Testimonials

Rod, Julie and Staff, The Golub family would like to formally thank you for our new addition.  We have put the mud room, screened porch and kitchen to good use and it all looks great. Best regards, Shannon, Ian, Henry, Jerry & Hugh
Infinite patience and cooperation Dear Rod, Sandy and I greatly appreciate your infinite patience and cooperation during the time it took to complete our remodeling project.  We love our new look and will be happy to recommend your services! Regards, Sandy & Liz Ping
Rod Sidley AdditionWe could not have asked for a better marriage of beautiful and useful. To the talented team at Rod Sidley Architects, It's truly mortifying how long it has taken me to write this letter or appreciation. But there is one benefit to the delay. You may now read this and know it's not a reflection of that initial euphoria that follows a dramatic home transformation. It's a reflection of really effective design. The great room you designed for us is a triumph of both form and function. Thee first comment from folks entering the space for the first time is "How beautiful!" But this isn't because of the decor... I've done little but put in two sofas, a dining table & chairs. It's because the space has "good bones." It makes you feel great. Our home feels more spacious than homes twice its size. One relative calls it the "stealth house"... the spaciousness sneaks up on you. Folks walk into a reserved-looking entrance, and are a bit stunned by the 40-foot lines of sight out to the patio walls. You eliminated the claustrophobic feeling of our former chopped-up spaces. But you preserved a certain "coziness" by creating diverse zones & ceiling heights -- some feel sheltered, some feel active & open. We achieved a balance of natural light that approaches perfection. All day, the entire space is bathed in diffused daylight that's pleasing even to my sensitive eyes. Lights are never needed until the sun goes down. And with this even natural light, I don't get the "February Funk" any more... winter has become a very bright & enjoyable season. The versatility of the space is remarkable. It feels great when just the three of us are in it, doing homework, laundry, cooking, paying bills, reading papers, watching movies... the everyday stuff of family life. It feels equally good when filled with 20 family members preparing and sharing a Thanksgiving feast. And it even felt good loaded up with 45 7th graders, dancing on the hardwood with a disco ball spinning in the middle of the lantern. (Remarkable, the neighbors apparently heard nothing of the mind-numbing decibel level that crew created. A testimony to great insulation? Great windows perhaps?) Gerbus was superb to work with. They started precisely when they said they would, finished on time, owned problems they didn't even create, and creatively resolved challenges such as our crummy old block foundation and the extraordinarily tight access to our back yard. They seem to understand where quality construction can't be compromised for cost... and where savings can be achieved without sacrificing quality. We never worried with their team on our property... Walt runs a tight ship. The willingness of both Sidley and Gerbus to engage in responsive dialog throughout the project was at the heart of this success. The design has improved our family home life exponentially. We could not have asked for a better marriage of beautiful and useful. Much appreciation, Barb King
Rod Sidley ArchitectsRod and his team were willing to listen to us and paid attention. We love our house in Maine! It has wonderful light, takes advantage of the site and views, has a comfortable interior that works, and fits in with the neighborhood. Rod and his team were willing to listen to us and paid attention. Their experience with remodeling and their knowledge and skillful use of materials were vital to the success of the project. They worked efficiently and effectively with our general contractor in Maine, providing good, detailed drawings in at timely manner and communicating whenever needed. We enjoyed working with them and felt that they were truly invested in the project. The end result is summed up by the comments of one of our Maine neighbors: "You have fabulous taste and a magnificent home. I appreciate so much of what you have done. As a woodworker and builder I can relate to most all of it! I'm also a musician and can see the beauty of art throughout with the design and details."
Rod Sidley ArchitectsWe now have a home which is a pleasure to live in every day and to share with family and friends. Rod Sidley Architects did a wonderful job with a 2-story addition and remodeling of our 100 year old house in Wyoming. Rod worked with us throughout the entire project, resulting in a renewed home that we deeply love. The addition was a family room on the first floor and a master bedroom suite on the second floor. At the same time, old parts of the house were all remodeled while preserving and enhancing their original features. Rod and Gerbus Remodeling managed the project so that we could live in the house throughout the 9-months of construction. To our surprise, we not only got a talented architect, but an interior designer who learned all about us and created a home that captured our lifestyle. With Rod's help, we now have a home which is a pleasure to live in every day and to share with family and friends.

- Shelly Kirk and Joe Bowman


Your collective input was timely and welcomed by the entire team. Here are two testimonials from Valley Interfaith Food & Clothing Center. • Testimonial One • Testimonial Two
Rod Sidley ArchitectsRod's designs are pure with attention... Wow, I didn't know I could have so much fun spending money! But seriously, the year Rod Sidley our architect, Dennis Ryan our builder, and Alan Hare, foreman and master of all trades became part of our daily routine progressed smoothly with nary a glitch. Having worked in Rod's office previous to our design and construction, I had inside experience to admire his talent and his ethics. Rod's designs are pure with attention to such details as beautiful moulding, and they are sound with attention to (unseen) structural points. The house "works" in terms of traffic flow and our life style. Being empty nesters, we have a one floor plan for our needs and for inside and outside entertaining. The lower walk out level is designed for grandchildren and for houseguests with two suites, each with their own bathroom. In the building phase, Dennis and Alan could easily solve any problem thrown at them with a "can do" attitude. Every evening the work site was swept and organized and ready for the next morning. After six years, Dennis, who takes great pride in "his house" still stops by to survey the house for any needs or to address any questions. If we had to do it all over again... we would.

- Carol and Neil Armstrong


Thank you Rod, for helping to create such a wonderful house to come home to at the end of the day! After moving in to our 1870's Victorian Farmhouse in the fall of 2004, we began the process of finding an architect to help us make the home personalized, and have the spaces flow more efficiently. Based on neighbors' recommendations, we went with Rod Sidley, and we are very happy with that decision. Given the scope of our project, it was imperative to us to have a successful working relationship with all parties involved. Our expectations were met, in a large part due to our open communication with Rod, and our contractor, Walt Gerbus. We even set up weekly meetings to assure that we, the client, Rod, and Walt were all "on the same page" when it came to what was next on the agenda. I have to say that sharing our house with a crew for approximately six months was not all that bad! Rod introduced us to a cabinet maker, Mark Mahan, for our kitchen and master bath cabinetry. Once again, it was such a pleasure to work with someone who listens to what you want, and executes perfectly! We are thoroughly enjoying our new kitchen, master bath, and adjoing spaces immensely. We can't imagine how the house worked prior to the renovation! Thank you Rod, for helping to create such a wonderful house to come home to at the end of the day!

- Frank and Tracy Dean


(Rod) listened to what we wanted and designed a project that was responive to our requests.... Melissa and I would like to thank you very much for your service and advice in adding on the new family room and screened in porch at our house. Read More...

- Scott P. Kadish


Rod Sidley ArchitectsRod has completed three projects for us in our Victorian home... Rod has completed three projects for us in our Victorian home: remodeling our screen porch, construction a family room and bathroom in our basement, and most recently, gutting and remodeling our kitchen. We have been very pleased with all three projects and highly recommend Rod and builder Dennis Ryan. Rod and Dennis are a pleasure to work with, and the results they produce are excellent. In each case, Rod took our desires for the project and developed them into a creative, functional and beautiful design. Dennis and his craftspeople, working with Rod, then translated the design into a finished room, and we could not be more pleased. I have friends who have remodeled their kitchens and spent hours and hours selecting materials and details, but we did not want to spend that kind of time. So we gave Rod a general idea of what we were looking for, and then, knowing the kinds of things we like, he made recommendations. In each case, we were very satisfied with his ideas, looked at the materials or appliances he recommended, and quickly settled on the finished plan. All in all, a very positive experience!

- Leslie and Tom Mowry


Rod Sidley Architects...a positive learning experience... Rod Sidley is a multi-talented architect. He understands old houses and how to preserve their historic integrity. He is also extremely creative with new spaces. Working with Rod was a positive learning experience. He provided blueprints as well as guidance. He was intuitive enough to know when the guidance was needed. That is also an art! P.S. I could have gone on and on but I think it would have been too much. Thank you!

- Linda Baugh Wise

More about this project... • Click here to view the original letter.
... informative, easy to work with and very creative. Our home was built in the 1934. When we decided to add additional rooms to our home we needed someone who had the ability and knowledge of the history of the home to be able to blend the addition so it would look like it was there when the house was originally built. After reviewing several architects we decided that Rod Sidley would be that person. He was informative, easy to work with and very creative. He was able to add all the features we requested to our home and made suggestions of his own which we appreciated. After reviewing three (3) contractors, the contractor selected to do the work was Ryan Remodeling. All the employees who worked for Ryan were top quality and a real pleasure to work with. We are very pleased with the addition to our home and have a beautiful room to prove it. We would recommend Rod Sidley and Ryan Remodeling for your project.

- Ann and Joe Milburn


Rod Sidley ArchitectsRod Sidley gave us what we wanted, at a reasonable cost Rod Sidley gave us what we wanted, at a reasonable cost. He designed the renovations that opened up the whole house, giving us a place that is enjoyable to live in year-round. Rod was sensitive to our requirements, and very creative in expanding existing space. The colors and materials that he used resulted in a warm, comfortable family room that we spend most of our time in, and an outdoor patio that is perfect to enjoy a drink after a day in the yard. The general contractor and the sub-contractors were very good. Their craftsmanship was excellent, and they all were quite tolerant of a retired engineer who poked his nose into everything that was being done. We plan on using Rod Sidley Architects again in the near future.

- Sue Carol and John McKnight


Rod Sidley Architects...it was his personal involvement and sense of service that really set our project apart. "We entrusted our multi-room home remodeling project to Rod Sidley Architects in 1999 and are still enjoying the results today. His creative use of space along with distinctive materials and skilled craftspeople are great assets, but it was his personal involvement and sense of service that really set our project apart. Thanks Rod!"

- Joan & Tim Meyer


Rod Sidley Architects...willing to incorporate our ideas into the project... We chose Rod after talking to several architects, because he seemed particularly willing to incorporate our ideas into the project. He definitely did that as we got into finalizing a design. His help in choosing a contractor was important. He asked for bids only from high-quality contractors with whom he had a good working relationship, yet he kept those negotiations objective so that we felt our best interests were always being represented. When the job finally began, Rod's attention to detail was really impressive. During Rod's visits to the job, which were nearly daily, the skilled workers knew he would look for even tiny variations from design drawings. Yet in resolving problems, he also kept the "big picture" in mind, thinking about our goals for the new space. Though this was the first addition we had done to the house, we believe it's the fourth since the house was built. Rod's addition is significantly better-designed than any of the house's previous three, and achieved our design goal of "pulling together" past additions so that the house now works as a whole, while providing important new living space. We would recommend Rod (and have!) to others wanting the same quality result.

- John and Molly Planalp


Rod Sidley ArchitectsOur house was literally unnoticed in the neighborhood until Rod Sidley worked his magic! We have worked very closely with Rod Sidley on several projects at our house. He designed our two-story addition, a screened in porch and an intricate sidewalk and driveway. Rod's flare for replicating the old to blend with the new construction was breath taking. He was able to match the exterior in every detail, from brick to limestone caps to window. Rod collaborated closely with a wonderful builder we have worked with for years, Tom Walter. Together they produced a home that has been featured inDesign magazine and also in a segment of the TV show, Around the House. Our house was literally unnoticed in the neighborhood until Rod Sidley worked his magic! We receive compliments on a regular basis for the addition. Rod's eye for detail and his ability to take notice of what you would like to happen is extraordinary.

- Terry and Al Delgado


Rod Sidley ArchitectsHis taste is impeccable... Rod Sidley did two major projects for us. One was a complete remodeling in which he reversed our small kitchen from the front of the house to a much larger one in the back with a fantastic view of the Ohio River and valley. Just adding a few feet to this room he also gave us a wonderful and comfortable sunroom. This fall he figured out how to give us our own bathrooms which we have wanted for a long time, with very little inconvenience to us. He designed and had made an incredible bookcase that truly changed the room it was made for. His taste is impeccable and if you do not agree with him, he's okay with that. However, he does not let you make a mistake with your choice. I trust Rod, and that is so important for any project. He covers his mistakes, which are few.

- Terry and Bill Grote


Rod Sidley ArchitectsDear Rod, I just wanted to let you know how much we are enjoying our porch that you designed for us. We eat our on it everyday and it is the most relaxing spot inour home and hectic lives. Thank you very much. Wanda Green More about this project... • Click here to view the original letter.
Rod Sidley Architects "Rod has directed two projects for us. The first was a major renovation of the second floor of our Victorian home with the addition of a master bedroom/bath. We have found him easy to work with, responsive to our ideas & concerns. His ability to design with consideration for the style of the home as well as the needs & desires of the homeowners is exceptional. We depended on him to anticipate and resolve potential problems and he consistently did this for us. He communicated frequently & was accessible when questions arose. We recommend Rod whole heartedly!"

- Jennifer & Bob Kersten


Rod Sidley Architects...very easy to work with and kept in constant communication... We have just completed a one-story addition to our family room on the back of our house. Rod Sidley drew up the plans and didn't miss a detail. He helped us select the contractor that we used and took care of all the preliminaries (survey, applying for a variance and getting a building permit). We were so pleased with our contractor, Walt Gerbus, and all the people that worked on our project. Everyone was very professional and first class, besides doing excellent quality work. Our house is 77 years old and had already had an addition that was about 50 years old that really didn't fit in with the character of the house. Rod changed that. His design blended both additions into the original house beautifully and really updated the look of our house. Rod was very easy to work with and kept in constant communication with us. He checked on the project daily and if there was a problem or concern he handled it instantly. We love our family room and thank Rod for all that he did. He's the best.

- Ken and Sue Kesterson


(Rod) interpreted all of requirements perfectly... Rod, I would like to say how impressed we were with your ideas and drawings for our house. You interpreted all of requirements perfectly and gave us a design that will definitely work for our family. The entire process was enjoyable and I'm glad that we were able to work together on our project. Rod, thank you for all you have done.

- John and Lori Wellman


...attended diligently to every detail that fit our needs and desires... Dear Rod, John and I were pleased to read the enclosed article featuring our favorite architect. It was a very pleasant, satisfying experience to "work" with you on our Wyoming Condominium project. You attended diligently to every detail that fit our needs and desires into the finished project. We think of you often, Rod, as we enjoy our new home. We are very grateful for your unique imaginative talent.

- Barbara Bloomstrom


OTHER SMALL NOTES... Rod Sidley Architects Dear Rod, Thank you for your great design and guidance along the way. You designed a beautiful addition and we are just thrilled. Feel free to come by for pictures, anytime.
Rod Sidley Architects Rod - I am enjoying my new kitchen tremendously. It turned out better than I could have imagined. With thanks, Debbie
Rod Sidley ArchitectsDear Rod, Thank you for your diligince on my office project. I appreciate it very much. Best regards,  Tim More about this project... • Click here to view the original letter.
Rod Sidley Architects Rod_ we really, really love what you've done_ Thank you, Terry
Rod Sidley Architects Rod Thanks so much. We are really happy with how it has all turned out. Thanks again Lisa & Jeff