You’ve probably seen their work without even realizing it. Maybe it was a shingled beach house in Nantucket that looked like it had been there for a century, or a sleek, glass-walled loft in a repurposed Manhattan butter factory. For over thirty years, Ike Kligerman Barkley was the gold standard for high-end residential architecture. They were the "architects' architects," the ones who could bridge the gap between stuffy traditionalism and cold modernism.
But here is the thing: if you try to hire them today, you can't. Not as one unit, anyway.
In late 2022, the architectural world got a bit of a shock when the partners—John Ike, Thomas A. Kligerman, and Joel Barkley—decided to dissolve the firm. It wasn't some dramatic falling out or a corporate collapse. Honestly, it was just time. They spent three decades building a legacy that redefined the American home, and then they decided to see what happened if they went their separate ways.
The Ike Kligerman Barkley Legacy: More Than Just Shingles
To understand why this firm still matters in 2026, you have to look at what they actually did. Most firms pick a lane. You’re either the "modernist" who loves concrete and sharp angles, or the "traditionalist" who reproduces 18th-century moldings.
Ike Kligerman Barkley refused to choose.
Basically, they treated architecture like a cocktail. Tom Kligerman often described their process as mixing ingredients—a dash of English Cottage, a pour of American Shingle Style, and a twist of modern sculptural form. The results were never "cookie-cutter." One day they were designing a Romanesque building for Stanford University, and the next they were working on a "Shinglish" country house (a hybrid of Shingle Style and English architecture) in New Jersey.
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- The Look: It wasn't just one style. It was a "vibe."
- The Feel: Houses that felt lived-in from day one.
- The Detail: They used everything from 3D printing to hand-drawn watercolors by Joel Barkley.
What Really Happened to the Firm?
People often ask if the split was messy. It wasn't. After thirty years, the principals simply evolved. As of January 1, 2023, the firm officially split into two distinct new practices: Kligerman Architecture & Design in New York and Ike Baker Velten in Oakland, California.
John Ike took the West Coast energy and ran with it. His new firm, Ike Baker Velten, focuses heavily on that intersection of craft and regionalism. Meanwhile, Tom Kligerman stayed in the New York hub, continuing to push the boundaries of what "traditional" architecture can look like in a modern world. Joel Barkley, the master watercolorist of the group, has shifted into new creative ventures, though his influence is still baked into the DNA of both successor firms.
Why They Dominated the AD100 for Decades
You don't stay on the Architectural Digest AD100 list since 1995 by accident. Ike Kligerman Barkley understood something about luxury that most people miss: it’s not about how much gold leaf you can stick on a ceiling. It’s about "material integrity."
They were obsessed with how things were actually built.
If they were doing a project in the Hamptons, they weren't just slapping up shingles. They were studying the way Ernest Coxhead would have handled a roofline in the 1890s. If they were doing a loft in Tribeca, they were looking at how to leave 80-foot-long interior spans open while making them feel intimate.
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Key Projects You Should Know
- The Lookout House: A pyramid-shaped renovation in Fairfield County, Connecticut. It basically erased a dated 1970s structure and replaced it with a geothermal-heated masterpiece.
- The Art Barn: A residence in upstate New York that looks exactly like what it sounds like—a sophisticated, high-ceilinged space for living and showing art.
- Watch Hill Aerie: An "origami" house in Rhode Island wrapped in Alaskan yellow cedar. It’s sculptural, weird, and somehow perfectly at home on the coast.
The "Human" Side of High-End Design
Honestly, the coolest thing about the Ike Kligerman Barkley era was their lack of ego regarding their clients. John Ike once said that if you met five of their clients at a party, you should be able to look at their houses and know exactly which house belonged to whom.
That’s rare.
Most famous architects want their houses to look like their houses. IKB wanted the house to look like the client. They were known for being collaborative, often working with outside interior designers like Cullman & Kravis or Thad Hayes rather than insisting on doing everything in-house. They weren't trying to build monuments to themselves; they were building homes.
What You Can Learn from the IKB Approach
Even if you aren't currently planning a $20 million mansion on Martha’s Vineyard, there are lessons here for anyone interested in design.
Don't be afraid of the "Mashed Up" Style
The best Ike Kligerman Barkley homes weren't "pure" anything. They mixed Swedish influences with Italian precedents. They put modern glass walls next to hand-hewn wood beams. If you like two different styles, don't feel like you have to choose one. The tension between them is where the magic happens.
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Respect the Site
A house should look like it grew out of the ground it sits on. IKB spent an immense amount of time studying local vernacular. If you’re renovating, look at what was built in your neighborhood 100 years ago. There’s usually a reason those houses worked.
Craft Matters More Than Trend
Trends die. In 2026, we’re already seeing the "all-white minimalist" trend of the 2010s looking dated. But a well-joined piece of wood or a hand-applied Venetian plaster? That stays beautiful forever.
How to Follow Their Work Today
Since the original Ike Kligerman Barkley is defunct, your best bet is to follow the "branch" firms. If you want that classic New York prestige with a modern twist, Kligerman Architecture & Design is the move. If you’re looking for that adventurous, craft-heavy West Coast aesthetic, keep an eye on Ike Baker Velten.
Both firms carry the torch of what made the original partnership so special: a deep, almost nerdy love for architectural history, paired with a refusal to be stuck in the past.
Actionable Next Steps for Design Enthusiasts
- Read the Books: If you can find copies of The New Shingled House or Ike Kligerman Barkley: Houses, buy them. They are essentially textbooks on how to balance tradition and modernity.
- Study the Successors: Check out the portfolios of the new firms. It’s fascinating to see how the individual styles of John Ike and Tom Kligerman have diverged since 2023.
- Focus on Materials: In your next home project, prioritize one "real" material—like solid stone or natural wood—over a synthetic "look-alike." That’s the core IKB philosophy in practice.
The firm might be gone, but the way they taught us to look at a house—as a mix of history, craft, and personality—isn't going anywhere.