about j. smyth design
Education + Experience + Community Involvement
J. Smyth Design is a firm comprised of the best and brightest professionals in the design and building industries who are brought together for specific client projects. Founded by John T. Smyth in January of 2006, John had become accomplished in the field of commercial architecture and decided to expand his wings and pursue his passion for residential architecture full-time.
John worked as a senior designer at a number of award-winning design firms in Washington D.C. and Atlanta, including Gensler, Skidmore Owings & Merrill and Hendrick, Inc. He later was selected to design innovation space at The Coca-Cola Company world headquarters in Atlanta. He has amassed more than 20 years of experience in residential and commercial architecture and has extensive knowledge of the design, construction and real estate industries from concept to completion.
J. Smyth Design has contributed to the resurgence and re-beautification of many of Atlanta's finest, historic intown neighborhoods including Buckhead - Peachtree Battle/ Haynes Manor, Garden Hills, Peachtree Hills, Brookwood Hills and Collier Hills; Poncey-Highlands - Virginia Highlands, Morningside, Lenox Park, Druid Hills; East side - Grant Park, Inman Park, Ormewood Park and Kirkwood; and Decatur – MAK Historic District, Oakhurst and esteemed East Lake. He also has designed beautiful homes made of locally sourced materials in Montana, Big Canoe and Hilton Head Island among other iconic vacation and second home destinations.
As exurbs have emerged outside of metropolitan areas, John Smyth has been a pioneer in innovative design that appeals to the lifestyles and new community cultures around the southeast, including outside of Atlanta and Athens, Georgia, Greenville, Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Design is in Smyth’s blood. He was reared under the influence of a highly-acclaimed and award-winning professional Interior Designer (Carole F. Smyth Interiors, ASID). Carole Smyth has been creating timeless and elegant interiors for clients throughout the Southeast for more than 40 years, designing countless interiors for all ages and lifestyles, including modern homes for Professional NBA basketball players in Charlotte. Her interior design style is much the same as an artist who would never paint the same painting twice. She describes her absence of a single, signature look as strategic. “My clients want an interior which is beautiful and unique, which speaks solely of them. The next one may be just as lovely, but it will never be the same”. Similarly, John’s talent is not relegated to a single style of home design as he gracefully moves from modern to farmhouse classic and historic.
“You can easily identify a J. Smyth New Home Design by the breathless awe and attention to detail that is the architecture of John T. Smyth…,” says John’s Dad.
John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology (“GA Tech”) and a Master of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech. He is accredited with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).
John Smyth resides in Buckhead. In his spare time, he can be found making meaningful impacts on his community. An Eagle Scout, he remains supportive and involved with the Atlanta (Phoenix) District of the Boy Scouts of America, serving as an Eagle Scout mentor, and has provided oversight and guidance to more than 100 Eagle Scout candidates to date. John also is actively involved at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, has completed pro bono house designs and helped build countless Habitat for Humanity houses through the years and is a part of the Contributing Member Circle at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.