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Residential Architects and Interior Designers in Somerville, MA

Make your Somerville home really feel like yours.

Hi, we’re JtA.

We design homes in Somerville that people love to live in—spaces that feel right the moment you walk in, and keep feeling right for years after. From Davis Square to Winter Hill, we listen first and design second, working closely with homeowners so the final space reflects your taste and how you actually live. After all, it's your home—it should feel like it.

But above everything else, we're genuine, down-to-earth people who pride ourselves on designing in a very personal, hands-on, and service-focused way.

Let's talk
Entry nook with a bench, coat hooks and woven baskets on a shelf beside a wood door in a Teele Square, Somerville, MA home.

What Somerville homeowners usually want to know.

Do I need an architect to renovate a house in Somerville?
Generally speaking, if a permit is required for general construction, you’ll need an architect’s stamp. If you’re looking just to replace finishes or fixtures, you may only need electrical or plumbing permits and might not need an architect. But keep in mind, most houses in Somerville aren't single-family. If your building has three or more units, it falls under a different part of the state building code than a one- or two-family house, with tighter requirements for fire separation, egress, and sound between units. We can help you understand which set of rules your house falls under and what that might mean before you get started.

How do I find out what my Somerville zoning district allows?
The city has a zoning lookup tool that will tell you your district, usually Neighborhood Residential (NR), Urban Residential (UR), or Mid-Rise (MR). What it won't tell you is what that means for your house. Somerville's zoning ordinance is form-based, so instead of working from a list of uses, it works from building types and geometries: cottage, detached house, semi-detached house, duplex, detached triple decker, backyard cottage, etc. Your zoning district decides which of those your property is allowed to be, and that building type dictates what it's allowed to become.
We can do a quick zoning analysis report, before engaging in the full design process, to help you better understand your property and have a greater awareness of potential challenges or issues

Can I add a dormer, bay window, or rear addition without a special permit?
Often, yes, and that was on purpose. When Somerville rewrote its zoning in 2019, one of the stated goals was to let homeowners add common things—dormers, bay windows, open front porches, small rear additions—without a long review. The zoning ordinance treats them as building components rather than as new construction. That's real good news if you're looking to transform your attic.

Will my renovation trigger Somerville's demolition review?
There’s a good chance the answer is yes. Somerville's Demolition Review Ordinance applies to buildings more than 75 years old, which covers the large majority of the city. It isn't limited to taking a house down, either. The ordinance includes partial demolition scope, so removing a rear wall to build an addition can be enough to put your project in front of the Historic Preservation Commission. If it comes to that, we have long-standing relationships with the commission and will help you navigate the process.

Do I need an interior designer as well as an architect?
Interior design is an incredibly important part of residential design projects. Finishes, fixtures, millwork, lighting, in addition to furniture and decor, are all key parts of home design. That’s why our team consists of both architects and interior designers who work collaboratively with you to create holistic and complete spaces. This is especially important in Somerville, because the rooms tend to be smaller. When you're working with a compact floor plan, the difference between a cramped kitchen and a great one comes down to built-ins, storage, and where the light lands—and those are interior design decisions that we can lead you through.

Our team includes both architects and interior designers who work together on your project from the start. It also makes your life easier, since our designers handle material, finish, and fixture selection and sourcing. And it's all through one partner, us, so there's less to manage, fewer surprises, and smoother communication.

We own a multi-family. What should we know before we renovate?
There are two things worth considering. First, work that changes how the units are configured—combining them, carving out a new one, moving the line between them—will run into building code requirements that don't apply to a single- or two-family houses.
Second, if converting to condominiums is on your mind, Somerville tightened its Condominium Conversion Ordinance on October 1, 2025. Notice periods went from one year to two, relocation payments went up, and the rules reach two- to four-unit buildings, including ones where the owner lives in a unit. So, you’ll want to engage with a real estate attorney.

What makes Somerville, Somerville.

Somerville packs more people into less space than anywhere else in New England. About 81,000 of us in a little over four square miles, with big and small squares throughout. Davis, Union, Teele, Ball, Magoun, etc.

That density shaped the houses. The triple-decker is such a part of this city that Somerville's own zoning ordinance lists it by name as a building type. Houses sit shoulder to shoulder on lots with a handful of feet between them, often on very hilly terrain.

No two Somerville projects are the same, that’s why we love it here.

Most of Somerville's buildings are more than 75 years old, which puts them within reach of the city's demolition review. And in 2019 Somerville replaced a zoning ordinance with roots in 1924, adopting the first citywide form-based code in metro Boston—one that cares as much about what a building looks like as about what happens inside it. Sometimes that makes things easier for homeowners looking to renovate, but sometimes it doesn't.

Don't let that scare you. It's not a reason not to build or renovate. It's a reason to work with architects and interior designers who know Somerville.

Our office is in Gilman Square, so we’re part of this community and know how to work with exactly this kind of housing stock. Rearranging triple deckers. Renovating a Victorian kitchen into a 21st century one. Turning an attic into liveable space—either to make more room in a single family or add another unit to a multi-family.

Somerville fits a lot of life into a small footprint. We’d like to help you get more out of yours.

Let’s talk about your Somerville home.

Tell us a bit about yourself, and we’ll get in touch.