Ballantyne Design Associates LLC

Keith Ballantyne designed and oversaw the construction our new office building in Fort Benton, Montana. He was exceedingly professional and respectful. Our favorite thing about working with him was that he was willing to listen and investigate our design requests, even if his initial reaction was negative. A small example of this is the roof color. He initially planned for a grey roof on the building, but the owner wanted blue. At first het tried to talk us out of it, but then went home and reworked all his imagery to reflect this and was back the next morning to verify that the roof would indeed be blue. Although there were some mechanical issues to troubleshoot after we opened, Keith was there every step of the way (including the troubleshooting!), and we love our building! We also love that Keith was very knowledgeable about alternative building options for our cold and very windy climate.

My name is Kurt Wahl and I am writing to review Ballantyne Design Associates, more specifically Keith Ballantyne of BDA. My wife, Sandra Bailey, and I own a ranch home in Great Falls Montana, built in 1949, on a slab foundation with original radiant heat. Originally a three bedroom el, it was remodeled in the seventies, adding a master suite up and family room down in split level fashion. It sits on a near-double lot in an established neighborhood of relatively comparable homes. We had decided to remodel for what reasons obvious to all who entered. The junction of the original house and the seventies addition created a 4-way intersection at the kitchen through which all traffic moved, or failed to. To complicate matters, the boiler and plumbing for the radiant system were located in a wall shared between the kitchen and laundry, through which we had to pass from our informal (everyday) entry. In short, nothing worked. Our needs were relatively few but not simple. I wanted a professional style working kitchen that was not huge in area or price. My wife wanted a master suite in which she would feel comfortable, pampered, and organized. We both wanted it to have a cutting edge modern aesthetic that "popped" in a way that was functional, clean, and honest. And we wanted it all done without changing the simple fifties ranch look of our house when seen from the street. Keith quickly solved the traffic issues by relocating the kitchen in the opposite direction everyone else thought it had to go, adding only 50 square feet to the building in doing so. (We did not need extra space). In so doing, he borrowed space from where it was not utilized and added much needed light to dark gloomy rooms. To save money, he suggested inexpensive Ikea cabinets in two useful applications, installed in a way that would enhance their functionality as well as compliment the overall design and the custom cabinets nearby. I could go on listing elements of his design which my wife and I particularly like; there are many. Keith was the "just right" amalgam of art, intelligence, and common sense. He gave good advice to Sandy and me, and was not jealous about changing his design to suit our desires or our budget. He was always professional and congenial in working with our contractor to solve the problems that always arise in a remodel. And, though our project was not of a grand scale, he was nearly always available to respond to my questions and even the most hair-brained of my ideas. We recommend him without reservations!

Ballantyne Design Associates (BDA) was engaged by me to add a Four Seasons room onto an existing Tudor residence. The parameters of the project were such that several contractors looked at the job and pretty much dismissed it as not viable. Keith Ballantyne of BDA and his wife Cristina took on the project. After a couple of false starts (mostly due to my and my wife's decision making efforts) came up with drawings that satisfied pretty much everything. BDA guided our thoughts but still did not impose what was not wanted. The contractor generaled the project but BDA was always there to oversee and correct. Keith pretty much had the answers, as in all projects, problems do arise. BDA in my opinion is a rising star in the field. Imaginative, innovative, practical and sometimes off the wall. 'Nice people' could be said also. Check out he company's talent on Facebook.

As a General Contractor, I worked with Ballantyne Design Associates on an extensive remodel project. They were quite professional. Did an outstanding job on figuring out what my clients were looking for and the best design to suite there needs and budget. If I had any questions or concerns throughout the remodel they were readily available to answer. They also checked in occasionally throughout the project to make sure everything was good. I look forward to working with firm in the future.