Architects bringing home dreams to life
Rumson couple offer ‘soup to nuts’ design
RUMSON — Husband-and-wife architects James “Jay” Anderson and Felicia Campanella grew up on opposite coasts, amassed different life experiences, and attended different universities.
But the Fair Haven residents have been on the same page for over three decades since launching Anderson Campanella Architects, a full-service Rumson-based residential architecture firm that brings clients’ dreams and visions to life through thoughtful attention to quality, context and detail.
According to Anderson, a native of Portland, Oregon, “I always loved to draw, began thinking about a career in architecture in middle school, and ultimately graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor of architecture degree.”
As for Campanella, “I moved from River Edge (Bergen County) to Lincroft at age 10 and loved painting, making crafts and building things when I was young,” she recalled.
“At 16, I had the opportunity to go to Italy for the summer, and my aunt, who was an art history major, took me to all of the wonderful sites there and gave me a great background. After that trip, I decided to be an architect,” said Campanella, who earned her bachelor of architecture degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
While working at different architecture firms in New York City after graduation, the two were introduced at a party by a mutual friend and sparks flew.
“We both independently went back to our friend to get each other’s number, began dating in late 1988, and have been inseparable ever since,” said Campanella of she and Anderson, who wed in 1991.
Living in New York City at the time but traveling to China and Asia to serve international clients, the two discussed the need for a new personal and professional plan that would enable them to plant roots and start a family.
“We decided that we wanted to live near the Shore and start our own practice,” Campanella said. “My sister-inlaw found our office space in Rumson, helped us get it ready, and we officially opened Anderson Campanella Architects in 1992.”
‘That full design feature’
“Though we’ve done some commercial and multifamily projects over the years, we love upscale, single-family residences, particularly new construction, and that’s become our primary focus,” Anderson said.
“We design structures from soup to nuts, including all millwork inside, all landscape design outside, and now even interior appointments. It’s a special client looking for that full design feature from beginning to end,” he noted, “but we understand and form strong relationships with our clients and like our buildings to be cohesive inside and out.”
Campanella said that they work to understand their clients’ needs and draw out their visions for a dream home.
“Jay and I don’t have a set style per se. Rather, we listen to our clients and work with them to find out what’s in their hearts. In that respect, we have a diverse aesthetic and are very into the details,” Campanella said. “Our job is to invoke and design the best of what our clients
120 East River Road, Rumson
732-219-0014
James “Jay” Anderson and Felicia Campanella
1992
andersoncampanella.com are envisioning, and we love the challenge of working in different styles.”
“Some clients come in with no idea of what they want while others have a very clear idea and get very involved, but we pride ourselves on our thorough process either way and always take the time to start the project on the right foot,” Anderson said. “We’ll discuss how many rooms they’re looking for and key qualities they want in the space, such as high ceilings, lots of light, etc., and we’ll jump right into the design. We’ll then develop plans and show them elevations so that they can see a cohesive concept inside and out.”
While the pair has designed homes in New York, Connecticut, Florida, Montana and everywhere in between — “we’re currently doing a project in Atlanta for the children of our clients,” Campanella said of their multigenerational work — “we’re surrounded by rivers and ocean here and more than half of what we do now is waterfront work at the Shore, which we love,” she said.
“One of our favorite projects was a 14,000-square-foot home on the Navesink that offered views all the way around from Sea Bright to Rumson, Fair Haven, Red Bank and Middletown,” Anderson said. “Each wing had a different function and part of the house overlooked a vanishing-edge pool with doors that could all pocket in.”
Among other projects, he said, “we designed a fun, fusion-style home with museum-like custom appointments on the bay in Mantoloking as well as a traditional stone and shingle-style home with an 1880s aesthetic in Spring Lake that involved detailed iron and millwork.”
Regardless of the style, “all of our projects are our babies and every one of them gets our undivided attention,” Campanella said. “Prices depend on what the client wants and we offer every level of plan, from more basic ones used to secure a building permit to designs detailing the placement of every lamp.
“We can also bring in our own players,” she added. “We’ve amassed a highquality network of experts over the years, from general contractors and builders to structural and soil engineers, landscape architects, lighting designers and more, but we’re also happy to work with the client’s providers if they prefer.”
While Anderson and Campanella favor classic designs over more “of the moment” styles, they say that certain trends have evolved in the field of residential architecture.
Among them, “people like their home’s exterior to be charming and welcoming but appreciate more buoyant and transitional interiors that support how people live today; this includes a lot of light, flow and connection between rooms and activities, especially the kitchen,” Anderson said. “Here in the Shore area, people still want those romantic roof lines on exteriors and transitional but timeless designs.”
‘So many good ideas’
Looking ahead, the pair intends to keep focusing on waterfront work and turnkey projects.
“We like to take projects all the way to the end because it helps us think about them from the beginning and integrate the design into the framing to ensure the best possible solution,” Campanella said.
“We love the Shore area and the opportunity to keep challenging each other and moving the needle forward,” Anderson added.
“We have a lot of experience and know what to do and what to avoid, but there’s always so much more to learn in this field, which is refreshing and keeps us on our toes,” Campanella said. “We’re also so thankful for our clients, who have so many good ideas; we love their input and direction and their synergy and support have taken us to places beyond what any of us originally imagined.”
“We enjoy solving design problems, pleasing our clients, and servicing them well,” Campanella confirmed of her favorite part of the job.
“We love seeing our clients happy,” Anderson agreed. “There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing people living in and enjoying their homes.”