We hired Rob Kelly for a remodel on our bathroom and kitchen as well as new stairs to our backyard. Rob's expertise shined throughout the project, from his deep knowledge of craftsman style homes, his eye for design choices big and small, and his ability to keep us moving forward in a stress-free manner. He works quickly and thoroughly and was able pivot seamlessly when needed. Thanks to Rob and our contractor the project was actually done early! Unheard of, as they say. Importantly, Rob understands building code and the permit approval process very well. He was able to use some fringe code to get stairs approved from the city that most people thought would never work. Plus he checked in often to ensure the plans were being reviewed, which helped them get approved quickly through a broken city process. Hiring Rob was the best decision we made for our remodel and the outcome wouldn't have been nearly as good without him. read more

We were lucky to work with Rob to enhance the accessibility of our 1913 craftsman home. We completely replaced the original porch stairs with a curving ramp, and renovated the primary bathroom to include a thresholdless shower. While these were dramatic changes to the house, Rob's eye for historical congruity and detail led to a design that feels completely in-line with the original architecture. There are so few examples of accessible designs that capture the spirit of older California homes. The work on the ramp and bathroom feel of-a-piece, and improve function without feeling tacked on or muddled. Throughout the process, Rob was sensitive to our feedback and overall cost, and connected us to excellent options for contractors. We also deeply appreciated the work of Mario, Rob's colleague, who did weekly site inspections and was able to work with myself and the contractor to quickly resolve inevitable complexities in the build. We are thrilled with the result, and hope to work with Rob in the future. read more

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It's impossible to convey in a simple review how skilled, attentive and effective an architect Rob Kelly is. Everyone had told us nightmare stories about their own renovations before we started, and we had enormous trepidation going in. Due in large part to Rob, however, our renovation was the opposite of what we expected: we finished on budget and on schedule, and had more fun with the design process than we could have imagined. My husband and I lived in an Oakland 2 bed/1 bath,1920s bungalow with our two kids, and needed more space. We thoroughly explored the moving option and, not having an extra $2 million handy to buy a larger home, decided to stay and build up.   My background is in writing about interior design and decorating, and my primary concern was finding an architect who would preserve and build upon the character of our original home, rather than erasing it as so many renovations do. I looked at hundreds (no really - hundreds) of portfolios, and we interviewed many architects. All seemed highly talented and capable, but Rob displayed the clearest understanding of our needs and aesthetics. My husband was very concerned about costs and architect fees. Throughout the design process, Rob updated us with estimated construction costs and at every step helped make the renovation more cost effective. He also was incredibly adept at integrating and improving upon my many (many!) Pinterest-inspired design ideas. The completed design is coherent and compatible with the 1920s style of the home, but dramatically more functional and more beautiful than I could have hoped. We now have two new bedrooms, an office, a second full bath, and a completely reconfigured main floor that includes a truly knockout new kitchen. Rob recommended all four of the contractors for us to interview, all of whom he had worked with previously on other projects. We went with the lowest of these four bids because it allowed us to keep Rob's original design and stay within the budget. Our contractor, Dan Richards, went to extraordinary lengths to make sure that every piece of the puzzle fit together.  Dan and Rob have a collaborative mindset and worked together beautifully through each step of the process. Rob was careful to make sure that our concerns were heard, and helped us stay on budget and on schedule with his incredible knowledge and experience. We are beyond delighted with the finished product, and simply cannot recommend him more highly. read more

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Rob was essential in making our remodel dreams a reality. We live in Piedmont, which is notorious for being difficult. He had inside knowledge and resources that allowed his plans to get approved with ease. He took time to research the aesthetic that we were hoping for and adapting it to the current look of our home, our street and the neighborhood. He was realistic with our expectations and was professional throughout the process. He connected us to contractors that we continue to use for other projects. Our family would recommend Rob and his team unconditionally. read more

We hired Rob and his team for our basement remodel. Rob was very straightforward and easy to work with from the very beginning. He patiently listened to our ideas and needs, and provided helpful and practical design and architectural recommendations throughout the process. Along the way, we ended up making a number of changes and additions to our original scope. He incorporated our additional ideas and requests seamlessly. During the construction phase the team, especially Mario, was very dialed into every detail on the plans. Their ability to project manage and effectively communicate with our general contractor regarding discrepancies and unforeseen problems was vital to the ultimate success of our project. I can't say enough about all the thought, creativity, and effort that went into making my basement and outdoors so beautiful and usable. read more

We hired K&A for a kitchen remodel, and working with Rob Kelly was a great experience from beginning to end. From blueprints that honored our vision, to serving as a liaison between us and the contractor, to helping us choose unique tiles, fixtures, etc. that brought our kitchen to (new) life, we are delighted that we chose them for this project. Rob was professional, patient, and most of all understood what we wanted our kitchen to be. We would certainly work with him again on the next project. read more

Rob was our architect for a full home renovation/restoration and new ADU, and I can't speak highly enough of him. We chose to work with Rob for his passion for restoration and historic architecture, as well as his cost consciousness. We had no clue what we were walking into but Rob enabled us to be to be the 'designers' of our dream home by teaching us how to budget, translating our Pinterest boards, and enabling us throughout the process, while he was really driving the ship with his deep expertise and bias toward action. Rob also helped us bid contractors, and very importantly iterate on the design collaboratively with our chosen contractor, Dan Richards. I very much appreciate Rob's directness, humor and patience throughout the 3 year journey! On a personal note, Rob also is gives back to our local community helping to build Tiny Homes for homeless youth in Oakland. read more

Rob Kelly is my favorite architect to work with. We've collaborated on numerous projects over the last ten years and I cannot speak more highly of his attention to detail, his flexibility, and his design acumen. Rob is truly skilled at his craft and I've loved the end result of every project that we've worked on together - including my own home. read more

When we met Rob Kelly, we were in a heap of trouble. We set out to do a very extensive remodel on our house, but hired a really bad architect, who we had to fire. Rob came by as a favor, just to give us a second opinion. We hired him on the spot to replace our prior guy. We liked him from the first time he set foot in our house, because he understood immediately what we love about our house and did his best throughout to maintain those charms. A year later, we are moved back into our house and I cannot possibly explain how important Rob was to the project. He helped us imagine the project, nail it down on the plans, delivered us into the arms of a great contractor (Ethan Allen) and stepped back in during construction when we needed design help or just hand-holding. He was always available, easy to work with, and understands that a remodel is more than just wood and nails -- it's about a home, and often involves large amounts of money. And that means that a great architect is able not only to give solid and creative advice about what to do, but is also able to nudge and poke and stand by your side as you go through the process. If you are thinking about construction, from big to small, I strongly recommend that you call Rob Kelly. Years later, we hired Rob again to turn our rough basement into a living area. He recommended a contractor who saved us a bundle, and worked through some tricky issues with us along the way. Same experience - easy to work with, great ideas, creativity=money savings, and always available in a pinch. Second time around, no change: call Rob! read more

From our first meeting with Rob, it was immediately clear that he understood our aesthetic and the goals for each of our three home remodels. Working with him has been has been nothing but easy: his first sketches are always inspiring and he has smoothly guided us through every step of the way from picking out a contractor to picking out doorknobs. I trust Rob implicitly: not only does he have impeccable taste but he enthusiastically researches and follows through with any of our requests. I would recommend him without the slightest hesitation. read more

Our house, built in 1951 had no special character until Rob helped us with a fairly major remodel. It's now been updated and has so many lovely features and details we never would have thought of ourselves. Rob is technically very knowledgeable and also really creative. He listened, steered us in the right direction and was sensitive to our budget concerns. He was always available and patient throughout the process. We were so pleased to work with him again recently to renovate a small garage into a cottage style ADU. We've run out of projects for now which is a shame because sitting with Rob while he effortlessly sketches ideas out on tracing paper and helps us visualize what could be is so much fun! read more

We have a beautiful old home in Oakland and had Rob help us with updating the 1950s kitchen. Rob was able to re-arrange the walls between the kitchen and breakfast and give us a much more open and lighter kitchen. We love our kitchen and looking back, are so thankful that we took the plunge. I was very concerned about costs but Rob was able to give us projected costs during the design process and helped us find a great contractor who was able to work within our budget. Overall Rob was great to work with and super helpful at all stages. He understands the complexities and structure of an old house, and he knows how to modernize and improve spaces while maintaining the original character. read more

We challenged Rob with a difficult site, a stringent planning commission, two jurisdictions and an insanely demanding owner (that'd be me). The result was a beautiful home for the ages. Rob is an artist who gets things done. He exhibited a tremendous knowledge of every aspect of our job; city codes, geology, structural engineering, materials, heating, electrical, lighting, window flashing, lighting, appliances... you name it. His breadth of knowledge is staggering, and best of all you don't have to see any of it in the finished product. Our home just works. The rooms have balance, they function with ease. They're stunningly beautiful if you take the time to look, but recede into the background so that living comes first. Best of all Rob couldn't be easier to work with. He's calm when there's no damn reason to be. He's reasonable and always looking for a solution. I wish everyone I worked with in my life was half as good as Rob. I couldn't recommend him more highly. read more

Rob is a fantastic architect. He threw his heart into our cabin renovation, studying books on arts and crafts homes, paying attention to every minute detail, scouring ebay and craigslist for the perfect sink, hinges, doorknobs, etc., working carefully and patiently with us (and our strong opinions), and -- in the end -- creating a stunning renovation of a 1905 cabin. Rob has a terrific eye, sense of proportion and, best of all, a knack for instilling charm at every turn. We recommend him highly. read more

Rob was fantastic to work with on our kitchen remodel. Rob has a wonderfully relaxed, unhurried, easy-going manner. We had very specific ideas about what we wanted in the end, but no idea how to get there. Rob excelled with finding the balance between leading and following. It was the perfect collaboration, with Rob helping us refine OUR vision and entertain all of our options while providing essential guidance and the wisdom of his years of experience. Rob helped us strike the balance between updating and modernizing while keeping everything related to the rest of our craftsman bungalow. In the end our kitchen is JUST what we wanted. It looks beautiful but more important it functions beautifully. read more

We used Rob to do a remodel on our house. We wanted our house to stay true to the time period it was built but be functional for today's life styles. Rob helped to do just that! Rob was creative, resourceful, easy to work and communicate with. He was calm during stressful situations and great at problem solving when things came up that we were not expecting. He has a great eye for detail and helped build a house that is beautiful and that we love. We highly recommend Rob! read more

I worked on my house renovate project for a year, had so many bad experience dealing with Architects and interiors. Scare to talk to them because I got charge by a minute. They will not tell you that you can get permit or not, you got to pay for the project to get rejected. Some interior came with 5 minutes of work, but charge 10 hours. The very last on my renovate project, it was small. I was so scare to call anyone because the advice could cost more than the project itself. I met Robert Kelly's team (Reiko) by incident. I told her about my little tiny project. Robert called right that day and took me to the city. I was so impress, first time I got Architect who really care for my project and wanted to make sure that my project was possible before I got charge. He walked me through every step. I really want to thank him and his team for everything they have help me with. I recommend him to anyone I know and need help with Architect. I hope I could meet them earlier so I would not have those bad experiences. At least I had good one for the last part of my project. Good luck for your project!! read more

After working with Rob on our house expansion remodeling. I'd say that working with him is never work. His flexibility and ability to understand our needs are superior! He is always available and prompt to get back to us when we have questions. Rob has wonderful personal taste and gives us feedbacks and recommendations that have added to the success of our remodeling! Thanks Rob! read more

We hired Rob on a friend's recommendation for our kitchen remodel, and he was just what we needed! He listened to our needs, had great ideas, and was very resourceful in helping us stay within our budget and still have the dream kitchen we wanted. His cabinet maker, Felipe of F&G Cabinets, also does high quality work, we recommend him as well. read more

Rob is an amazing Architect and an even more amazing human being! I met Rob back in 2005 when I needed a house designed for an investment property in Oakland Hills. That lot was a very irregularly shaped lot and had an upwards slope with all the views of the Bay and SF in front. I had used another architect to come up with a design with no success and lots of money wasted! Then I found Rob and before I hired him, he took the time to sit down with me and literally in 1 hour, he came up with a conceptual sketch that just blew me away! This was all before I had even hired him! He did such a beautiful job using his extensive knowledge of not only the local zoning laws and building envelope calculations(especially for such an irregularly shaped lot as mine), but also of building massing and curb appeal! Once I hired him, he was ALWAYS on or ahead of time on every single phase, taking every single one of my concerns and tastes/preferences and putting them down in his drawings flawlessly. He delivered a grand Craftsman style design where every single room in the house had Bay or SF views and exceeded all my expectations. He is a master at his craft! I highly recommend Robert Kelly to anyone wanting their house designed. read more