homes they love.

I have used Thompson-Naylor Architects for two extensive home remodel projects and I would use them again. I love their design ideas, their drawings are incredibly detailed and they are a delight to work with. We remodeled our home and added a studio apartment (picture attached). It is adorable. We are proud of our new home and we have Thompson-Naylor to thank!

Thompson Naylor needs no introduction. They have a well-deserved reputation for excellence. I am particularly recommending Dennis Thompson and Jeff King for their very careful follow-up and advice on the project going forward. They just didn't draw up the plans and leave. They have given very helpful information on the ongoing project every step of the way.

We used Dennis Thompson and his team to remodel the exterior of and a guest suite in our home. We could not be more pleased with his expertise and professionalism. He and his team were respectful of our budget and provided us several options to keep us comfortable with the process. He was attentive to our needs and very responsive to inquiries, always keeping us informed. He even anticipated a few bumps and alerted us before they could become a problem. We are delighted with the outcome and would use Thompson Naylor again!

I hired Thompson Naylor to design a small extension, updating my kitchen and making the floor plan more functional in the process. Dennis was wonderful - a good listener and respectful of my limited budget. He gave me a design that works wonderfully well for my family and the end result looks like my budget was bigger than it was. The people at Thompson Naylor were uniformly nice, responsive and professional. I can't recommend them highly enough. You won't be sorry if you hire them.

I've had the pleasure of working with the Thompson Naylor team on several projects. They are extremely talented, very knowledgeable and highly professional. Their deep commitment to sustainable design and vibrant communities is evident throughout their projects and keeps them at the forefront of innovative green design. As a landscaper, I especially appreciate their sensitivity to the project site and the greater environment.

I have been an interior designer in Santa Barbara for 35 years… Thompson Naylor Architectural firm is the most professional, organized and creative firm I have had the pleasure of working with. Their ability to take the ideas and wishes of a client and combine it with their skills as talented architects is quite remarkable. The final project always a beautiful collaboration between architect and client. They are organized and always looking out for potential problems that are solved before the process begins and are also skilled at working through the building permit process which is essential. I would recommend them ver highly...

We have worked with Thompson Naylor Architects (TNA) for over 30 years to build both new homes and remodels they have designed. As a general contractor, we enjoy working with TNA because we share a passion for green building and love establishing a strong project team - client, architect and contractor - from the beginning of a project, ensuring clear communication throughout and meeting all our clients’ goals. The projects we work together on are always outstanding, award winners.

When my wife and I bought a house moving here from Nebraska I was terrified at the thought of working through all the design and approval process in Montecito. We learned of Thompson Naylor from a friend and made likely the most important call of the project. Working with Dennis and his team proved to be some of the best money we spent of a relatively tight budget. Dennis and his team worked with us to develop drawings of a space we truly desired within the budget and time frames we required. As the project went along the team was there to help every step of the way and we couldn't be happier with the finished product. Working with Thompson Naylor was a great choice for us and I would give them our highest recommendation. Great work guys!

In the early 90’s, we were introduced to Thompson Naylor Architects and several other local architects as we prepared for an extensive home remodel. We’ve been extremely pleased with our decision to use Dennis Thompson as our Architect, and, twelve years later, we still walk through our house exclaiming over the terrific results. Dennis is a great listener. He knew the perfect questions to ask us and listened carefully to our answers. He mixed them with his own artistry and experience, producing brilliant solutions, leading us to envision a home perfect for our needs. Our confidence in Dennis Thompson is solid. We turned to him once again last year for a room addition. Our request wasn’t a simple one as we knew we’d be sacrificing some of the garden we loved. Today, the room is perfect for our needs and our garden is even lovelier, thanks to Dennis’ vision. Dennis Thompson is generous with his talents and has volunteered his creativity to help solve city issues as well. Santa Barbara is better for his efforts. We highly recommend Thompson Naylor Architects.

Dennis Thompson guided us through the entire process of realizing our new home with patience, pragmatics, and the sophisticated aesthetic we wanted in an architect. We wanted our contemporary home to be sited for maximum views and light, an abundance of wall space for art, and graceful integration into the site. Dennis delivered these requirements in a house that exceeded our expectations while guiding us through the permitting and review processes with calm assurance. His keen listening abilities, empathy, sensitivity to budget constraints and aesthetic sensibility all worked in concert to give us our dream home in the Santa Barbara foothills. Ann & Jeff Frank

Thompson Naylor has transformed my home over the past 10 years, one project at a time. We began by adding a small gym onto the house and then proceeded to renovate all of our bathrooms and finally our kitchen. For each remodel they initiated a vision, created the design, worked respectfully and easily with my husband and myself and provided fantastic recommendations for products. Each project created a magnificent and respectful change to our home. They were also there every step of the way to work with the contractor to assure that each question was answered swiftly and accurately.. We could not be happier nor could we recommend them more highly.

Susette Naylor was our architect for the remodel and addition to our house at 2975 East Valley Road in Toro Canyon. Her work was superb. When the job was done and we moved in, my wife, Karen, and I both said we would not change a thing. Susette's creative design skills are apparent everywhere in the house including every room (custom built-in bookcases and fireplace in living room, open beam preservation because original 1980 construction was a cedar post-and-beam design, kitchen layout and redesign, master bedroom and bath design, and re-layout of upstairs studio/office cum guest room). In addition to her design strengths and wide knowledge of materials, Susette is extremely knowledgeable, professionally credible, and skilled at dealing with County regulatory agencies including architectural review board, county planning, and the environmental bureaucracies. In short, Susette is the best. John D. Caldwell & Karen L. Sketch

Dennis Thompson worked closely with us to design a new home on our land, after our house was destroyed by a wildfire. He was sensitive and cognizant of the emotional factors going into the design process, given our circumstances. Dennis took us through the entire process, from design concept through City approval, from choosing a contractor through managing on-site building issues. Ultimately, we ended up with a beautiful, energy efficient home.