ORR Design Office logo. Est. 1995. Buildings, Interiors & Landscape Architecture
Our WHOLE_VISON design process is dramatically better.

WHY? Because, since 1996, our boundary-pushing design approach has seamlessly fused building, interior, and landscape architecture into unified visions that stand apart. By conceptualizing EVERY ELEMENT OF YOUR PROJECT SIMULTANEOUSLY—materials and finishes, connections between indoor and outdoor spaces, the site, and its views—our integrated process uncovers opportunities that single-vision firms overlook, resulting in a home where every detail enhances the whole, delivering a connected living experience like no other.

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Inspired homes and landscapes for dreamers
FIND OUT MORE
Inspired homes and landscapes for dreamers

Follow the story of loss and renewal after our client lost everything in a fire…

Tragedy to Opportunity. Follow the story of loss and renewal that transforms the lives of our clients and their family and the journey of rediscovering their perfect place for the next chapter of their lives.

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW THE VIDEO STORY

LOOKING FOR IDEAS?
Review our new ORR DREAMBOOK, ed. 2, for inspiration!

Image: Dream Book cover and inside spread with photos of a modern home exterior and interior.

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW DREAMBOOK

Look for our work in the new book Inspired West Coast Homes, published Winter 2025!

Cover and inside spread featuring the work of Orr Design Office.

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW INSPIRED WEST COAST HOMES BOOK

video of unboxing the new books
The cookie cutter culture graphic of cookie cutters.

What They Said …

At ORR Design Office, we pour our passion and energy into every detail, guiding and inspiring everyone involved to realize the full potential of your dream home. From our clients to our team, trusted consultants, and community partners, we are driven by collaboration, excellence, and a “client-first” philosophy.

The heartfelt praise we receive—from clients who marvel at their completed vision to our team members proud to contribute—fuels our mission and reminds us why we do what we do. These testimonials reflect the trust, creativity, and care that define our work.

And, while we strive to remain modest, we’re proud to have earned 22 Professional Awards and peer recognition across the fields of architecture, lighting design, interiors, and landscape architecture.

READ MORE TESTIMONIALS
WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID: "New to the area from Chicago, we researched experienced professional firm’s that specialized in innovative luxury custom home design. Gary and the team at ORR Design Office stood out for their artistic and sophisticated design work. They helped us find an empty lot in a mature neighborhood and got us pointed in the right direction. Their ideas are remarkable, memorable, and calming. They work very closely with you to make the entire project and every detail reflect your wants, desires, needs, and personality. The result is that our modern house is easy to live in, has marvelous design features, and is a total pleasure—WE LOVE IT. Every square foot of the house, its interiors and landscape architecture reflect keen attention to detail. Gary and the ORR Design Office team create striking, fresh, thoughtful, and compelling designs—they are the best designers and architects I’ve ever met or read about" Images include an exterior photo of a modern stucco, metal, and glass home. An interior photo of a two story tall living room space with white walls and floor-to-ceiling glass doors, metal fireplace and wood paneled accent wall. An exterior photo of an outdoor dinning area.
WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID: "Gary is one of the most creative design professionals that I have ever met. When it came time to transform my own home his firm was my first choice. Gary never runs out of ideas, he never fails to produce a great design and he is incredibly detailed in his plans, treatments, and product choices. I highly recommend Gary and ORR Design." Interior image of a contemporary sitting room with warm lighting, rich, dark wood details, two craftsman-style chairs with cushions and a fireplace. Interior image of a hallway with a modern art life-size human sculpture at the end. Dark custom wood cabinetry lines the left wall, with grey slate tile flooring.
WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID: "The ORR team listened to us. They developed concepts and designs that reflected our wishes and our tastes. We are from the Bay Area and wanted something special and not an everyday builder’s custom home. The result surpassed our expectations with an integrated house, backyard courtyard with pool, gardens and patio spaces that can be accessed from every room year around. ORR’s brilliant solution has a resort-like feel—We love every part of it." Exterior images of a outdoor living space with custom metal water basin, dinning table and chairs, and large pool with a fireplace and sitting area.
WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID: "The ORR Design Office staff was great to work with. It was mind-boggling how much time and energy they put into the design for our new custom home, and they made it extremely easy for us. They designed everything in our house, from the cabinets to the tub spouts; to the cool concrete counter tops and fireplaces and our swimming pool, guest house and the entire landscape. Practically nothing in our house was standard but it all made sense. They spoke to the contractors daily and spent several hours on the site with a careful designer’s eye throughout the construction. In my experience, the most important single aspect of building a complex custom project was finding the right architect, and that if you had to spend a little more time and money there, that it would be the best time and money spent over the course of the entire project. We never felt like we weren’t getting our money’s worth — it was quite the opposite. Our experience with ORR Design and the result of living in this house exceed our expectation."
WHAT THE BUILDER SAID: "We have collaborated and built many large and complex projects with ORR Design over the years. Their innovative approach to design and attention to details are impeccable! Tw work with a lot of design teams and ORR Design is a rare firm that supports the contractor with plans that work the first time." Images include a detached home-style office building, an arial view of a modern outdoor living space and kidney-shaped pool, an outdoor living space with a white wood beam topped trellis and brick-floored dining area.
WHAT THE BUILDER SAID: "Our company built a fantastic contemporary home, cabana, pool and landscape designed by Gary and his team of creative designers and architects. ORR administered the project in a professional manner and with our firm insured that the project was built to only the highest standards. The project included the demolition of an old 1940’s era home and the construction a new LEED Platinum certified house built into a hillside which included significant site work and an underground 3-car garage. The plans had over 110 pages which included specifications to the last detail including technical documentation. They considered every last detail. The completed home is a showplace of ORR’s creativity." Images include an evening exterior image of a contemporary outdoor living space, pool, and detached guest house; interior image of a warm, sun-lit living room with high ceilings and white, wood beams; exterior image of the front of a contemporary home with lush, green landscaping and concrete stairway.
WHAT THE BUILDER SAID: "I recently had the pleasure of working with ORR Design Office on an extensive and custom remodel, exterior landscape pool, and entertainment area. I can say without reservation, that ORR’s vision, design flare, space usage, and attention to detail are second to none. I highly recommend Gary and his design team for any project a prospective customer may be considering. I also look forward to working with ORR Design again." Images: Evening, exterior photo of a lighted pool, fire feature, and jacuzzi. Interior image of a living room with warm, brown leather seating and floor-to-ceiling glass doors looking out the to pool.
WHAT THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER SAID: "Gary and his team are the best at truly custom home design that I have worked with in my 20+ years as a structural engineering consultant. The ORR Design team skillfully blend contemporary and traditional styles into a seamless mosaic creating a pleasing environment that perfectly matches the client’s vision. As in an orchestra, Gary conducts and oversees the placement of every architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical component leaving nothing to chance. Everything is examined to make sure each element fits properly, removing any guess work by the Contractor. He is an amazing multi-talented designer. Without question, I highly recommend Gary Orr and his equally talented design team to anyone seeking precision quality work and exemplary service." Images: exterior and interior photos of a unique and custom modern, organic home. Highlights include curving walls and a catwalk from the backyard to a second-floor deck arching around a half circle pool and reflected circular landscaping; an indoor-outdoor two-story oval fireplace with copper detailing.

Dive into these cool project stories and videos! 

Four Houses Four Stories book cover and inside spread with digital and hand-drawn renderings of a modern home and landscape design.

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW

Are you curious about some of our projects in the early design phases? Take a look…

Image: Ideas Taking Shape book cover and inside spread with colorful renderings of a custom residential landscape design.

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW

Why ORR DESIGN OFFICE? Because your dreams deserve nothing less.

At ORR Design Office, we create complete living environments, perfectly tailored to your vision, needs and lifestyle. Our boundary-pushing design approach delivers an amplified living experience that will enhance your life in ways both subtle and profound. When you engage with ORR Design Office, you’re not just hiring a firm to prepare technical building plans—you’re choosing a team devoted to realizing your dream with unmatched creativity, expertise, and personalized service.

Why does this matter? Traditional firms often design in silos; treating home, interiors, landscape, and swimming pool design as as separate components. This fragmented approach can lead to:

  • DISJOINTED DESIGNS
    Indoor and outdoor spaces that feel disconnected rather than complementary.
  • MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
    Critical elements like access, sunlight, views, and flow are ignored, overlooked, or addressed too late, leaving spaces underutilized or underdeveloped.
  • COSTLY REVISIONS
    Poor integration often results in expensive changes during construction.
  • STRESSFUL COORDINATION
    Clients are left juggling competing visions from multiple consultants or dealing with incomplete designs, requiring last-minute solutions that lack the clarity of a unified vision.
Since 1995, we design forever homes like no one else. Image: colored rendering of a custom home, landscape and pool, with three colored pencils.

What They’re Saying …

At ORR Design Office, we pour our passion and energy into every detail, guiding and inspiring everyone involved to realize the full potential of your dream home. From our clients to our team, trusted consultants, and community partners, we are driven by collaboration, excellence, and a “client-first” philosophy.

The heartfelt praise we receive—from clients who marvel at their completed vision to our team members proud to contribute—fuels our mission and reminds us why we do what we do. These testimonials reflect the trust, creativity, and care that define our work.

And, while we strive to remain modest, we’re proud to have earned 22 Professional Awards and peer recognition across the fields of architecture, lighting design, interiors, and landscape architecture.

WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID: "New to the area from Chicago, we researched experienced professional firm’s that specialized in innovative luxury custom home design. Gary and the team at ORR Design Office stood out for their artistic and sophisticated design work. They helped us find an empty lot in a mature neighborhood and got us pointed in the right direction. Their ideas are remarkable, memorable, and calming. They work very closely with you to make the entire project and every detail reflect your wants, desires, needs, and personality. The result is that our modern house is easy to live in, has marvelous design features, and is a total pleasure—WE LOVE IT. Every square foot of the house, its interiors and landscape architecture reflect keen attention to detail. Gary and the ORR Design Office team create striking, fresh, thoughtful, and compelling designs—they are the best designers and architects I’ve ever met or read about" Images include an exterior photo of a modern stucco, metal, and glass home. An interior photo of a two story tall living room space with white walls and floor-to-ceiling glass doors, metal fireplace and wood paneled accent wall. An exterior photo of an outdoor dinning area.
WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID: "The ORR team listened to us. They developed concepts and designs that reflected our wishes and our tastes. We are from the Bay Area and wanted something special and not an everyday builder’s custom home. The result surpassed our expectations with an integrated house, backyard courtyard with pool, gardens and patio spaces that can be accessed from every room year around. ORR’s brilliant solution has a resort-like feel—We love every part of it." Exterior images of a outdoor living space with custom metal water basin, dinning table and chairs, and large pool with a fireplace and sitting area.
WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID: "Gary is one of the most creative design professionals that I have ever met. When it came time to transform my own home his firm was my first choice. Gary never runs out of ideas, he never fails to produce a great design and he is incredibly detailed in his plans, treatments, and product choices. I highly recommend Gary and ORR Design." Interior image of a contemporary sitting room with warm lighting, rich, dark wood details, two craftsman-style chairs with cushions and a fireplace. Interior image of a hallway with a modern art life-size human sculpture at the end. Dark custom wood cabinetry lines the left wall, with grey slate tile flooring.

“This afternoon, Matt and I met with the contractor to ogle over all the work that has been done over the last few months. We are in awe and are loving the process of watching the progress of this beautiful home you all designed come to fruition! We are also happy that you are keeping a watchful eye on this build. We are grateful for you and are comforted in knowing you are overseeing the creation of our dream. From our family to the ORR Design Team, wishing Yuletide warmth and joy this season!”

Elisabeth Janiga

Newcastle, CA, December 2024

READ MORE TESTIMONIALS
WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID: "The ORR Design Office staff was great to work with. It was mind-boggling how much time and energy they put into the design for our new custom home, and they made it extremely easy for us. They designed everything in our house, from the cabinets to the tub spouts; to the cool concrete counter tops and fireplaces and our swimming pool, guest house and the entire landscape. Practically nothing in our house was standard but it all made sense. They spoke to the contractors daily and spent several hours on the site with a careful designer’s eye throughout the construction. In my experience, the most important single aspect of building a complex custom project was finding the right architect, and that if you had to spend a little more time and money there, that it would be the best time and money spent over the course of the entire project. We never felt like we weren’t getting our money’s worth — it was quite the opposite. Our experience with ORR Design and the result of living in this house exceed our expectation."
WHAT THE BUILDER SAID: "We have collaborated and built many large and complex projects with ORR Design over the years. Their innovative approach to design and attention to details are impeccable! Tw work with a lot of design teams and ORR Design is a rare firm that supports the contractor with plans that work the first time." Images include a detached home-style office building, an arial view of a modern outdoor living space and kidney-shaped pool, an outdoor living space with a white wood beam topped trellis and brick-floored dining area.
WHAT THE BUILDER SAID: "Our company built a fantastic contemporary home, cabana, pool and landscape designed by Gary and his team of creative designers and architects. ORR administered the project in a professional manner and with our firm insured that the project was built to only the highest standards. The project included the demolition of an old 1940’s era home and the construction a new LEED Platinum certified house built into a hillside which included significant site work and an underground 3-car garage. The plans had over 110 pages which included specifications to the last detail including technical documentation. They considered every last detail. The completed home is a showplace of ORR’s creativity." Images include an evening exterior image of a contemporary outdoor living space, pool, and detached guest house; interior image of a warm, sun-lit living room with high ceilings and white, wood beams; exterior image of the front of a contemporary home with lush, green landscaping and concrete stairway.
WHAT THE BUILDER SAID: "I recently had the pleasure of working with ORR Design Office on an extensive and custom remodel, exterior landscape pool, and entertainment area. I can say without reservation, that ORR’s vision, design flare, space usage, and attention to detail are second to none. I highly recommend Gary and his design team for any project a prospective customer may be considering. I also look forward to working with ORR Design again." Images: Evening, exterior photo of a lighted pool, fire feature, and jacuzzi. Interior image of a living room with warm, brown leather seating and floor-to-ceiling glass doors looking out the to pool.
WHAT THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER SAID: "Gary and his team are the best at truly custom home design that I have worked with in my 20+ years as a structural engineering consultant. The ORR Design team skillfully blend contemporary and traditional styles into a seamless mosaic creating a pleasing environment that perfectly matches the client’s vision. As in an orchestra, Gary conducts and oversees the placement of every architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical component leaving nothing to chance. Everything is examined to make sure each element fits properly, removing any guess work by the Contractor. He is an amazing multi-talented designer. Without question, I highly recommend Gary Orr and his equally talented design team to anyone seeking precision quality work and exemplary service." Images: exterior and interior photos of a unique and custom modern, organic home. Highlights include curving walls and a catwalk from the backyard to a second-floor deck arching around a half circle pool and reflected circular landscaping; an indoor-outdoor two-story oval fireplace with copper detailing.
Image: colored rendering of a custom home, landscape and pool, with three colored pencils.</p> <p>Since 1995, we design forever homes like no one else.<br /> As VISIONARY’S, our task is about conceiving. We invent the WHAT. We fuse the land, home, and interiors into elegant and practical one-of-a-kind places that transform lives. We’re fastidious.<br /> We take as much pride in our astonishingly detailed plans as we do in collaborating with a<br /> fussy homeowner’s association or saving a magnificent heritage oak tree.<br /> Do we consider ourselves artists or engineers? YES, to BOTH! Our creative eyes SEE relationships between all the parts of a project in absolute clarity. Inspired design at a certain level, can approach the sublime. The pride we take in our creative work comes from solving problems thought to be unsolvable, and from the trust we have earned from the most demanding of clients.<br /> How can we help you?<br />

What Inspires Us?

Our passion for design stems from FOUR CORE INSPIRATIONS that set our work apart:

  • OUR CLIENT’S DREAMS
    We are deeply inspired by our clients—their stories, aspirations, and unique visions for their projects. Your dream becomes our compass, guiding us to craft spaces that align perfectly with your desires and result in a truly one-of-a-kind outcome.
  • THE SPIRIT OF PLACE
    Each project is deeply rooted in the character of its land—whether rural, suburban, or urban. From the very start, we design buildings and landscapes as a unified vision, seamlessly blending the boundaries between indoors and out.
  • CRAFTSMANSHIP AND BUILDING EXPERTISE
    With decades of hands-on construction experience, we bring a builder’s deep understanding of materials and techniques to every project, ensuring our ideas are both visionary and buildable.
  • CREATIVE INVENTION
    We’re visionaries who combine bold artistic ideas with a practical engineer’s mindset. As inventors, we deliver imaginative solutions to complex challenges. The result? Designs that are not only beautiful but also innovative, functional, and often profound.

Our cool Mid-Century modern building and dynamic office

ORR Design Office, a grid of six images including front lobby/entrance interior view, street view, drafting room, materials library, and conference room with custom designed glass and concrete conference table.
ORR Design Office, front lobby/entrance interior view
ORR Design Office, exterior street view.
ORR Design Office, interior drafting office
ORR Design Office, front lobby, custom designed coffee table
ORR Design office, interior photo of materials library.
ORR Design Office, interior photo of conference room with custom designed glass and concrete table.

Contact Us

Bay Area
Wine Country
Sacramento
Foothills
Sierras

 

925•587•4200

415•842•8988

916•441•4500

SACRAMENTO OFFICE
2319 K Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95816

BAY AREA OFFICE
1990 North California Blvd., 8th Floor, Suite 20, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Design@ORRDesign.com

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