Karen Moran Architect is a design studio in the foothill town of Sierra Madre, looking out over Los Angeles. Karen Moran has successfully completed over 150 projects, including new custom homes, all scales of residential additions and renovations, dental office and pharmaceutical company tenant improvement projects, and restaurants.

We adapt our thinking and efforts to our clients' specific sense of design and individual needs. Form does indeed follow function, the design is always thought of in three dimensions, additions must always be integral to the original structure, and the clients’ wish lists and personal styles are always first and foremost in the design process.

Karen has a Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and worked and designed under the extremely reputable architecture firms of Perkins & Will, Onyx Architects, and Haynes + Oakley marketing, managing, and designing schools, universities, all-scale residential projects, and hospitals, before creating her own design business in 2002. She is a California licensed architect with a lifelong passion for her work.

We would be thrilled to work as a team with you. Please browse our completed work in the portfolio section and contact us to get started on your design project.

What our clients have to say about us...

"Working with Karen at the helm of our complex remodeling project was simply as good as it gets. Karen's passion for her work was immediately obvious and her energy for our project remained strong from initial conceptualization to the details needed for successful completion. She did a great job of eliciting and incorporating our ideas into her inherent creativity and plans. Karen really listened and asked intelligent questions about our specific needs for an accessible home that took into consideration unique disability requirements without sacrificing style and beauty. One of Karen's assets I admired was her ability to be both personable and assertive such that she worked effectively with the contractor and others involved. I wouldn't hesitate in working with Karen again and I highly recommend her."

"Several visitors have dropped in at different times of the construction phases to see the progress, very impressed with your design, the flow, the light in the stairwell, the family room, the beautiful windows and how original looking the addition looks to the existing house. Hannah's suite is devine, filled with such character and charm for a young lady. And the carport! The reviews keep coming so I decided I'd better share and let you know how very excited and proud our family is. Karen, this was certainly a labor of love and I don't think you will ever know how valuable you are to have brought our vision into reality. Thank you!"

"We are back living in our home and getting settled - the biggest bonus so far is that our son sleeps an hour more in the morning now that he is in his own room. We are not done with fire sprinklers in the garage, still adressing some issues with the city, and need to address some other things like landscaping, but inside is beautiful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"We thought we would be in "Helen's Haven" forever and Sierra Madre. Know that making this change has been heartbreaking for us at times through the journey. We love this house. We love you for designing it for us. It was a first for both of us. As we enjoy this last week in this beautiful space, we're just so grateful for the opportunity that we had to live here for the last eight years. The best years of our lives (so far). Thank you so much for helping make our dreams come true. Forever in our hearts."

"I can't thank you enough, Karen. You help both of us clarify our own wishes and desires for our home in such an insightful and caring way! Many many thanks."