Before we bought our first home, we called CJ to come out and take a look and give us his opinion about what our options might be when it came to the remodeling dreams we had. As we stood in the empty house brainstorming, we realized we were all on the same page and that we’d work with him….just that pesky question of whether we’d be able to afford him. You see, we had a thought that I think many first-time-home-owners share: architects are a luxury, a non-required piece that we could never afford.

That could not be further from the truth. Instead, I’m absolutely certain that by anticipating issues before they became problems that could snowball into outright catastrophes, he’s saved us literally thousands of dollars in changes of mind, unexpected costs or just dumb mistakes.

We have had, and continue to have, an absolute blast working with CJ. He’s what I would call a gentle visionary. In other words, he absorbs your ideas, no matter how vague, and works with them in his mind until he’s got his own way to articulate them, and then does so with clear concision. We never got the sense that we were at the mercy of any kind of ego or locked-in thinking. And he executes it all with genuine artistic beauty — his perspective sketches of what the finished remodel would look like I mean to have framed.

As we moved forward, he connected us with a contractor he felt suited our particular needs, has made himself available for site visits and has encouraged us to develop our own voice and vision in the re-design of our home by listening well and helping flesh out ideas. We’re looking forward to continue our remodel with phases 2 and 3 over the next few years — a suggestion he made to help us realistically work within our budget. Speaking of, he never advocated for taking on debt we couldn’t handle or overspending, just doing things right the first time and holding off on stuff that could wait. – E Sidney

I’m an interior designer, and was working on a project with clients that weren’t completely satisfied with the solutions their architect was coming up with. I recommended that they meet with CJ Paone to get another perspective, and a more modern, fresh approach. My clients ended up hiring him, and he has been a huge asset to this project! He’s a very thoughtful, deep thinking man with great taste, and a lovely calm demeanor. I would strongly recommend CJ for any ground up, or renovation projects – as he has the ability to really listen to a clients needs, and accommodate them in an elegant and very professional way. – Erin Ellwood | Erin Ellwood Designs

C.J. Paone is an immensely talented and resourceful architect. No detail is too small to command his attention; no problem too complex for him to solve. He cares about every facet of a project, from its aesthetic integrity to its daily functionality. He won’t rest until he gets it right. But he is also extremely personable, easy to talk to and work with, so his perfectionism only serves the client, but never exerts any pressure. Many times, when others had decided that something was ‘good enough’ C.J. kept working on it until it was truly right. He has a great eye, a great sense of humor, and is funny and thoughtful as well as tremendously professional. Always on time, always prepared, and he’s thinking about the project even when not on site. (Just today he texted me to say he’d found the perfect fixtures for my husband’s office— we’d been looking for months— during one of his weekend jaunts!) He would be an asset to any project, should you be lucky enough to get him. – Jessica Teich

C.J. Paone was hired by Amir Moghadam to complete the exterior detailing for his personal residence in Calabasas. The 16,000 sq ft residence exterior was clad is custom limestone from Italy that required perfect programing for communication and development of all orders processed by the Italian manufacture. Design details, job tickets, estimations, were handled with outstanding professionalism. The job developed into further landscape design and specification as noted in the attached image. CJ is an architect that comes to the table with solutions, a positive attitude, and the ability to meet those critical deadlines. An asset to any project! – Kurt Jordan

My wife and I hired CJ to assist with designing a remodel consisting of a new 2-car garage with a master bed and bath above. Sounds simple enough, but we faced unforeseen challenges with modern city requirements imposed on a structure built in 1951. CJ brought many constructive ideas, options, and solutions to keep the project moving forward. Without his experience, patience, and fresh perspective the project would have stagnated, and we would have never achieved the results we did. He was our advocate, even when we didn’t realize we needed one.

Prior to this project, we had worked with other architects who were good at their craft, but had a sense of arrogance about them and never really listened to our ideas. CJ listened to us, and wanted to understand our desires prior to starting any activity. He took our vision and blended them with his experience to yield a design which met all of our expectations. In the end, we were very satisfied with the results. – Brian T. Reilly

I am a homeowner in Ventura who remodeled a 2-story house and added two rooms and a staircase. I was the general contractor on this project and hired CJ Paone as the architect. Although CJ was the architect, he also turned out to be committed to the entire project from start to finish, provided invaluable insight into many design features I would never have anticipated or seen, provided references to other professionals needed during the project, and acted as a sounding board for many of the more difficult decisions. He was always available during the project, is great with people and is focused on solving problems and providing multiple solutions. I have recommended him to numerous people and would do so again. And now that the construction is behind me, people always ask who the architect was and are always impressed with the house remodel. Most important, I am pleased with how it turned out and would use CJ on any project that I was working on. Great part of the team. Thanks CJ! – C Fredric

I’ve worked with CJ Paone on a residential project and also retained him for four medical facilities. In every project I have been impressed with CJ’s professionalism and agreeable manner.

Specifically these are his excellent qualities:

• Has an architect’s interest and skill set in solving design problems for best quality in finished product.
• Understands and incorporates parameters into project program including budget, local code, ADA compliance, equipment requirements, scheduling demands and on-site changes.
• Demonstrates a high level of communication know-how with a focus on best solutions, while managing the full spectrum in working with sophisticated clients, various trades and management teams.
• Is an astute designer and problem solver; pragmatic and versatile.

CJ provides timely services; he is always prepared and purposeful in his work. I’d recommend him for pre-construction site assessment and architectural, interior or landscape design services. – Leslie Jordan | Perch Projects