I first learned about James from a longtime friend who had completed several projects with him over the years including his own residence - which was spectacular. When our 1926 Mediterranean Revival home was taken by the Altadena Fire, James was the first person I called. Best call I ever made. Working only from satellite images and family photos, James and his team meticulously designed a beautiful home that embodies everything we loved about our house while simultaneously modernizing it in important and practical ways. He knows how to integrate the art, the charm, and feel of the past with the demands of the present. He also recommended several exceptional contractors skilled in specialized restoration who were familiar with the arcane art of building a Mediterranean Revival home. James and his team were extraordinary in every aspect of our project. Working in a very compressed time frame, they also designed all the plumbing, electrical, and infrastructure for the residence and secured our building permit in record time. Our family will forever be grateful for his help in making our home a reality again.

I can’t say enough great things about working with James Coane & Associates. Over the last 15 years, I’ve partnered with James on two projects, and I am now planning a third. That kind of long-term relationship doesn’t happen by accident — it’s built on trust, consistency, and exceptional results. James has a rare gift for spatial intelligence. He sees potential in a property that others simply don’t. He understands proportion, flow, light, and livability at a level that transforms how a home feels day-to-day. The homes he designs are not just beautiful — they function seamlessly. He is an extraordinary listener. He absorbs your ideas, priorities, and constraints, then synthesizes them into something elevated and cohesive. In my experience, he consistently delivered designs that exceeded expectations while still honoring the original vision. His team is disciplined, organized, and highly professional. They bring clarity and momentum to what can otherwise be a complicated process, and they play an essential role in bringing projects to completion successfully. Most importantly, James operates with integrity. He is thoughtful, collaborative, and someone I genuinely enjoy speaking with and working alongside. I recommend him without reservation.

We had an excellent experience working with James V. Coane and Associates as the architect and design firm for our project. They were great listeners from the very beginning and truly followed our vision while adding their own creative insight. The design work was outstanding, including the interior design, and they consistently found smart, pragmatic solutions to challenges as they came up. They worked collaboratively with us throughout the process and coordinated very well with the contractors, which made everything run smoothly. We felt supported, heard, and confident in every decision. We highly recommend them. We love our new home!

Me & my wife wanted to do this review for Jim on how wonderful of a job he has done on our fire rebuild in Napa, California. Jim was instrumental in getting our permits quickly, flying out numerous times to Napa from his office in Pasadena to attend meetings with the various building officials to get our plan approved faster than we could have done ourselves. We were so pleased with the design that he has done for our new home. Jim continues to be part of the build and makes himself available to us, the contractors, and suppliers if there are any questions on the home. This personal attention to his clients and his problem solving abilities truly sets Jim apart from others. We were so leased with Jim's service that we have signed him onto another project that we are in the process of building.

My wife and I worked with Jim over a four year period to design and build our dream home. From the outset, Jim was creative and responsive to our requests. Jim had great ideas and suggestions while recognizing that this would be our home and had to meet our vision. He is smart and creative but sets his ego aside. He is a good listener and it only took two concept drawings to capture the look we were after. It was a difficult process to get City approvals, particularly since we lived out of state during construction. Jim was diligent and persistent in getting the necesary approvals and when we hit sticking points, we appreciated his experience - and sense of humor - to see us through. At the end of the four year process, we love our new home and we consider Jim to be a good friend. Perhaps that's the highest form of praise.