Francis C Klein and Associates

We loved our 1920s Glen Ridge side-hall colonial home with its wood floors & chestnut moldings. However, like many old houses, it had a small kitchen, lacked a first floor bathroom, master bath & had a shortage of closet space. We wanted to address these shortcomings and ensure that the new space be consistent with the period of the home. That is why we chose to work with Francis Klein. He has great credentials and had been on the board of the town Historic Commission. Because of this, we were confident that he would tie the old and new space together so that it looked like it was always there. We also chose to restore the sun porch and the original bathroom, add a french door that entered onto a deck, which was also part of the project. We also removed the 1970s aluminum siding and restored an original pass-thru arch. Quite the project. Francis & his team worked with us throughout. Francis also worked well with the Germer Construction project manager which helped ensure success. The results exceeded our expectations and have made a huge difference in our quality of life. We were delighted when it was completed and still are, 10 years later. The kitchen layout is unique, has many windows, and is the warmest room in the house. The sun porch is a great space to read a book and we feel that our block is a little nicer for all our neighbors. Based on our experience and satisfaction, we can sincerely recommend Francis Klein and Associates.

As an interior designer, I have enjoyed working with Francis Klein and his staff on numerous projects over the past twenty years. Francis communicates well with both clients and members of the team and is respectful of the opinion of others.Francis and his exceptional staff are first rate professionals with a very well run office.His office is fully computerized and uses state of the art technology. Any one who hires Francis will be getting a talented architect with integrity and honesty. He is passionate about his work and has extensive knowledge of historic houses. His design solutions maintain the integrity of the home while being timeless and elegant. This is an exceptional architectural firm and I highly recommend them.

For twenty years my husband and I put up with our "charming" kitchen in a house built in 1907. The downstairs "john: (obviously added in the 1920's) was just that!--a toilet without a sink, (behind a door, of course) adjacent to the refrigerator. The proportions of the kitchen were horrendous and there was very little natural light since the back door exit to the yard was through a narrow enclosed porch that managed to block the sun. We put off doing something about this situation figuring we'd need to build a new wing in order to come up with something more spacious and modern which was a thing we couldn't afford. Consulting with Francis C. Klein was a miraculous eye-opener. The first thing he pointed out was that there were "too many doors" (the john door, the dining room exit door, a door from the front hallway, a door to the back porch and finally a door to the backyard.) We agreed with Klein--but what to do about it? The plan Klein came up with involved a total reconfiguration of the space we could never have imagined on our own. Not only that, it didn't require an addition! We decided to take the plunge after interviewing some great general contractors that Klein recommended. Over the next few months, without changing the footprint of the house, we were able to acquire a kitchen full of light that felt more spacious. Not only that, we now had a full bathroom segregated from the cooking area. situated off a gracious entrance hallway. By incorporating the old back porch and repositioning the exit to the yard, we gained a full view of our back garden. Details such as cabinetry, fixtures. windows and doors were carefully vetted by the architect's team. Since the project (right on deadline!) ended up including a complete remodeling of our upstairs master bathroom as well, it felt like a total transformation of our home without sacrificing its original character. Thanks to Klein's knowledge of historical houses. the improvements, in keeping with the style of our Edwardian home, look as if they'd always been part of the house. A good friend who's worked in the housing industry confessed that though she had found our old kitchen "charming," she never though it was really "us." "Now the space reflects who you are," she exclaimed. "It's simple yet elegant and there's so much light!" My husband and I accepted the compliment as modestly as we could. But we secretly agreed. At last our beautiful kitchen (and baths!) were us!

Francis Klein and Associates designed an addition consisting of a music room/library on the first floor and a master suite with walk-in closet, bath, and study on the second floor for my 1950's center-entrance colonial. Fran designed the space, provided complete specifications, helped with the bidding process, and stayed involved through the completion of the project. Fran had also designed a gorgeous, sunny new kitchen/family room for that house, and is now working on designing a new kitchen for the 100 year old arts and crafts bungalow where I live now. Fran is wonderful to work with. He listens and responds creatively, is meticulously detailed in his specifications, helpful in all aspects of the construction and able to work with contractors, even from a distance. I was delighted to have him and his firm select all the materials from lighting to counter tops to tiling, to fixtures. I recommend him without any reservations.

My wife and I moved to Montclair in 2001 when we bought our house. After living in it for a few months we started the renovation process by interviewing different Architectural Firms. It became very rapidly clear that we will work with Francis Klein and Associates. What impressed us most was Francis‘s attention to detail, his architectural competency and professionalism, his awareness of what we would like and the architectural design and “limits” of the house, as well as his pleasant demeanor and very kind staff. I believe any addition or renovation to a house should look like they always have been there. Francis has been in Montclair for a long time and he knows the contractors and their work, which is an extremely important aspect for renovation and construction. He has suggested some great construction companies. Over the last 8-10 years we have done substantial renovations to our house from kitchen to dormers and roofline changes, to master bedroom renovations and bathroom additions to name a few. Some of them where not simple and needed a great deal of architectural knowledge and structural design to maintain the integrity of the house. Francis did a great job and he is definitely a very gifted Architect with a proven track record. I absolutely can recommend him any time for any project. Theo Breitenstein

My husband and I retained Francis Klein and Associates to design an entire second floor and kitchen on our early 1900s large cottage/shaker-style home in a community that respects tasteful renovations. New to the town, we wanted to make sure we maintained the integrity of the home while providing our family the space and modern conveniences we wanted. Francis Klein surpassed our high expectations for this project. His staff worked very hard to make sure that the new second floor looked like it had always been there and that the new kitchen fit into the style of the house. The firm's attention to every detail, from styling the dormers and roof gables to choosing the appropriate moldings, woodwork and door and cabinet knobs, is what made our home a timeless success. Throughout the process, we were given all the attention we needed. Francis also had the difficult task of tactfully telling me when some of my ideas, while nice, would not work in this house; and he was right. We have received numerous complements on our renovation, and was one of eight houses in town chosen to be part of a recent house tour. I would not hesitate to retain Francis Klein and Associates again.

Francis Klein is the architect who designed our Victorian style home in Upper Montclair, NJ. Francis is imaginative, yet practical. We interviewed a number of architects and chose Francis. We were confident he could deliver a quality product within our budget. During the design process, Francis listened carefully as my husband and I described our dream home. He reviewed our tear sheets of homes we admired, then he designed our forever home, consulting with us as he designed and refined the plans. Francis has a well-run office and his staff is top notch. We always felt that the team was prepared when we arrived to review our plans/progress. And we walked away happy. We had few cost overruns in the actual building process because Francis helped us think through the many aspects and details that made a "perfect for us" home. He worked well with our builder. And we had fun throughout. My husband and I would highly recommend Francis Klein to bring your architectural dreams into reality!

Francis Klein designed our house some 20 years ago. It was a good sized project without an explicit budget, one that very easily have slipped into pretentiousness. Instead, Francis guided us to a house that is elegant and enduring. A year doesn't go by that some visitor doesn't comment on the sense of tranquility that pervades the building. What they don't realize is they get that sense because Francis designed the house on a four foot grid, with every dimension an even multiple of 4. In all, we started the project with a sense of expectation and finished it with a sense of satisfaction, which we have to this day.

Francis Klein helped me remodel two bathrooms in my 1907 Foursquare house. These were small bathrooms in need of major revisions – one with 60s era design in poor repair and the other a part of a recent addition that was totally out of keeping with the overall design of the house. Francis treated both projects with enormous care, meticulous attention to detail and full explanations of problems we might encounter. He found period appropriate fixtures from bathtubs to lighting. In both cases he helped turn ugly, historically inappropriate and, in one case, illegally constructed bathrooms into rooms that perfectly match the simple, post- Victorian design of the house. I get compliments all the time! And three years ago my house was burglarized a week before Christmas; the thief kicked in the original wood door – more than 100 years old - and destroyed it. I called Francis who looked at the damage and recommended master carpenter he worked with. The carpenter, a skilled craftsman, built a new door that looks exactly like the original and will, I am sure last another 100 years! I have really loved working with Francis.

We chose Francis Klein because of his unmatched reputation for integrity, honesty, expert advice, attention to detail, and intelligent but compassionate application of classic design principles to historic properties. We were thrilled with his work on our Montclair house. Francis was a dream to work with in every way. He transformed a stunning but weary 100-year-old house into a fabulous home for our young family, blending old and new elements seemlessly. What a gift! Mary and Rob Engel

Creative and enthusiastic to work with. Francis is very patient with varying view points and brings them to get her in a workable manor. Our contractors seemed pleased with communication and timely answers to any issues. Only drawback might be old school approach to drawing document production but with this online survey I would believe he is moving to use technology more and more. We would certainly recommend Francis for any homeowner.

My wife and I hired Francis in 2003 to renovate the attic of our traditional colonial into a bedroom suite and bathroom for our teenage daughter. We could not have been more pleased with the design process as well as the final result. When we moved into another old colonial in 2008, we called Francis first to gut the kitchen and later to add a deck and another bathroom. Francis has impeccable taste and great respect for tradition as well as modern convenience. People often ask us whether it was worth the cost to hire an architect for our renovation projects. We always say that it was definitely worth hiring Francis.