Clayton Smith, Architect

We remodeled the interior of a 100+ year old house. We had ideas in our heads about what we wanted, but Clayton made them happen! His work was always timely and well done. He communicated well and his excellent work was reasonably priced. We would not hesitate to recommend him.

As a residential general contractor, I have had the privilege of collaborating with Clayton Smith over a period spanning three decades. It mattered not whether Clayton served as a principal in a large architecture firm or as sole practitioner, I always came to expect the same thoughtful, high-quality level of service that he consistently provided. Over the years, we have continued to collaborate on a wide range of residential projects ranging from smaller to aggressive remodels, tear-down custom homes and site development. I highly recommend Clayton Smith. JS

In 2010 we contracted with Prestige Custom Builders to design and build a tram on the hill behind our house. The tram was built to reach the garage which is on the street above our house. Prestige recommended Clayton Smith and after interviewing him we accepted his service as an architect, designer. He worked with Prestige and Hillside Elevator Company in the design of the tram and the layout of the way the tram would fit in the space. Hillside built the tram and when complete, installed it on the property. Meanwhile Clayton was working with Prestige everyday while they were doing the demolishing of existing stairway and excavating the tram space. All the while he was working to get the permit per specs and was available to work with us and Prestige to control the budget and do any changes to the design drawings. Overall he was very helpful in completing the project within the time frame and budget. Another project came up at our home and we again hired Clayton for that project.

Clayton Smith AIA designed two separate, major home renovations for us. It speaks volumes that we hired him for the second renovation, after our experiences with the first. He is a highly professional architect. He took the time to learn our preferences and styles, and to study the layout and history of our house. His plans and proposals were complete, and precise. He was timely and transparent in his expenses and billing. He has a superb sense of design, and a discerning aesthetic that helped us raise the level of sophistication of the final design, while preserving our own preferences and idiosyncrasies. I would give him the highest possible recommendation.

I recently completed a large renovation and addition. I was the acting general contractor on a project that involved a lot of moving parts. Clayton, provided architectural renderings as well as helped guide the process through DPD revisions. He was very attentive to detail, responsive and made sure to call out any potential issue and/or opportunity for improvement. I really appreciated his candor and ability to distill the most complicated aspects of construction into a simple, digestible conversation. I highly recommend him and will undoubtedly utilize his services for future projects.

Clayton Smith redesigned the kitchen in my Seattle house in 2013. He brought his skills as an architect of both residential and commercial restaurants to my home kitchen remodel, for which I continue to be grateful! Clayton was able to solve the many challenges of a kitchen redesign in a 1906 house: moving a basement stairway, reusing cabinets, fixtures and appliances when possible, creating a flow between the kitchen and the other rooms adjacent to it. He worked with me to choose surfaces that pleased me as a designer and stayed within my budget. He took the time to visit appliance dealers with me, and also helped me negotiate issues with the contractor like the timely completion of the job. The kitchen is understated, elegant, and exactly what I wanted. It seems like it's always been this way. I can't recommend him highly enough. I will include photos as soon as I take some.