Dutton Architects Inc.

We conducted a long and exhaustive search for an architect, and while there were many that we loved, we ultimately settled on John Dutton because of his approachable manner, transparent process, and his expertise in midcentury design. Unfortunately, after discussing our hopes with him at length, we all agreed that the project didn't fit in our budget right now. John was awesome throughout the process, and never pushed us to go forward. He was very understanding and clearly wanted what was best for us. Once we can manage to make the money work for the construction, we can't wait to go through the rest of the process with John!

John and the team at Dutton Architects are the absolute best of the best. Their professionalism and attention to detail is unmatched. John and David took such care with every aspect of our design and found creative solutions to meet all our needs. Their designs balanced architectural esthetics with amazing functionality. They also managed to give us multiple ways to work with the square footage and arrange our living space. And beyond the fantastic designs and execution, they're a true pleasure to work with. We highly recommend Dutton Architects!

When I called John and David, I told them I had no idea how any of this worked, but I wanted them to design a house for me. Before we even got to any of the actual house designing, they helped me endlessly search real estate and vacant land to identify the right place to put the house. This had to have been time consuming and exhausting, but they consistently offered their time and energy to me with a rare kind of generosity. During the design process, they never failed to make themselves available and open for in depth discussions about every last idea I had. They obviously calibrate their approach to suit the needs of every individual they work with. For example, John even made time (a lot of it!) to take me to look at toilets, of all things. They understand what a creative vision means to a client. They were incredibly thoughtful in hearing mine, even when somewhat incoherent, and they turned it around and translated it into a brilliant design. John and David understand that a home is an incredibly personal thing, and they approach their clients' homes with this in mind. They are thoughtful, humble, fantastic architects and people, and my experience working with them was wonderful. Highly recommend!

We came to Dutton Architects for help with a project of attaching two separate small homes of differing age and architectural style. One was built in the 1920s a fanciful Spanish, the other a 1950s guest house with modern stylings. We wanted to work with the existing footprint of both houses because of grandfathered setbacks as well as budget. It was basically an impossible task and John and his team managed to solve this in such a seamless way. John was especially thoughtful in responding to our input and including us in the evolution of the design. It was exciting to see the ideas take shape in a way that fit our needs. Due to the costs of hillside stabilization we were not able to see the project through to completion, but he gave us an excellent plan for connecting these two structures, and hopefully we will be able to complete the project someday. It was a pleasure working with John and Jack and his entire team.

John and his team were so wonderful to work with! I couldn't have asked for an easier and more positive experience when it came to doing the architecture of my home. They were so professional in every way, always there when I had questions or concerns, always had all their materials and paperworks when we were meeting. They made us feel like we were well heard and always understood, that out opinions were what mattered and they made sure to execute what we wanted. Their impute was always helpful, and when it came to things that we were not so familiar with they made sure to explain everything to us so we never felt confused. Their design impute and creativity was like anything I've ever seen. They are so creative and very detailed oriented. They understood very well the style we were going for and were able to elaborate on it with so many beautiful details. I would definitely recommend John and his team to help you!

Our house was built in 1966. We retained Dutton Architects to help us redesign the floor plan and update our fixtures in order to improve the flow and better address our housing needs. We also wanted to upgrade our structure, roof windows, and systems to current standards. At the same time, we hoped to preserve as much of the original house, footprint, and design. This job required extensive problem solving with a minimum of ego. Dutton Architects rose to the occasion and satisfied all of our objectives while also imprinting their own unique style. They presented us with numerous schemes and helped us to iterate until we found the perfect solution. They also came up with numerous subtle--but ingenious solutions, such as reversing the orientation of a staircase to create better flow between levels in the house. John has assembled a wonderful team of professionals who are not only creative and inspired architects but warm and empathic. Every meeting we had was enjoyable and we have all remained friends. Dutton Architects helped us with construction management and interaction with the contractors and other professionals who worked on the job. No detail or concern that we articulated was treated as too small for their attention, but they also helped us keep perspective and focus on the big picture.

I was introduced to Dutton Architects through a good friend who had recently worked with John on an extensive home renovation. I was considering an addition to my existing home or constructing a new home, so I consulted with Dutton Architects to weigh the possibilities and provide rough budget estimates for different options. Dutton Architects also helped me to evaluate a couple of pieces of land that had come on the market as possible sites for constructing a new home. I was very impressed with the dedicated personal attention that John and his team gave to my potential project. Though I always felt that my goals and needs were paramount, I genuinely appreciated that John had a clear design vision and point of view. He was quick to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of different solutions, while steering me away from ideas that were contrary to our goals. I also gained a lot confidence in Dutton Architects' extensive technical knowledge and experience with the local building environment, which helped tremendously with decision-making. For personal budget and timing reasons, I ended up purchasing a new home and did not ultimately end up completing a project with Dutton Architects. However, my many interactions with John and his team were all excellent and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

We hired John to design a ~3000 sqft single family house in Mar Vista. We were extremely happy, not just with the designs he put forth—which were wonderfully varied and each satisfied most of our myriad requirements in different and interesting ways—but also just in the quality and depth of the work relationship. His team really took the time to understand our interests and our needs and to consider how to incorporate those (sometimes very abstract) things in architectural results.

John is an inspired architect who rescued our mid-century house in Beverly Hills and transformed it into our dream home. He has the historical knowledge and theoretical acumen of an academic mingled with the taste, vision and attention to detail of an interior designer. He and his entire team were a pleasure to work with from the earliest planning stages all the way through to the installation of the final design touches. He helped immensely with our contractor whenever scheduling, budget and materials issues arose. I enthusiastically recommend John and his firm for any and all architectural projects, be they a mere kitchen remodel or, like ours, a large-scale, comprehensive home renovation.

Working with John and his team was a pleasure. Their acute attention to to every detail, combined with their holistic design approach, helped craft a a truly thoughtful space. They are a smart and talented group with some outstanding work under their belt; keep up the great work!

Working with Dutton Architects was one of the best experiences we've had in 15 years of home ownership. They were inventive with our existing space in a way we could have never seen. They took the time to truly understand what we were after, even when we were unable to articulate it. They gave us many options, and found happy compromises so that both my wife and I felt like we were both getting what we wanted out of the project. We looked forward to every creative session with John, and recommend him to all who will listen :) Dax & Kristen

We hired John and his associates to do a major facelift on a mid-century house we purchased. The remodel included the kitchen, bathrooms, living room and master bedroom. We are ecstatic with the work John did for us. John is a pleasure to work with and came up with beautiful design ideas that would never have occurred to us in a million years. He also put us together with a great general contractor and guided us through the bidding and permit process in a way that made everything easy and stress free. During construction, he and his associates were at our house every week making sure the project stayed on track. John and his team made our house beautiful while also keeping the process enjoyable and painless. We would absolutely recommend him.

We highly recommend Dutton Architects. John Dutton and his team designed the plans for our home remodel which included a kitchen, bathroom, fireplace, couple of hallways and a small addition. We own a midcentury home that had undergone a number of prior additions but the overall floorplan was awkward (i.e., the kitchen was the smallest room of the house, there was no outdoor access from the kitchen and you walked directly through the kitchen to get to the bedrooms). John and his team came up with plans that addressed all of these issues and dramatically improved the entire flow of the house. Their creative designs brought more light into the house, created more indoor/outdoor space and also included an amazing custom kitchen and bathroom. Although the overall result is open and modern, the renovation does not feel like an addition or remodel but rather part of the original floor plan. We love our updated house and are very pleased with their work. It was also a pleasure to work with John. He was consciousness, great with communication and we really appreciated his passion for our project.

We were so happy and fortunate to have Dutton Architects as our architects! They were a joy to work with, communicating clearly and always coming up with design solutions which seemed just right. They went above and beyond what I expected, coordinating all aspects of the project and following up to make things happen in a timely fashion. The results of their transformation of our house and property are appreciated and enjoyed by our family every day!

I love working with John and his firm! They are brilliant designers and also a lot of fun to work with. They are excellent problem-solvers and always aware of budget, but most importantly the spaces they design are gorgeous. I will always use John for all my architectural needs in the future; I can’t recommend him highly enough.

We worked with Dutton Architects on the renovation of our home in 2015. We were very impressed with the way they appropriately held our hands through the thoughtful process, their design ideas, and with their organized and excellent execution. We love our new space!

Working with John Dutton and his associate, David Milner was a dream experience. The task was to take a cramped, awkwardly-laid-out kitchen from 1944 and bring it into the 21st century, while completely re-evaluating the way the space could be used and ultimately enjoyed. I came in with a lot of disparate ideas about what I wanted, and they helped me focus my thoughts into a coherent vision. Then, they brought their intelligence, experience and impeccable taste into the mix. What resulted was a design that topped my wildest expectations in terms of functionality and good taste (in my case "good taste" means a space that does not feel over-designed but intentional). Throughout the process, they were always available to mull over ideas, pore through new reference material and help me make decisions that elevated the essential ideas I was chasing. They helped guide me through the selection of materials, wisely pointing out where to be thrifty and where to splash out. They helped me to navigate the relationship with my contractor as we moved from blueprints to actual execution. And in the end, they turned my small, dark, awkwardly laid out kitchen into an open, light-filled, highly functional room which has truly changed the way we use the space and relate to one another in our home.

John Dutton completely transformed our backyard with his beautiful design of a swimming pool, patio, and firepit. The space is elegant and user-friendly -- everyone who visits us comments on how comfortable and beautiful it is, and how seamlessly its modern aesthetic blends with our 1929 brick Tudor home. Throughout the process, John worked with us diligently to incorporate our deas, accommodate our budget, and help us get the project finished on time. He was an ally -- making recommendations for contractors and carpenters while also steering us through the morass of city inspections. He was personally involved in details like tile selection and landscape design considerations. Overall, the experience was very positive and our enjoyment of our home has increased 100% since we finished the project. We recommend Dutton Architects wholeheartedly.

John's company was a pleasure to work with. He provided me with personalized service every step of the way and I am really happy with the results. Dutton Architects was the perfect choice for all of my design needs and I am thankful John met or exceeded all of our aspirations.

We hired John Dutton because we faced a very specific architectural challenge in converting a large deck adjoining the master bedroom of our house into an en suite bathroom. The challenge was to make the addition harmonize completely with the very distinctive mid-century modern style in which the house was built in 1939. The house is a listed architectural property and if we had misjudged the add-on from a design standpoint, it would have diminished both the value and the aesthetic appeal of our home enormously. John Dutton rose to this challenge magnificently, working within a strict three-foot module to produce a gorgeous bathroom that is both strikingly modern and totally respectful of the architectural heritage of the house. He is very attentive towards color, scale and utility and will work tirelessly with his clients to refine his plans. This project involved adjustments to an adjoining bedroom, the building of a new deck and altering the position of a series of French doors, all of which required great finesse and pinpoint accuracy, as John had very little space to play with and no margin for error. The fact that he succeeded speaks very well not only of the design but of the draftsmanship, engineering and contracting work involved, all of which John Dutton orchestrated. Finally, John converted a very small, barely usable store room-type space downstairs into a fully functional and beautiful office for me, with more than adequate desk space and generous, beautifully made custom cabinetry. The biggest compliment I can pay to John regarding this aspect of the work is that I had no idea that the space could be manipulated and rededicated so successfully; John was able to see the design and practical potential and to realize it. John Dutton is an architect of great talent and impeccable taste. He works patiently and effectively with clients, is mindful of costs and uses engineers, contractors and craftsmen whose standards match his own. We recommend Dutton Architects without reservation.

John and his team are great! Our design and brainstorming sessions were creative and inspiring. Each time the team returned with drawings that interpreted our ideas to the best of their intend and they continued to exceed our expectations. Everything was truly thorough and firm in style. A real joy working together. We ended up moving locations. But if we ever do build, John Dutton will be our first call.

John and his staff recently helped us remodel our kitchen and reconfigure the adjacent living space. The results are incredible! The challenge was how could we reconfigure our 1950's ranch kitchen with zero flow, closed off from other rooms and window onto the street without changing the footprint. We considered a possible smaller kitchen facelift, but after several meetings and drawings from Dutton, a wonderful, beautiful, open and useable space emerged that we never could have envisioned and could not deny. From their modern aesthetic to practical budgetary solutions, we felt they listened to our desires and concerns and addressed them proactively. All the subcontractors that they recommended were outstanding, especially the cabinetmaker. Our floor to ceiling rift white oak cabinetry is gorgeous. The best testament is that we cannot even remember the old kitchen and living spaces as the new one feels so right. We recommend them highly.

I've hired John for different residential projects over the last eight years and I would use no other architect. He listens well, is easy to work with even under the most demanding situations, respects our budget, and then comes up with creative and beautiful design solutions that seem so right as to be almost inevitable.

We are nearing the end of a remodel/addition for which we hired Dutton Architects. Through permitting difficulties and modification reviews they were there every step of the way. From structural issues to the smallest of details there was always an open line of communication. They were always available to answer our questions and address our concerns anytime - even for a second or third time. Construction is a trying time for any family and working with a team sympathetic to that was so helpful. People literally slow down to look at our project as they are driving by. It is so uniquely ours. So happy to have hired them.