About Atelier Design Studio
Los Angeles residential architecture with purpose and craft.
We design homes that tell your story.
Atelier Design Studio was founded in 2004 by principal architect Nora Ashford after a decade at two of LA's most prominent firms. She wanted to create a studio where architecture wasn't about ego or trends, it was about deeply understanding how people live and designing spaces that elevate their daily experience.
Over 20 years, we've completed 85+ residential projects across Los Angeles, from intimate hillside renovations in Silver Lake to sprawling estates in Pacific Palisades. Our work has been recognized with 12 design awards and featured in Dwell, Architectural Digest, and Dezeen. But our proudest achievements are the unsolicited emails from clients who tell us their home still makes them smile every morning.
Our studio of 14 architects, designers, and project managers operates on a simple principle: every decision serves the client's life. We don't impose a signature style, we listen carefully, study the site, and design homes that feel inevitable, as if they've always belonged exactly where they are.
Our Values
Intentional Design
Every line, material, and opening serves a purpose. We design with meaning, not decoration.
Sustainability
LEED-informed practices, passive solar strategies, and locally sourced materials are standard on every project.
Collaboration
Architecture is a conversation. We work closely with clients, contractors, and landscape architects from concept through completion.
Craft
We obsess over details, from the grain direction of wood panels to the shadow patterns cast by exterior screens.