SKD Architects

We cannot say enough good things about SKD. We would highly recommend Steve and his team for your project. They can truly bring your vision to life. We have lived in our home for a few years now and are continually amazed at how wonderful every aspect of our home is. We feel so grateful to have a home that is so well thought out and beautifully designed. People always ask what our favorite part is and there are way too many to list. We continually find something to appreciate and love about our home. Entertaining and sharing our home with others is something we enjoy and our home is perfectly designed to make our guest feel at home and welcome. There is also plenty of fun to be had! The wish list we had was very tricky for our lot size to say the least. That challenge was met head on and Steve was able to create a four story home that encompassed our entire wish list and looks amazing! The overall floor plan could not be more perfect and our home is also filled with beautiful, well thought out architectural details. The thought, care and personality SKD puts into their designs was beyond our expectations. We were so blessed to have worked with Steve and his team. Thank you for giving us our dream home! Troy and Kristin Koopman

Artful. Intelligent. Timeless. That's the kind of home Steve Kleineman will design for you. If you're looking for the very best, there isn't a second choice. Steve takes uncompromising pride in his work, and his attention to detail puts him in a league of his own. I compare Steve's homes to an Olympic figure skater's long program: just as the details—such as the exact position of each finger, shoulder, and elbow—contribute to the brilliance and magic of a gold-medal performance, the details Steve incorporates into his homes result in brilliant, livable art. You can feel the difference. Too often, people want to hire an architect just to draw a basic plan, and while Steve's floor plans and exterior concepts are second to none, that's just the beginning. It's the details that make the magic. As Steve guided us through the design and building processes, he drew upon his 40 years of professional experience—gained after graduating #1 in his class from the University of Minnesota School of Architecture—and upon his wisdom from having lived through so many stages of life. He respected our opinions but also challenged us when he thought we were making a mistake. He helped us prioritize spending, and when our priorities differed from those of our builder, he gave us the confidence to persist. Steve is also a problem solver. Challenges energize him. Time and again, he devised artful solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems. And last—but not least—Steve was always available and patient, answering (sometimes even after midnight) what I realize in retrospect were often the most ridiculous questions. If he were to ask for feedback, I would suggest he get more sleep. Our experience with Steve reminds me of a quote by Theodore Roosevelt: "Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care." A rare combination of technical brilliance, artistic brilliance, and humanity, Steve showed us how much he cared, both about our house and about us. UPDATE: After having lived in our home for nearly three years, I’ll share my thoughts from a different perspective. While we were attracted to SKD for their talent in creating unique and artful designs, we now also appreciate their extraordinary attention to functionality. The fluidity of our everyday living, how we move and do things in the house, actually feels beautiful. Our house feels balanced—everything within each room and also how each room and even hallways relate to the rest of the house. Getting proportions right—for aesthetics and function—is one of the things that sets SKD apart and that makes our house both beautiful and livable. We learned so much from Steve while working with him—among many things, his emphasis on a strong sense of entry, a feature that makes our exterior so welcoming. And we continue to learn from him. As we get to know our house more each day (nobody thinks through lighting like Steve does!), we appreciate the thoughtful details that make our everyday living extraordinary.

It has been said that "some people come into your life and you can't remember what life was before them". Our families life has been changed by Steve Kleineman! We had a dream! His incredible selflessness and detail to not only his art, but to our family, along this journey is truly what allowed our dream to be realized. I came across Steve's work online in 2012 and immediately felt like someone climbed inside of my head and my heart and put images to my dream! I couldn't stop looking at photos of his work and couldn't get over the emotional connection I felt to them. He would graciously say I did not stalk him; but in all honesty; I did! I dove into finding every image of his work that I could find as the distance did not allow me to walk the halls of one of his homes. We live in Indianapolis. Steve was very open to working long distance with us and we started planning and drawing with Steve in 2012. Life happened and we had to wait as family issues pressed. In those times, Steve was beyond generous and kind and so very thoughtful of our families path. In 2015 we went back to the table. He graciously re-designed the home as our needs had changed with the passing of my parents. I'm overjoyed to say that within the next few days; we will Finally move into our very own Kleineman home. I'm in utter awe of the calming and peaceful atmosphere of living that is already beginning to seep in as we put in the last bit of elbow grease. I feel like I am completely surrounded by the most subtle art and what Steve has designed ministers to a vital part of me. I can see that it does the same for my family. This home is going to be a place of healing for us! A Place of laughter and the new nucleus for our larger family to gather. I speak transparently when I tell you that I feel stamina, peace and hope in these walls. Steve has designed a home that has given the core of who we are as a family a place to soar, create, be inspired, and rest and replenish all in one. Some may think it crazy; but this home evokes emotion in every single person that has stepped into it thus far and more importantly in the lives of our family. I thank God for bringing Steve into our lives - he is an incredible man and one of the finest in character with genuine humility that I have met in my lifetime. He remained steady; NEVER once side-stepping his professionalism in the face of standing his ground to a contractor on our behalf. He became one of our families biggest advocates and cheerleaders in the building process and affirmed to us on every turn that our dream was possible. He always found a way when others said "we can't do that". Steve is ALWAYS so insightful and solution minded. He is TENACIOUS! He designs literally inch by inch and it shows!! I thought I was a detailed person....THEN I MET STEVE!!! I doubt that I will ever work with Steve on building another home as I can't imagine a place I would rather live. Saying that; there is no-one on this planet that I would rather work with and alongside. You truly walk into a whole new dimension when you walk into and FEEL a Kleineman. Steve......we are forever indebted to you!

I first work with SKD about 5 years ago. I was excited to work with them after see their highly detailed well thought out plans. They were always willing to work with us and our subcontractors on the most efficient way to do the project, while maintaining the highest quality. I look forward to working with them in future.

We have been in our SKD home for over 20 years. At the time we spend significant amount of time selecting the right architect. Only Steve and team had great working floors plans that actually work well for the flow of the home. Our first session was more about of how the house is suppose to feel like - what design details we like and so on. We were very pleasantly surprised when we viewed the first drawing of the house - only two minor changes - thats it. I had looked at some 70 homes before, and nothing had been right. If you want a well thought out home that fits you and your lifestyle, SKD is the company to hire. We would without hesitation get his team on board for a new home. You can always tell when you are in an SKD home. Why? They are just more special.

I have had the pleasure of working with Steve and his team on several commercial/retail spaces throughout the years. Steve is thoughtful and understands his clients needs, specific to each individual project. His attention to detail and passion for what he does is the core of what makes SKD a great company to work with. From beginning to end, Steve is willing to collaborate, listen and spend the time to do things right. Steve and the entire SKD team understand budget, timelines and most importantly, ensuring the quality and expectation is exceeded every step of the way.

Steve Kleineman and SKD Architects are fantastic! They did a major renovation for us, addressing some challenging structural issues and creating the most beautiful home imaginable. What Steve created for us is absolutely amazing! We love our new home!

For over twenty years, JL Rosewood Corporation has had the opportunity to provide architecturally designed cabinetry, millwork and furniture for projects designed by SKD Architects. SKD Architects projects are always very well thought out, detailed and always considerate of the clients needs and expectations. I would strongly recommend Steve and his team for anyone considering new construction or remodeling projects.

Steve Kleineman is the most detail oriented architect out there. His designs and creativity are unique and completely represent his talent and professionalism. He listens to his clients wants and needs, and designs the perfect home for you. He goes above and beyond just designing. We are extremely pleased with the finished product and all of his expertise.

SKD Architects has earned our highest praise. Our project started out with the need to replace a rotting deck, and with a desire to add a porch to our home. With the help of SKD Architects our dream became a reality, and we happily ended up with much more than a porch. They designed a fabulous year-round room addition that is now the focal point of our home. We enjoyed working with Steve Kleineman, who was able to envision our amazing addition. Our new room (with a pass-through window to our kitchen) is extremely functional, but it is also quite beautiful. Every detail, from the ceiling to the baseboards, was designed with an artistic eye. Even our new deck is a thing of beauty. The “Pick-Up-Sticks” railing is a work of art, and the brick enclosed posts are functional and lovely. Our family, friends, and neighbors have all raved about our addition. We now, for the most part, live in our new “porch”. We could not be happier!

Steve Kleineman of SKD has designed three homes for us and his vision, attention detail and creativity are unmatched. We give Steve the highest recommendation and consider him the only architect to ever consider for a residential home design. His plans are designed for easy living, flowing design and contemporary details. Every guest we have in our home is amazed with the level of detail and uniqueness of our home. He also has significant knowledge of construction methods and techniques that are critical when working with a general contractor.

We hired Steve Kleineman of SKD Architects to design two homes for us in parallel : 1) a country house in the city, and 2) a city house in the country. Both homes are now fully built and we have completed the process of moving into them. They both turned out exceptionally well, including state of the art construction techniques such as insulated concrete walls, geothermal HVAC, multiple garages and advanced water treatment systems. They are both on very nice lakes in MN and WI. The country house in MN is essentially a modern farmhouse based on the look and feel of the home that was on the lot before, and the city house in WI is more of a soft contemporary look and feel. SKD was an outstanding, creative, thorough, effective choice for both projects. Steve is truly a class act and we couldn't be happier with the entire experience, which in total lasted about 18 months for these two homes. I recommend him to anyone looking for a top quality architect with exceptional expertise.

We chose Steve Kleineman and SKD to design our home after spending hours on Houzz and finding that many of the homes we liked they had designed. We had found a fairly unique urban lot and we wanted a home that reflected our contemporary taste yet fit in a neighborhood of traditional homes. We asked for an updated urban classic rambler and that is exactly what we got. We are constantly stopped on the street by people telling us how much they like our house and that is pretty unusual with a new home in an older neighborhood. The interior of the house is beautifully detailed and we live in it exactly as we told Steve we wanted to live. SKD took all of the time necessary to make sure we got what we wanted. We could not be happier with our decision to work with Steve and his firm, SKD.

We worked with Steve Kleineman and SKD for an entire remodel of our home. Steve and his staff were amazing. His knowledge and command of space and design are exceptional. His approach to understand your needs, your tastes, and your budget were on point. During the process he would recommend ideas to enhance the outcome in a very positive way. The outcome was a transformation that exceeded our expectations. Every day we delight in our newly designed spaces with pleasure. his attention to details that we would have never considered or noticed made large differences in the outcome. We started with one space to experience the quality of his process, design, and ongoing support throughout the project before we engaged him in the remainder of the work. After the initial experience and outcome it was a certain and easy decision to continue to retain Steve for the remainder of the remodel project. I would recommend Steve highly for either a new home or remodel project.

We are nearing completion of the construction of a home designed by architect Steve Kleineman of SKD Architects. We have found the entire experience to be exciting and fun . Working with Mr. Kleineman has been a pleasure! He has created a wonderful visionary design for our home with incredible attention paid to each and every detail. Mr. Kleineman has always sought and been open to our input throughout the design process. He has also always been available to answer our questions or address any concerns we may have. He has functioned as our advocate during the construction process, following through with input for the general contractor to allow flawless implementation of his architectural design. Mr. Kleineman has also always met any necessary deadlines. We would highly recommend working with SKD Architects.

I've had the pleasure of working with Steve on a large remodeling project on my house for some time. The work that Steve has put into this project has been absolutely stunning, professional, incredibly creative and has involved many fun surprises along the way. I can't thank Steve enough for the work he has done for me! -J. White

We hired Steve Kleineman of SKD Architects to design our new home, which we have now been living in for several months. It’s hard to imagine a more talented, conscientious, and personable architect. From the very beginning, Steve was a joy to work with and showed amazing dedication throughout the whole project. He carefully listened to what we wanted, and managed to incorporate all of our needs into a creative and beautiful design. Even after several months of living in the house, we still find ourselves remarking about how thoughtful each room of the house is designed. Steve is a master of details—he puts so much thought into maximizing both form and function, making his designs aesthetically impressive as well as practical. He creatively combined the use of many different materials into one cohesive design for the house.When issues with contractors arose, Steve was eager to help and clearly skilled at working with others on solving complex problems. We give Steve and SKD Architects our highest possible recommendation.

We had the luck of having Steve Kleineman design our home. This is why I would recommend him as your architect: 1.Steve has a fantastic sense of space and light, so your future home is guaranteed to be spectacular 2.Steve has years of experience in commercial and residential architecture and masters both traditional and modern architectural design, so you can chose your style, and he will deliver 3.Most importantly, Steve is a practical person, so your future home is assured not only architectural style but also functionality 4.Steve knows very well the business of home building, so you will get a design that fits your pocket and does not compromise either esthetics or functionality. He can design a spectacular home using the most expensive trim, and equally spectacular home using more modest materials 5.And last, but not least, he is a meticulous individual, great guy and fun to work with.

I am thrilled with my deck. It looks like a Frontgate cover. Steve Kleineman is a joy to work with, a gentleman and so talented. I would recommend him to anyone who wants a great experience with their project. Later that year Steve designed our store in Edina. He did a great job with that as well. We have been there nearly 10 years and the design still looks current and is very functional.

SKD designed our home. We couldn't have been happier with the experience or the outcome! Our home is unique and timeless...at the same time. He was open to any/all of our thoughts and incorporated what was important to us. He ended up saving us money too. One example is when it came to windows....he knew the ones that should be operational and the ones that were located high up...could be stationery. That saved us $$! I'll never forget my kids words as we had breakfast one of our first days in our new home...they said they felt like they were on vacation! That is the gift that SKD possesses. He has a way of making a home feel so special/different and yet an incredibly comfortable living situation to call home! To this day, we get rave compliments on our home and I attribute that to SKD's talent!! Without hesitation, we would wholeheartedly recommend SKD!

I want to start by saying that not only would I use SKD architects again, I would ONLY use them. I tore down and replaced the home I'd lived in for twenty years. Steve Kleineman and I began with a discussion where I described my thoughts for my new home. He came up with a drawing which was close. One meeting later he had designed exactly what I wanted. Steve included the level of detail I desired, and, designed several pieces of furniture for specific spots, each on it's own, a masterpiece. My home is custom, inside and out. You will not see this home anywhere else. He designs for the person. Additionally, there is nothing trendy about his designs. I doubt that fifty years from now anybody will be able to say that this home is "typical" of homes built in the early 2000s. Outside, Steve carried out details from the inside making his plan cohesive and beautiful. He was careful in his design not to hurt existing old trees and was not only respectful of my existing lot, he made the very most of it. I had no idea for the entire first twenty years that I lived in my home that my lot could have the beauty it does today. When building began, Steve worked closely with the builder to insure that my vision was carried out meticulously. It felt as though he was working on his own home, that's how involved and accessible he was. Because of it, my home is perfect. He listened closely to my needs and was easy to get along with. When I made changes, he kept the up-charges to a minimum, in some cases actually reducing the price. Construction on my 5,000 square foot home took less than one year from the day they tore down the old house (not as emotional as I'd have thought to see it go) until moving in to my new warm lovely home; slightly under 11 months to be exact. I have seen larger homes, but never any done with any better attention to detail. It is perfect. Feel free to call if you need additional information about this build, but know that I felt it was as easy and enjoyable as it could possibly have been. The only thing I enjoy more is living here.