Jann Williams Architect

Jann is a friend as well as the architect who helped me navigate the new Los Angeles rules about ADUs (accessory dwelling units) when I converted my ramshackle two-car garage beginning in 2017. One design or engineering problem after another cropped up, and Jann handled each one with aplomb. She is a terrific artist and collaborator, and her wonderful design sense helped me to refine my own ideas. She let me take the lead on the color scheme and fixtures, and that gave me a sense of ownership of the project. Jann organized weekly meetings at the site with my contractor and me, and those get-togethers allowed us to head off difficulties. I highly recommend Jann for any project, large or small.

Jann was a pleasure to work with on the redesign of our lobby for our theater. She brought various ideas to us, sought out and worked with vendors, and oversaw the project from start to completion while staying on budget. I would highly recommend her!

A wise man told me to hire an architect before investing in a big remodel. I'm glad I listened! After a search of about five candidates, I hired Jann to design and direct a remodeling of about 75% of my house in Westwood--both interior and exterior. It was important to me that the house fit the neighborhood. We took the Will Rogers house in the Pacific Palisades as an inspiration. Jann was receptive (even excited) about this, and we pulled it off! The project included the kitchen, dining room, living room, hallway, laundry room, office, driveway, front path, patio, deck, trellis, roof, solar and side yard. I'm a hands-on client and working with Jann was fantastic. From initial concept to final touches, Jann kept me informed and explained her reasoning throughout. I learned a lot! The most dramatic change was the vaulting of the ceilings in the living room. It was something I had envisioned for some time and the result is beautiful! Dealing with building contractors is a challenge for me, as I don't have much experience and am probably too nice. But Jann suggested some candidates to me and helped me through the proposal and selection process. She also advised me on how to keep an eye on things and keep things moving. Her advice saved me thousands and kept me confident that I was getting my money's worth. She also advised me on appliances and finishes of various sorts. She encouraged me to follow my sense of style, which was reassuring. I have somewhat quirky tastes--I insisted on a vintage stove from the 1940s. The project wound up being an outlet for my artistic expression. I heartily recommend Jann. You will love the work! P.S. I'll add more photos as things get arranged!

We are extremely satisfied with Jann Williams’ architectural creativity and proactive project management skills. We interviewed 3 architects, and it was clear from the outset that she possessed the competence, creativity, and personality that would make our home something unique – starting with a mid-century single-story structure, she developed a two-story comfortable New England style home that continues to get high praise. With our 5 adult children, their spouses, and 8 grandchildren, we wanted space for everyone to gather, for our friends to join us for social gatherings, and for grandchildren to look forward to sleepovers. Jann spent many hours talking with us, learning about our lives, our hopes, our plans; walking around the site and the neighborhood looking at light, view corridors and surrounding trees and foliage. She developed design concepts that were based on who would be using the house, and on what key issues that were important to us. Once we had chosen the contractor, she stayed intimately involved. We had weekly Team meetings where she continued to add her creative and practical inputs. She gave us hands-on guidance as we choose molding, flooring, doors, windows and paint colors. She was always on top of the schedule, encouraging the builders gently but firmly, and always advocating for accuracy and adherence to the agreed upon schedule. People describe our house as warm, welcoming, and big enough for lots of people but small enough for just a few. We had said we wanted “a very small big house”, and our dream has come true!

I have known Jann for 16 years, and have worked with her on several design projects. She works from concept through creation on projects such as a bathroom remodel to an entire home remodel and build out (of any size). She has the both the experience, and the relationship skills to dig into what a client wants from their space, and the persistence to see it through to everyones complete satisfaction. She is creative, respectful of budgets, and someone I always looked forward to seeing. I would recommend Jann with great peace of mind that anyone who works with her will be well pleased.....with both the end product and the entire design/build experience!