Ellyn Amador, Architect

5.019 Reviews

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Dallas, TX

30 Years of Experience in Design and Construction Serving Dallas, TX

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Ellyn Amador, Architect specializes in residential remodels and additions in the Dallas area. A registered Texas architect with over 20 years of experience in design and construction, Ellyn holds a B.Arch from Rice University and an M.Arch from the University of California at Berkeley. Ellyn has a true passion for creating well-designed family homes. Her firm provides a full range of services from architectural design and construction documents through material and finish selection and construction observation. Please visit our website at http://ellynamador.com for further information and pricing. My Design Philosophy I don’t believe in adding on to a house until I have made the best possible use of the existing space. Every house has ‘lost space’ – space that hasn’t been used to its fullest potential. By capturing lost space, I can make every square foot of a house ‘work’ for my clients. I don't impose my ideas onto a house. I try to see what sense the house makes in its current state. I look at what is working in the design as it is, and extend those design aspects to their logical conclusion. In a way, I 'listen' to the house. I don’t make frivolous decisions. It’s important to me that my clients realize nothing I do in a house is arbitrary. Every decision has to do with the use of the space, the aesthetics of the space, or the sense of order the design needs to create. Good design is about finding the simplest and most efficient way to make your house work for you, your budget, and your family. Please visit my website to view additional projects and for information on my services and fees.

Services Provided

3D Rendering, Architectural Design, Architectural Drawings, Attic Conversion, Bathroom Design, Building Design, Custom Home, Energy-Efficient Homes, Floor Plans, Garage Design, Guesthouse Design & Construction, Home Additions, Home Extensions, Home Remodeling, House Plans, Kitchen Design, Kitchen Remodeling, Laundry Room Design, Mudroom Design, Multigenerational Homes, New Home Construction, Outdoor Kitchen Design, Pool House Design & Construction, Space Planning, Staircase Design, Sustainable Design, Tiny House Construction, Universal Design, Site Planning, Construction Drawings

Areas Served

Carrollton, Cockrell Hill, Coppell, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Highland Park, Irving, North Dallas, Oak Lawn, Richardson, University Park

4 Projects for Ellyn Amador, Architect

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Corrie Mattorano

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19 Reviews for Ellyn Amador, Architect

Corrie Mattorano

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Client

I highly recommend Ellyn Amador. She really invested time with us before we started our project to understand our needs and get to know our family. The plans she designed checked every single box we were looking for. She is talented, creative, dedicated and extremely professional. From start to finish, she worked tirelessly to ensure the project was a success. It's no surprise that her designer, Rachel Helms, is also exceptional. Both Ellyn and Rachel were always available to us. I can't say enough about them. If you are looking to add more space and/or make your existing home more functional, look no further. You will not be disappointed!

July 4, 2020

Rebecca and Davies

Relationship

Client

Ellyn Amador created a plan for our admittedly modest home and budget to include an expansion for a second bathroom, walk in closet and screened in back porch. The interior was completely reworked, the ceiling raised, the floor plan opened up, and spaces created to realistically meet our lifestyle, needs and activities. The result was more beautiful yet functional than we could have imagined; the surfaces are smooth, simple and lovely; the space is light and airy. We look forward to entertaining guests in the open kitchen/living/dining area and the screened in back porch, where we also plan to sip our morning our coffee and watch our evening TV. Ellyn works with her sister Rachel Helms, an interior designer, who provided invaluable advice and choices in finishes, paint colors, and furniture. They advocated throughout the construction to ensure a quality final product. We cannot Ellyn and her team more highly.

July 3, 2020

Sarah Polzer

Relationship

Client

I would recommend Ellyn again and again. She was the first person who really understood my husband and I's vision for our house and was instrumental in its completion. Having added a second level addition to her own house, her advice was invaluable. From beginning to end she was always so responsive and involved. Her plans incorporated everything we desired for our house and she truly listened to us. Her site visits following the beginning of construction were great because we felt that someone was always on our side. Thank you Ellyn for everything!

April 5, 2020

T Bell

Relationship

Client

Ellyn worked on our plans for an entire remodel of our home. We could not think of how to open the house, take down walls, make an extra closet and a large closet for me in our master a larger master bath and other changes while staying within the same foot print. After several renderings — She did it!! Her ideas and plans provided were spot on- we got everything we wanted. Thank You Ellyn.

March 19, 2020

Terry Methenitis

Relationship

Client

Ellyn and Rachel assisted with out kitchen remodel. The house was custom designed and built in 1992, and while the kitchen was very functional it needed updating. Ellyn and Rachel were just what we needed. They listened carefully to our initial thoughts, and then thoughtfully offered suggestions to improve and refine direction. Both were very focused on adding value when it was needed, and did not interject themselves into the project needlessly. They recommended an excellent contractor with experience and connections to subcontractors specifically needed for the job. We got great value for the money we spent with them, and will engage them again when we tackle updating bathrooms.

February 29, 2020

Louwane Courtney

Relationship

Client

Ellyn helped us reconfigure our second story, garage apartment so we could use it as an Airbnb listing. Not only did she redesign the space so that it was more efficient, she also had several decorating tips about table placement and pendant lighting that added to the charm of our Carriage House. No detail was too small for her consideration and excellent advice, including cost saving points. All of Ellyn's good work paid off for us, because the Carriage House caught the attention of Airbnb. They chose our studio apartment to be a part of their first group of Airbnb Plus stays in Dallas, TX.

February 13, 2020Last modified:February 13, 2020

Tom & Lynda Fleming

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Client

When we bought the property, we had some ideas for how to convert the house, but Ellyn had the vision to repurpose key spaces. The end result was beyond the ideas that we had. We love the home, and Ellyn's addition of space in the guest bath and walk-in closet (also adding to the mud room), the butler's pantry and a totally new laundry room has a huge impact on the utility of the space. With Ellyn and Rachel directing the finishes, the house is beautiful, functional and a perfect fit for our forever home.

December 31, 2019

S Thomas

Relationship

Client

Ellyn was a pleasure to work with on our extensive remodel. She was extremely detailed and thoughtful in her designs for our 22 year old home. We are thrilled with how everything turned out. She brought us out of the 1990's and up to date. I highly recommend her!!!!!

November 8, 2019Last modified:November 9, 2019

Vera Cretcher

Relationship

Client

Hiring Ellyn and Rachel to help us with our home remodel was probably the single most important thing we've done to make this project a success. Ellyn took the time to understand both our style and preferences as well as our needs and budget restrictions, and she put together a plan that maximized the use of our existing space and felt uniquely "ours". She assisted us with the contractor selection, and helped us make necessary tweaks to the final plans to make sure we stayed within the budget without compromising our vision. Ellyn also stayed on top of our contractors making sure that they followed the plans and pointing out things that needed to be corrected as soon as they occurred. The designer she worked with, Rachel, also did a fantastic job helping us select colors, finishes, materials, and fixtures that were both within our budget and worked with the overall style of the house. We didn't have to worry about falling in love with a particular kind of tile only to realize that we could not afford it. And if something we liked was out of stock, Rachel would come up with great alternatives. Overall, we had a great experience and would highly recommend Ellyn and Rachel without any reservations.

February 2, 2019

JW Sullivan

Relationship

Client

Ellyn was an awesome thought-partner on our extensive home renovation, and came-up with design plans that turned our objectives into a beautiful reality! And many of the unique items and features that make the renovation stand-out were suggested by Ellyn and her team. Raising the ceiling in the living room created a unique centerpiece to the house while still maintaining a cozy family atmospher. Additionally, we are particularly pleased with bathroom renovation results. Each bathroom has it's own style while fitting into our overall house design. Ellyn went above and beyond, having spent a considerable amount of time assisting us with project management while we were out-of-town. Designer Rachel Helms, also was a wealth of information and gentle hand while guiding paint, hardware and plumbing choices. Rachel's keen eye and continuous follow-up helped to streamline the design process. We highly recommend Ellyn and her team.

January 1, 2019Last modified:January 2, 2019

Stephanie Hemard

Relationship

Client

Per a friend’s recommendation, we were introduced to Ellyn to provide insight on how we could best maximize the space in our home. Upon a consultation, Ellyn was able to quickly provide a number of ideas and we hired her to redesign/reconfigure a significant section of our house allowing for a new office space, laundry room, 1.5 baths and open concept kitchen and living area. She has been an invaluable resource during our remodel! She is available to answer any questions we may have and has remained in constant communication with the contractor ensuring the job is completed correctly. We have also used the interior design services provided by her designer Rachel Helms. Rachel has done an excellent job listening to our interests and providing design choices that are affordable and match the style of our home. I can’t imagine undergoing this remodel without Ellyn and Rachel and their guidance.

December 30, 2018

Jeffrey Dean

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Client

We used Ellyn Amador to design the remodel or our home starting in early 2017. She produced a design that encompassed every aspect of the task including demolition, structural changes, and the finishing touches. We found her services so helpful that we kept her busy throughout the project and she was able to work with our contractor and clarify design issues as well as anticipate unforeseen problems and develop work arounds. We decided to use her designer, Rachel Helms, and she quickly dialed in to our tastes and presented several options for the interior including paint colors, hardware, tile, grout, carpet and especially plumbing and lighting fixtures. Ellyn and Rachel also caught some issues with selections we made and found substitutes at their own expense. She also kept to our budget and schedule. We feel that Ellyn made the best possible use of our space and the final product exceeded our expectations. We would use Ellyn again in the future and highly recommend her.

December 22, 2018

colleendeb

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Client

We hired Ellyn to help us reconfigure/add additional space after a unexpected, but welcomed, transition brought our daughter and granddaughter back to Texas. She was everything her website described and more. She listened to us describe our needs and wishes, and came educated about building codes and restrictions in our neighborhood. She provided creative ideas to help us meet our needs, and ultimately drew several options to remodel or add on. She was very professional and easy going after we changed our minds multiple times about what we thought we wanted to do with our house. We loved all of the design options she came up with and look forward to moving ahead on one of them.

September 30, 2018

J Johnston

Relationship

Client

We worked with Ellyn on a home remodel and we could not be more pleased. She is a delight to work with! Ellyn is highly skilled, a creative problem solver, an outstanding communicator and she has marvelous ideas. Ellyn is also very thorough, patient, professional and honest. We learned through this process to trust her completely, her eye for and experience with design are second to none. More than once, we did not agree with her ideas, but went with them anyway and we are so glad we did. Each time, we loved the end result. Additionally, the fact that she and her husband have grown children and are well acquainted with the various stages of family life makes her input and plans so practical, versatile and easy to live in, not only now but into the future as well. Every construction project is difficult but working with Ellyn made it as pleasant and stress-free as possible. We also had the pleasure of working with her designer, Rachel. She too is a great listener and was able to hear what was important to us and apply that to paint color, lighting, hardware etc. She walked us through many decisions that we have been very happy with. Moreover, they both care about each of their projects as if it was their own home.

May 29, 2018

Laura Berend

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Client

Ellyn is a wonderful architect to work with! She designed a kitchen/den and bathroom remodel for us. We could not be happier!

March 11, 2018

Quality Craftsman, Inc

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Colleague

Working with Ellyn is a joy. As a contractor, I appreciate her attention to detail. It makes my job so much easier. As the one who must navigate the "minefield" that is the many city governments in our area, I know that Ellyn has provided me with all the information I will need to secure what building permits we will need in a timely manner in order to keep the project moving forward. Plus, Ellyn is at the job site 2 to 3 times a week to make sure the job is going according to spec and that any deviations from the plans are caught early. That way delays are avoided and we can complete the project in a timely manner, which makes us look good to the client. I would highly recommend using Ellyn Amador as your Architect on any remodel project.

December 10, 2017Last modified:January 22, 2018

Debbie Kirby

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Client

Ellyn was recommended to us by a friend to help us add on to our new house. After our first meeting we knew that she would be someone we could work with and who would give us the guidance we needed to do the job right. Ellyn charges for the initial consultation, which is different from some, but we felt the money was well spent. She spent several hours in our home looking at all the options and talking to us about what we were really trying to accomplish with the expansion, and she gave us a few ideas we had not heard from anyone else. There was no sales pitch - the session was truly about listening and giving us advice, which we paid for and were therefore free to take elsewhere if we wanted to. But of course we didn't. Ellyn is now working on our "as built" drawings and we are looking forward to the next step!

August 18, 2017

Ryan Betz

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Client

Ellyn has great ideas, temperament and insights from the conceptual planning through construction phase. We have worked on several projects ranging from small kitchen remodels to a full structural addition and remodel together.

July 9, 2017

Gracie Killough

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Client

Complete kitchen and living area remodel as well as master bedroom addition. Ellyn's timeless design helped us gain the full potential of our 50+ year old home. We have storage, open floor plan and flow which were lacking in the original home. Her idea of open shelving in our kitchen is one of my favorite features. Skylights in the master bathroom bring in natural light while maintaining privacy.

July 8, 2017

Ellyn Amador, Architect

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