A Legacy of Architectural Excellence

We hired FORNEY + architecture to complete designs for a porch addition in northern Michigan for our lake house. We provided her with as-is measurements for the home and she was able to provide us with several creative designs for the porch addition. We are familiar with her work in St. Louis and felt very comfortable working with her on a long distance project. She is extremely detailed orientated, knowledgeable, meets deadlines and a true professional to work with. We look forward to posting some pictures in the spring…temps dropped and it started to snow before we were able to complete the painting of the siding!

We recently completed construction of our "forever" home and its everything we hoped for. Of course, we had an excellent builder but the key was working with Michael Cyr from Forney. As anyone who has built from the ground up knows, the most important factor is working with a great architect who can bring the vision in your mind to the drawings. Michael was terrific. He was always available, listened intently and worked with me throughout the process to bring our vision to reality. I know I was very particular along the journey, but Michael was very patient with me and wanted to make everything just right….and he did so. And importantly, Michael worked closely with our builder the whole way. This will be our last construction job, but if we were doing it again, I would want Michael on my team.

Jane Ann was exceptional for my project. Her plans were very detailed and since I was the GC for my project I needed every detail to count. I have had numerous compliments on my project and a lot of this project I owe to Jane Ann. I wouldn't recommend anybody else. I am using Jane Ann for my next project. She is a true professional with lots of experience. My project was not an easy one but with her knowledge it went flawlessly. Thanks again Jane Ann for helping me with my project.

The project of restoring my historical 1850’s farmhouse that had been damaged by fire started with a large architectural firm. The design work seemed off-the-shelf. After six months of me saying, “but this is not like the original house.” I started looking for another architect. Finding FORNEY + made all the difference. Jane Ann took a personal interest. She is knowledgeable and talented in finding the architectural details as well as suppliers that could and would do “restoration.” The difference was literally the difference between night and day. If one doesn’t have a background in construction, in particular restoration, then the architect has to be knowledgeable and a leader. Otherwise, to the homeowner it's like pushing a string; trying to find suppliers and specialists and then integrating them into the planning. FORNEY + saved the day and my home.

We found Jane Ann and Rob through neighbors who had recently completed building a new home designed by the Forney’s. Our neighbors were raving about their experience and now we can do the same. The Forney’s designed a new addition and renovation to the existing interior of our home. We loved their creativity and many suggestions for us to consider. We also appreciated the quality of their detailed thinking and guidance. We were thrilled with their collaborative approach with us during the entire project. We also experienced their excellent collaboration with the general contractor both before and during the construction. After the project was completed, we continued to benefit from their follow-up responses to our questions.

There was a house in the immediate area that had recently undergone an extensive renovation that transformed a pretty ordinary brick bungalow into the most charming house in the neighborhood. When we ultimately got to see the inside, we loved, loved, loved, and realized it was exactly what we were interested in for “senior living” and asked the owners – seriously – if they would consider trading houses with us. – They laughingly said “No thanks, but we will give you the name of our architect, Jane Ann Forney.” The rest is history…Since the moment we met Jane Ann to discuss an addition to our house she has had our complete confidence. She is extremely attentive to detail which was exactly what we wanted. Our house was built in 1941 and has beautiful elements: millwork, moldings, room-size proportions. It has intricate brickwork, windows, gables, and angles. She was quick to know exactly what needed to be done to make sure we didn’t lose any of that and proceeded to design a totally separate wing adjacent and connecting to the original house which retained and enhanced those elements. The result is an addition that everyone says “which part did you add?!” We have recommended her to several other friends, one who has already completed a project with her, two of whom are ready to begin. If you want to work with a consummate architect, who will treat your project with the utmost attention and respect, you will find no one better than Jane Ann Forney.

Jane Ann helped us revitalize an 1850’s historical house in Kirkwood to both bring back its original character and add modern functionality. While my wife and I had a grand vision of what the house could be, Jane Ann was able to turn that vision into real workable plans that incorporated the features and historical touches to give the house new life. Jane Ann was very easy to work with, she listened to our thoughts & ideas then incorporated her expertise to quickly provide sketches that were then refined feature by feature into the finished design. Jane Ann included many thoughtful additions & details that made the final plans a truly complete design and her knowledge of what the Architectural Review Board & Landmarks Committee would be looking for made the permitting process with the city go smoothly.