Client Testimonials

We are thankful for your entire crew for making our dream come true. You were patient with our demands, you made sure we stayed within our limits which was priceless.

KAVITA & RAJI M.

Short Hills, NJ

It was a pleasure working alongside Tim as he designed our new house.  He was a good listener, was attentive to our many needs, was enthusiastic about our project throughout, and ultimately designed a beautiful home.

BILL & BETH K.

Chatham, NJ

Hiring Tim and his staff to design and oversee our home renovation was one of the smartest decisions we made. Throughout the entire process, which can be overwhelming, Tim looked out for our interests and was always available to provide his expertise. He has a talented staff working for him, but he never made us feel like he was too senior or too busy to give our project his personal attention. We were very happy with Klesse Forbes Architects.

SANDY & JOE R.

Short Hills, NJ

Tim is a delight to work with – he makes the entire process seamless and goes far beyond just being an architect. We could not imagine doing a project without him.  He is user friendly, comes up with fantastic designs and owns the project every step of the way until the punch list is completed.

AJAY Y.

Short Hills, NJ

My wife and I were recommended Tim Klesse to design our new home. We could not have been happier with the experience from beginning to end. Tim listened to our ideas and was able to quickly figure out our style. He and his team were also readily available to answer any questions we had. Tim guided us through the process of selecting a builder and was always checking on the site during construction. Bottom line, Klesse Forbes Architects designed our dream home and would not hesitate in using Tim and his team again.

PRASHANT P.

Short Hills, NJ

We hired Klesse Forbes Architects for our entire home renovation and couldn’t be happier with the results. Tim and his team are wonderful! Always very professional with great creative vision, they helped us turn our dream home into a reality.

KARA S.

Chatham, NJ

This is our second project with Tim and his team. His firm is highly professional, attentive, and responsive during all phases of the project. We most certainly would highly recommend Klesse Forbes Architects.

FRANK M.

Mantoloking, NJ

Sharon has an amazing sensibility for color and detail. Her gift is the ability to transform any space into a place that is incredibly pleasing to the eye, no matter what the style. She is smart and creative and always a pleasure to work with.”

NAN & JON B.

Upper Montclair, NJ

We hired Sharon to help us as we embarked on a top to bottom new custom construction home. We had all sorts of design needs from paint color and tile selection, to custom furniture design and merchandising unique spaces. Sharon is the consummate professional. She is patient and really “listens” to what clients have to say. She is also extremely warm and accommodating. Sharon brings to the table not only an exquisite sense of style, but also the expertise of Klesse architects together to solve for the most unique architectural/design challenges. 

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Livingston, NJ

Sharon has the ability to walk into a room and quickly form a vision for the space that fits with your style, lifestyle and budget, plus she’s fun to work with! She meets you where you are rather than pushing you to place you are not comfortable in. However, what we appreciated most is that Sharon was a true advocate for us, which can be so important during what is sure to be a stressful process. We never doubted that she was 100% in control and always had our best interests in mind.

HOLLY G.

Short Hills, NJ

Tim and his team did exquisite work  on our projects. They were very responsive to our questions and concerns throughout the process and solved the inevitable issues in a creative and thoughtful manner. The Klesse Forbes team has the ability, integrity and attention to detail that one would expect from a superb architect.  Tim allegiance is to the homeowner/client, first and always. I would highly recommend him for your project.

EREZ E.

Short Hills, NJ

Working with the Klesse Forbes Architects team is an exciting and stress free experience. They listen and more important get what and how you want your space to be when it is completed.  Give them your wish list and the next thing you know, it is there on the drawings.

JOE M.

Chatham, NJ

Our experience with Klesse Forbes Architects has been exceptional since the first meeting and throughout our entire custom build project. From the outset, Tim Klesse and his staff just understood our vision and worked hard to put that vision on the page and into the creation of the home of our dreams. They are always available for field visits and modifications as needed. We have recommended them to others and would continue to encourage anyone looking for the design of a truly distinctive home to contact Klesse Forbes Architects.

JO ANN C.

Harding, NJ

Tim has done a great job in understanding the architectural character and potential of each of the very different houses we had him work on, and with his associates provided us remarkable improvements that also enhanced the original architecture of each of these houses.   The projects were updating the gables and roof lines of an 1840’s home in Old Short Hills to provide more room and better structural support, the addition of large porches and decks for a 1920’s 8 bedroom beach “cottage” off the New England coast, and the complete renovation along with additions for a mid-Century modern in southern California.

JOHN N.

Short Hills, NJ, Fisher Island, NY & Santa Barbara , CA

We gave Tim and the team a novel assignment:  design a split-level for modern life. They nailed it. The team wrapped creativity and beauty around our needs while flexibly incorporating our ideas.

STEVEN D.

Chatham, NJ

Klesse Forbes Architects gave us wonderful design ideas and they were very helpful and accommodating throughout the Historic Preservation Commission and Board of Adjustment process.

NICK & LAURA S.

Millburn, NJ

Tim appreciates the integrity of older homes and has the vision and creativity to integrate the new renovated area in with the original areas. The end product looks liked it was always part of the home.

LORI & B. NEAL Z.

Short Hills, NJ

Sharon had a firm grasp of my design goals and her recommendations for furniture, color, and textiles were perfect. She provided consultative and honest feedback. She worked around my ever-changing job schedule and was always in constant contact. I am so satisfied with her work.

TAMMI & CHRIS M.

Upper Montclair, NJ

We didn’t use an interior designer with our last home. This time we knew not to repeat the mistake. Sharon gave us fantastic guidance and design and her credentials saved us thousands when it was time to purchase new furniture and art.

RACHEL & TODOR P.

New York, NY

We are delighted with the way our house is turning into our home under Sharon’s guidance. Her taste is exquisite. She has worked with our traditional style, but in a fresh and young way

LINDA & MARK H.

RIDGEWOOD, NJ

Sharon is such a talented professional. She patiently listened to all my ideas and parameters, and then effortlessly had the expertise and vision to bring it all together. Plus she is fun to work with. I’m glad I trusted her.

CHEYL & ANDY P.

Montclair, NJ

Sharon has a gift for color and composition that is more often found in an artist. She helped us arrange our beloved family treasures, flea market finds and retail purchases and turn them into a handsome home comfortable for our family and stylish for entertaining

CHRIS & MARK B.

Montclair, NJ

As a Compass realtor, I cannot say enough how wonderful it has been to be able to recommend Klesse Architects as a valuable tool in my pocket when my clients are considering purchasing a home. Tim has been more than happy to meet my buyers at the homes they are considering to discuss the homes potential for renovations,additions or any type of alterations, whether small oor large in scale. He has wonderful ideas and has really helped my clients feel totally comfortable with their purchase. Tim is so well versed in all the local ordinances and has amazing contractor recommendations as well. As an added bonus, Sharon Klesse is a talented interior designer who has also joined in on meetings with clients and between Sharon and Tim, they are a one stop shop!!! I am a huge Klesse Architects fan!

DANA S.

Essex Fells, NJ

My husband and I used Klesse Forbes Architects for a new construction build in Madison. We were completely new to this process and hadn’t even experienced doing a renovation before. Rob was our architect and has been amazing throughout. During the design process, he listened to our needs in what we were looking for with regards to our vision and the function and flow of our new build. He did an amazing job walking us through the process, giving us creative ideas to achieve the look and function we wanted, and supported us through the entire process of the build. Even after the design was done and approved, Rob made himself available to answer any questions and explain things that we didn’t really understand. He has helped us to problem solve issues that have come up during the building process (they always do) while keeping in mind what we want as well as our budget. Home building can be a very overwhelming project and I’m so happy Rob was there to support us every step of the way. Thank you so much!!!

PARAG R.

Madison, NJ

Over my 36 year career I have had several opportunities with work with Tim Klesse of Klesse Associates. He has a great eye and truly listens to what the client wants. He has designed additions, renovations and brand new homes and he has a gift for helping people get variances or getting approvals in the historic districts of Millburn and Short Hills. His team is always helpful, creative and he makes the project fun! I can recommend him with confidence.

KAREN B.

Short Hills, NJ

It was our good fortune to work with Klesse architects on a major rebuild of our home and subsequent projects.  During our first project we were living overseas. We relied heavily on Tim and his team to design, plan and manage the build. What could have been an incredibly stressful process was made so much more manageable thanks to the Klesse group. Tim personally met with us on numerous occasions and translated our rambling wish list into something far better than we could have imagined. Tim has a wonderful sense of space and design and is a consummate professional. In our second project Tim and his team again delighted us with their ideas and plans. Thank you Klesse architects! We look forward to our next venture.  

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Mendham, NJ

When buyers are purchasing a home, there are often questions about lot coverage/restrictions for additions/renovations/pools and also questions about reconfiguring interior spaces. Tim is always a first call when these questions arise. He is there when you need him and always picks up his phone. And because Tim has been in town for 30+ years, he is intimately familiar with all of the zoning ordinances and historical restrictions which makes navigating zoning board meetings and obtaining approvals that much easier. In addition, my clients find him to be exceptionally personable and very easy to work with. They are never disappointed and he always makes them feel like they are his most important client at all times. Couldn’t recommend Tim more highly.

TONY V.

Summit, NJ

Tim and his team are very easy to work with! They are all experts at making an addition seamlessly fit to an existing house like it’s always been there. 

MIKE & NICOLE H.

Basking Ridge, NJ