“The Jury was ‘charmed by by this submission’. ‘It is challenging to bring old houses up to ADA standards without being obvious. To do it and not be able to notice it is a great design talent.’ ‘The house looks better with the addition!’ ‘Well executed!’ ”
“Who wouldn’t want to come home to this?!? This firm just gets it!”
“This firm consistently enters the most thoughtful and beautiful projects year after year. I want them to design my home.!”
Summit, NJ Addition
“We worked with Clawson Architects on a full gut renovation of our period Colonial house. Marvin’s first question was “what do you want this house to do for you?” He and his team delivered on every point we discussed, were extremely supportive throughout the project and made sure that every stage was completed on time. The breadth of knowledge, creativity, attention to detail, and professionalism were the reasons we hired them again for a much larger project. We are looking forward to another great collaboration.”
“We hired Clawson to help us make our small kitchen feel bigger and bring more light into the house without expanding our footprint. The result is an absolutely gorgeous kitchen, powder room and new back entrance that functions perfectly for our family. Everything is impeccably designed and thought through and absolutely stunning. As a bonus they are also kind, warm, thoroughly enjoyable people. Couldn’t ask for more! ”
“Our work with Marvin began soon after he walked through our front door. We began talking about some of our concerns and what we hoped to achieve. Marvin engaged immediately, and with pad and paper in hand, began to sketch precisely what we had in mind, bringing life to our vision. Those first sketches, created within the first half hour of our first meeting, served as a template for the work to come. It was clear that Marvin understood the house, its problems and potentials. Marvin’s ability to draw by hand, in the moment, was key in helping us test and visualize ideas, and was also a real timesaver.”
“I have had the pleasure of working with Clawson Architects on several projects over the past few years. Each project affords me the opportunity to experience their expertise and professionalism. ”
South Orange Stone house Porch addition
“Project transformed a covered outdoor porch into an enclosed three/four-season den and extended entertaining space to the outdoor patio. Marvin’s expertise and knowledge of historic architecture and embellishments took a project from ordinary to extraordinary. We appreciated how Marvin and Rene worked together to strength our project vision. ”
“We highly recommend Clawson Architects and we can’t thank Marvin, Rene and their team enough for helping us with our second project with their firm. Marvin’s ability to focus our vision and harness technology resulted in a beautifully designed and executed plan and we are so pleased that we’ve just asked Clawson Architects to help us with a third project. ”
Short Hills Tutor addition
“Marvin Clawson at one glance of our house was able to problem solve the aesthetics as well as solve other problems that we were encountering. We were sold on using him as soon as we saw his sketches and how our home would look. His details were fantastic and our contractor was able to create exactly what Marvin designed. René has a keen eye for colors and was able to advise us towards fantastic colors that make our interiors flow with the rest of the house. Both Marvin and René were very positive and pleasant to work with for us and for our contractors.”
“Their plans had great attention to detail, which allowed for a smooth and seamless construction process. They worked extremely collaboratively with the builder and interior designer, such that most of the time problems were resolved before we were even made aware of them! We are very pleased with the final product.”
Montclair kitchen and mudroom addition
“From the moment Marvin stepped into our home and guided us through his ideas of what we envisioned, we were thrilled with the way he, Rene, and their team executed the options and plans based on our needs and budget for our home. We opened up and gut renovated our kitchen, added a mudroom, changed the placement of a bathroom and installed plumbing for a future master suite. We’re looking forward to working with the Clawson’s in the future and highly recommend them.”
“ I was overwhelmed with the complexities of the process and the work—René expertly guided us through the process to a successful conclusion. It was her competence in managing the process that caused me to hire their firm initially”
Chatham Kitchen
Primary Bathroom with custom Onyx and Thasos floors, Onyx shower and Thasos back splash.
“I can’t say enough nice things about Marvin, Rene, and the entire team at Clawson. Simply put, they did a fantastic job with our project.
In addition to their amazing work on our home, Rene also brought her skills to bear on our kitchen through her Clawson Cabinets, which I highly recommend as well.”
“This is the second time we’ve worked with Clawson Architects and we highly recommend them.
First, we worked with them to transform an unused space into a master bath, closet and sitting room of our dreams. The second project was to make our galley kitchen functional for our family of five. The end result has exceeded our expectations!
We highly recommend Clawson Architects.”
“We live in one of Maplewood, New Jersey’s most iconic Victorians. Because we take our stewardship very seriously, we sought the very best. The sophisticated thinking and extensive experience Clawson Architects brought to our project was second to none. This team was a natural fit for our family’s forever home. They and their magnificent team were with us each step of the way. And we couldn’t be more grateful to them.”
“This is our second experience with Clawson Architects and we are so pleased with our continued relationship. Marvin and his team really listened to our needs, developed comprehensive plans, and were open to our feedback and comments. Someone recently commented that it “felt like they were in California” - which was exactly the feeling we were trying to create with our California ranch-style home.”
Summit, New Jersey Kitchen Renovations and alterations
“René and Marvin were able to provide us with a design that flooded the first floor of our house with light and space, while respecting the historic bones of the structure. Their work combines a keen eye for design esthetics with exacting standards for execution. Throughout the process, they explained each step of the project, and worked closely with us to incorporate our ideas and goals.
The Clawson’s have our highest recommendation without the slightest reservation.”
“It you want authentic, thoughtful design, these are your people.”
American Institute of Architects Bronze Medal for Design Excellence
“We worked with Marvin Clawson on 3 projects; two were at our private residence and one was an institutional job. We found Marvin to be a very creative and resourceful architect and we were very pleased with the results.”
“Their work product (designs, specifications, drawings, plan notes & meeting notes) were phenomenal and captured everything the builder needed to execute. They also worked carefully and closely with our builder \ GC and interior designer, understanding that we brought these previous relationships with us - consulting as needed with the builder on materials and structural issues. At every stage they provided the support & expert guidance that we needed to complete the job.”
“We live in a 100-year-old house that we love, but really needed more space: a kitchen expansion, another bedroom, a home office. Marvin and his team came back with a plan that delivered everything we were looking for and more. He is extremely meticulous about historical details. His commitment to the architectural integrity of our home resulted in beautifully seamless transitions between the old and the new. On both the macro and micro levels, we couldn’t be happier with the results..”
“Great exterior design and ability to capture our vision. Many neighbors are stopping by our house and complimenting “it’s the prettiest house on the block.”
Home office Attic Dormer Addition
“We researched long and hard before selecting Clawson Architects to help us with renovating our house. From the very first meeting Marvin was a pleasure to work with. He took the time to understand what we wanted and then created a design that worked with our aesthetically, functional and budgetary needs. Our entire experience was exceptional, especially after everyone warned us about how difficult renovations can be. Our home is now exactly the way we dreamed it could be.”
“What really sets them apart from other architects is that their work is extraordinarily authentic to our original home and our neighborhood, which mostly has 100 year homes. We will only work with Clawson Architects and we would recommend them to anyone looking to do significant remodeling or renovation on their home.”
Historic Preservation
“Clawson architects have consistently performed at the highest levels in assisting in the restoration of my historic 1749 home. The staff is well-trained, responsive and work in collaboration with the home owner. Clawson Architects listen to my needs, then improve on them, or show me a better way that had not occurred to me. The contractors I employ work very well with Clawson, which is a critical consideration for any homeowner. The results are spectacular.”
“Clawson Architects is a rare gem, even among high value stones. Their skill as architects and designers are unparalleled in our experience. Marvin, René and their team were absolutely outstanding in working with us. The attention to detail is outstanding, their plans are thorough and exacting. We have now lived in our new old house for over a year, and there is hardly anything that we would do differently.”
“We would recommend Clawson Architects whole-heartedly. We worked with Marvin, Mike and team on a top to bottom renovation and rebuild of an historic 1901 home. Their design managed to keep what was special about the original architecture, design, footprint and features of the house, while totally reshaping it into something bright, open and workable for our family. Their plans had great attention to detail, which allowed for a smooth and seamless construction process. They worked extremely collaboratively with the builder and interior designer, such that most of the time problems were resolved before we were even made aware of them! We are very pleased with the final product. ”