Families, filmmakers, and young entrepreneurs have all been drawn to the vibrant, verdant Southern metropolis of Atlanta because of its abundant green space, world-class dining options, and centuries of rich history. Atlanta is also a great place to live because of its top businesses, its rapid employment growth rate, and its many desirable neighborhoods for families.

If you are looking to revamp your home in order to keep up with the fast-paced lifestyle of this bustling city, an architectural firm can help you redesign your current home or ensure that your new home meets all of your needs. This list includes the best residential architecture and designing firms in Atlanta, which were selected due to their many years as leaders in the industry and the impressive features they have received in magazines.

Spitzmiller and Norris, Inc.

349 Peachtree Hills Ave. NE, Suite C-5,  Atlanta, GA 30305

Residential design company Spitzmiller and Norris, Inc. specializes in creating unique homes for each of its clients. Throughout Atlanta, the firm’s team works on upgrading existing homes, building new homes from scratch, and restoring historic homes in an eco-friendly manner. Since its founding, the firm has received many accolades, including four Excellence in Preservation awards from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. It is also a five-time receiver of awards from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), received in the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2019.

Over the course of its 36 years in business, Spitzmiller and Norris Inc.’s projects have been highlighted in publications such as Better Homes & Gardens, Architectural Digest, Atlanta Home Magazine, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and Atlanta Magazine. In one of its issues, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Magazine included one of the firm’s notable projects as one of the “20 most beautiful homes.” This project was of the Old Buckhead estate, a 1930s-era classic revival home. The firm reincorporated the house and its garden to improve its circulation, access, and line of sight to the beautiful surroundings. The interior was returned to a classic style in order to preserve the home’s original character while still making it functional and comfortable for a family.

T.S. Adams Studio, Architects

2969 Hardman Ct. NE, Atlanta, GA 30305

T.S. Adams Studio is a firm full of professionals who are experts at creating distinctive house designs. The company is committed to producing timeless architecture customized to each client’s preferences and to identifying unique solutions to a project’s design constraints and context. Timothy S. Adams founded this business in 2001, and the practice quickly expanded to include a brilliant and versatile team of architects, project managers, and support staff. Since the firm’s founding, Adams has become a highly recognized architect in Georgia and Florida, and he is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Historical Preservation Society, and the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art. 

Projects of T.S Adams Studio have been featured in numerous magazines, including New Old House, Dreams Kitchens & Baths, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Southern Home, and Coastal Lifestyle. One of its notable projects is the Cunningham Manor project, a restoration completed with careful planning, an eye for symmetry, and detail-oriented attention. A neoclassic style is represented in the two guardian lion sculptures that stand directly in front of the entryway, and in the use of mahogany wood to frame the windows. This beautiful project earned the firm the esteemed “Palladio Award” in 2018.

Frances Zook Architect

Architectural firm Frances Zook Architect strikes the perfect balance of elegance and practicality in every project it completes, keeping the client’s preferences at the forefront of each one. To accomplish this, owner Frances Zook draws on her skills developed while working for notable architecture firms in Atlanta, Washington D.C., Houston, and Austin. Now, she has been running her practice for more than 15 years, serving clients from all over the Southeast. Frances Zook has several notable affiliations, including with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and AIA Atlanta.

Frances Zook Architect has been featured in magazines such as Flavors Magazine, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Delta, and Delta Business Journal. One of its award-winning projects is this Moccasin Creek residence. In this project, a 20-foot moveable glass wall — which highlights the beautiful view of Lake Burton and the mountains beyond — is framed by a glass-and-stucco vaulted entrance with Tennessee fieldstone. The firm also built a sun/moon deck around the living room, implemented new stone floor palettes, and expanded the upstairs area to maximize space. This impressive project won the 2020 AIA Atlanta Residential Award for Single Family: Non-Traditional.

Joel Kelly Design

400 Plasters Ave. NE, STE 110, Atlanta, GA 30324

Since its establishment in 1998, Joe Kelly Design has provided residential architecture design services for clients throughout the Southeast. The firm specializes in high-end renovation work and customized new construction, utilizing a holistic design approach and providing client-focused solutions to any design challenge it encounters. The company’s team firmly believes that no two clients are the same,  which is reflected in the wide variety of stylistic influences seen in the firm’s various projects.

Since being founded, Joe Kelly Design has received many accolades and has been published locally, regionally, and nationally. Magazines that have featured the firm include Veranda, The Atlantan, Traditional Home, Lifestyles, and Decor. The accolades that the firm has received include a silver award for Residence 3,000 to 7,000 square-feet and a gold award for a residential bath in the 2019 American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Georgia Chapter Awards. It also received the 2019 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Bath of the Year, the 2018 Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Kitchen of the Year, and the 2013 Shutze Prize for Interior Design.

Potts Lang Architecture

455 Moreland Ave NE #5346, Atlanta, GA 31107

The team of professionals at Potts Lang Architects is dedicated to promoting responsible lifestyles, advancing accessible design, and utilizing ethical building practices. Specializing in community development and small-scale residential design, the firm evaluates the impact of their work through sustainability assessments and energy modeling, providing clients with resource recommendations and advice on relevant tax credits.

Heather Potts Lang, the company’s owner and principal, is an architect and educator working in the fields of affordable housing, ethical development, and social sustainability. She obtained her Master of Architecture degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she currently teaches studio classes, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in interior design from the University of Georgia. Both in scholarship and in practice, she advocates for improvements in inclusive education and increased equity in the profession. Heather is also professionally accredited by AIA, International WELL Building Institute (WELL), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and NCARB.

Bonsai Architectural Designs

10600 Buice Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30022

One of the most well-known design businesses in the Atlanta area, Bonsai Architectural Designs’ team takes great pride in each job it completes, and is always on the lookout for fresh inspiration. After spending over 10 years working and studying with some renowned architects and designers, Corey Austin established Bonsai in 2015. A hands-on manager, Austin is in charge of Bonsai’s business operations and nationwide platform. He works with a wealth of talented internal draftsmen, artists, engineers, contractors, and more. Under his leadership, Bonsai has earned itself the #1 spot in the Georgia Business Journal (GBJ)’s list of the top architectural firms in Georgia.

Among the firm’s completed projects is the Baldridge Lake Cottage. Once a tiny 3,500-square-foot ranch house, Bonsai transformed the cottage into a residence that is almost 8,500 square feet, an expansion that is particularly highlighted by the firm’s use of tall ceilings and an open floor plan. The team also used various ceiling styles, arches, and windows to create beautiful boundaries between one room and the next.

InsideOut Architecture

398 Grant Park Pl. SE, Atlanta, GA 30315

InsideOut is a company that offers comprehensive architectural services, ensuring that every project proceeds smoothly and rapidly from design to completion. Thanks to 15 years of work in Atlanta, the team at InsideOut has significant knowledge of the licensing process, the city’s building regulations, and, notably, the particular regulations of the Historic District. 

Michael Dryden, the proprietor of InsideOut, is an accomplished architect. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, he worked for an architectural firm for eight years before starting his own. When Dryden and his wife started working with a few clients in 2005, InsideOut Architecture gradually became incorporated in Atlanta, and has since developed into the flourishing customer-centric company that it is today.