What People Are Saying
“From design to finished product Jay's work is exquisite.
His attention to every detail is first class. His work is outstanding
and his demeanor matches.”
Deb and Jim Cresta
Portsmouth, NH“We found land overlooking the Great Salt Marsh and were drawn to Jay Armstrong to design a home. We had been impressed after seeing his design of the Hindle House in Newmarket, NH (On the Great Bay). He thoughtfully created architectural plans and masterfully blended the house with the land. There was a flow between the interior spaces and exterior decks and porches giving a sense of permeable space. All this was framed by crafted moldings around doors and windows, so views onto the marsh were like paintings. Jay was fully engaged with the project and worked collaboratively with others to bring the house to its full promise. It is a unique and beautifully designed and crafted home. When others would enter the home they always took time to slowly go through the house remarking on the interior attention to detail, the woodworking and the surprise in the vastness of the views upon entering the front door. Jay is attentive and gracious, caring about your satisfaction with the project. Living in Jay’s architectural conception brings beauty and peace into my life. Thank you for your artistry Jay.”
Suzanne Voshell
Newbury, MA“Jay Armstrong designed our kitchen and did a fabulous job of a rather small space. My husband and I decided to close off a door and that gave Jay the idea to make an alcove and an entire other prep area which also added a much needed pantry space. Jay is precise in his process and is innovative in his design. In the future should we need more design work, we would not hesitate to contact Jay. We love our kitchen.”
Kathy and Stan Baumgartner
Portsmouth, NH“Each day we are grateful to Jay for the fine work he did building our elegant hall of bookcases designed in the style of our Victorian house. He also created our fine wood kitchen cabinets which are modern in style and incorporate our appliances. Over the course of our seven-month whole-house project, Jay worked easily with the many assembled tradespersons - electricians, painters, plumbers - and was a positive force on the job site. His work came in on time and on budget; and for a few last finesse details, he came back promptly. We recently called him as we upgraded an appliance, and he was there for us, answering questions and offering to come in and do additional cabinetry work as needed. We greatly appreciate Jay's on-going care and involvement, and are hoping he will come back as we have another project in mind! Thanks so much for your talent and professionalism, Jay!”
Scott Scharer
Margaret Talcott
Producer, Literary Series (The Music Hall),
Brookline, MA “We went to Jay's studio not knowing what to expect as we began work on our new construction. He took the time to show us a variety of options, finishes and styles. He then gave us time to think about it and we came back and repeated the process. Jay then did the design, worked with us to modify the design and suggested details that would enhance the look. The installation process was well coordinated. The final look was fabulous and well beyond our expectations. I have had at least 8 kitchens in my married life and this is by far the most beautiful and most spacious!”
Ed and Fran Mallon
Portsmouth, NH“After being in the home that Jay Armstrong designed in Newbury, I was really very impressed with his work. I wondered whether he would be willing to design and renovate our upstairs bathroom. He listened with patience and generosity to my thoughts and made useful suggestions to help me crystalize my ideas. Then he quickly completed his design plan which incorporated and improved on our discussions. The cupboard and vanity which he designed and built are beautiful and functional and finely crafted. They overcame existing space constraints brilliantly. It was due to Jay's attention to detail that we got a bathtub and plumbing fixtures which work perfectly in our space. Jay is a true designer/artisan and is quick with great ideas. We loved working with Jay and look forward to engaging with him in future projects.”
Katherine and Greg Gendron
Newburyport, MA“There is only upside to hiring Jay. Right from the start he's a sensitive listener, a creative designer, and a superior craftsman. We have hired him not once, but twice, and are still living with and loving the results (kitchen and bathroom complete redesign and renovation). Jay even kept the work area (our home) clean after each and every day, an added plus. I would be happy to live in a house entirely designed by Jay.”
Lauren Thomas and Peter Manuelian
Professor, Harvard University
Boston, MA“There are kitchens and then there are KITCHENS. Our home in northern Virginia is located in an idyllic neighborhood nestled in an oak forest. But our kitchen was merely functional, a place to store and prepare meals. We needed a complete transformation with an addition. To do so we consulted Jay Armstrong reputed to be an innovative artist/architectural designer. We soon learned that Mr. Armstrong's contribution exceeded his reputation. The result was an extension of our house. Since it stands on a steep hill, Armstrong's solution was to support it on pillars together with an expanded adjacent deck. In the place of a small kitchen window he designed the extension with five windows and two sliding doors giving us daylight and a panoramic view of the surrounding forest. A fifteen foot granite topped island, new cabinetry, Italian tiled flooring and a fireplace lined with the same dark green granite of the island, together with a diagonally raised ceiling with concealed lighting and numerous electrical outlets were integral to the design as well as a substantial pantry were essential features of Armstrong's conception. As a consequence, our family no longer spends as little time in the kitchen as possible as we once did. Instead, the kitchen is the room in our house we most enjoy. We have a corner in it for a desk and our computers. We also can open up to the deck and have regularly hosted up to twenty guests for brunch, lunch and dinner. Virtually all of those guests have commented favorably on our new marvelous kitchen and dining room space with the cathedral ceiling. The builder who implemented Armstrong's design, a man with 45 years of experience and who has built houses in the prestigious Georgetown section of Washington, commented that he had never built a better designed kitchen/dining space. I can imagine no finer complement to the design genius of Jay Armstrong.”
Anita Vitacollonna
Retired Teacher and Poet
Robert LaGamma
President Emeritus of the Council for a Community of Democracies and retired senior Foreign Service Officer
Reston, VA"Jay designed and installed custom cabinets throughout our new home; he is a pleasure to work with. We couldn't be more pleased with the quality of the work and the creativity he applied to the project which included unique design challenges. We are thrilled with the results!"
Marie and John Calabro
Portsmouth, NH “Our journey with Jay started as we considered options for the partially-finished attic of our 2 ½ story New Englander. Initially, we wanted to understand low-cost options, which Jay provided, but we all agreed that it wouldn’t increase the useable space by much due to the low height of the peak. So, on to Plan B! We started by defining the requirements so that Jay could then work his design magic…and boy did he ever. Jay’s first set of plans were nearly an exact match to what we wanted and after a short conversation we were completely aligned. His vision, design sense, spatial awareness, and attention to detail is second-to-none. Not only did Jay design the entire 3rd floor, but he also designed, built, and installed the custom-cabinetry. Again, during
that process we’d offer an idea and he’d offer input which would take it to the next level. He even built us a custom murphy bed! I still remember our conversation regarding details for the 30 foot ceiling beam that runs the length of the room. Jay steered us away from covering it with drywall (he told me I was crazy for that suggestion) or cherry and suggested using walnut as he preferred using contrasting wood species in the space. He was spot on once again. To add more character to the beam he suggested using a half bullnose profile on each side of a recessed panel. The result is amazing! Then came the custom molding around the rear windows, which had a full bullnose profile to match the front edge of the cabinets, window moldings, and the ceiling beam. Once again, a great example of how Jay brings together a space to make it special. Our guests are always commenting on how unique and inviting our new space is, including the 21 windows. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome and would recommend Jay morning, noon, and night!”
Kelly and Scott Cioe
Portsmouth, NH“Moody Mountain Farm is situated at the birthplace of Down East Magazine. The property produces organic blueberries and apples. A white federal home was recently built on the farm in 2019. The home was designed with the intention to mimic both an adjacent property on Moody Pond and a family-owned Paradise Valley Montana Ranch. The result was a white clapboard federal with a galvalume metal roof and a wrap around porch. The interior combines both early American Folk Art and an industrial/contemporary style with a stark and open look.
After having a positive experience with Jay on my Maine Dog Store commercial interior design project, I approached him in 2018 with a primitive design idea I had and asked him to bring it to life on paper. He obliged and the result is Moody Mountain Farm. It truly is a "wow" estate.”
Justin Blake
Blake Veterinary Hospital PCPresident