7 Remodeling ‘Uh-Oh’ Moments and How Pros Handled Them Creatively
See smart solutions to a sloped shower floor, a vaulted ceiling, a bulky soffit and other challenges pros recently faced
Design and building professionals know to expect the unexpected. Still, when an unforeseen problem arises during a project, the right solution isn’t always immediately apparent. Thinking fast and creatively can help get pros out of a jam, keep a project on track and make homeowners happy. Here, seven pros share the “uh-oh” moment they faced and the smart solution that resulted in a successful project.
2. Sloped Solution
Designer: Megan Carter of CB Architecture + Design
Contractor: Phillip Price Construction
Location: Emerald Hills, California
Project: Create a spa-like bathroom with sleek lines, teak trim and luxury amenities.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The ‘uh-oh’ moment for this project was precisely what we based the entire room around: the teak shower floor,” contractor Phillip Price says. “As drawn, it seemed obvious how the teak panels were going to be installed in the recessed shower pan, but once we sloped and waterproofed the recessed shower pan, installing and securing the teak wood panels on a sloped shower pan while keeping the wood panels flat and level became quite challenging.”
Solution: “We went through a number of iterations with tapered rubber stilts and metal feet until we came to the final solution, which was multiple custom tapered teak supports to secure the wood floor slat panels,” Price says.
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Designer: Megan Carter of CB Architecture + Design
Contractor: Phillip Price Construction
Location: Emerald Hills, California
Project: Create a spa-like bathroom with sleek lines, teak trim and luxury amenities.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The ‘uh-oh’ moment for this project was precisely what we based the entire room around: the teak shower floor,” contractor Phillip Price says. “As drawn, it seemed obvious how the teak panels were going to be installed in the recessed shower pan, but once we sloped and waterproofed the recessed shower pan, installing and securing the teak wood panels on a sloped shower pan while keeping the wood panels flat and level became quite challenging.”
Solution: “We went through a number of iterations with tapered rubber stilts and metal feet until we came to the final solution, which was multiple custom tapered teak supports to secure the wood floor slat panels,” Price says.
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3. Panel Power
Designer: Tami O’Malley Design
Location: St. Charles, Illinois
Project: Design a compact room to serve as a kitchen side entrance, a mudroom, a laundry room and a rest spot for two dogs.
“Uh-oh” moment. “Given the small space that needed to serve multiple functions, we filled it with features, which made it difficult to access mechanicals due to the floor-to-ceiling cabinetry and surrounds,” designer Tami O’Malley says.
Solution: “We created an access panel on the side of the washer-dryer and mudroom area,” O’Malley says. “This was disguised as a Shaker-style panel for aesthetic purposes. It has proven to be useful on more than one occasion.”
O’Malley used Houzz Pro business software to help manage the project. “We utilized Houzz Pro to collect initial measurements and to create a basic room layout,” she says. “We also use it to source contractors for our projects, such as Hunter Woodworking and Optimum Granite & Marble.”
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Designer: Tami O’Malley Design
Location: St. Charles, Illinois
Project: Design a compact room to serve as a kitchen side entrance, a mudroom, a laundry room and a rest spot for two dogs.
“Uh-oh” moment. “Given the small space that needed to serve multiple functions, we filled it with features, which made it difficult to access mechanicals due to the floor-to-ceiling cabinetry and surrounds,” designer Tami O’Malley says.
Solution: “We created an access panel on the side of the washer-dryer and mudroom area,” O’Malley says. “This was disguised as a Shaker-style panel for aesthetic purposes. It has proven to be useful on more than one occasion.”
O’Malley used Houzz Pro business software to help manage the project. “We utilized Houzz Pro to collect initial measurements and to create a basic room layout,” she says. “We also use it to source contractors for our projects, such as Hunter Woodworking and Optimum Granite & Marble.”
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4. See-Through Therapy
Designer: Rochelle Lee Interiors
Location: Lake Delton, Wisconsin
Project: Update a kitchen with earthy elements and bring in more light and views of the Wisconsin River.
“Uh-oh” moment. “A challenge that we needed to address was the stove hood and the island pendants,” says designer Rochelle Lee, whose clients found her on Houzz. “I wanted to make a statement with the island pendants but needed to respect the beauty and presence of the stove hood that is directly in its sightline.”
Solution: “We selected oversized, slender rattan fixtures that allow light to filter through,” Lee says. “This allowed both the pendants and the hood to be highlighted in the space.”
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Designer: Rochelle Lee Interiors
Location: Lake Delton, Wisconsin
Project: Update a kitchen with earthy elements and bring in more light and views of the Wisconsin River.
“Uh-oh” moment. “A challenge that we needed to address was the stove hood and the island pendants,” says designer Rochelle Lee, whose clients found her on Houzz. “I wanted to make a statement with the island pendants but needed to respect the beauty and presence of the stove hood that is directly in its sightline.”
Solution: “We selected oversized, slender rattan fixtures that allow light to filter through,” Lee says. “This allowed both the pendants and the hood to be highlighted in the space.”
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5. Vaulted Variation
Designer: Jennifer Pacca Interiors
Location: Ridgewood, New Jersey
Project: Create a serene primary bedroom with beachy elements.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The challenge was to make the large room with a vaulted ceiling feel cozy and warm using the light colors the client desired,” says designer Jennifer Pacca, whose clients found her on Houzz.
Solution: “The large-scale sculptural chandelier adds interest to the high ceiling, and layering various textures and subtle patterns throughout the room adds that intimate touch,” Pacca says.
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Designer: Jennifer Pacca Interiors
Location: Ridgewood, New Jersey
Project: Create a serene primary bedroom with beachy elements.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The challenge was to make the large room with a vaulted ceiling feel cozy and warm using the light colors the client desired,” says designer Jennifer Pacca, whose clients found her on Houzz.
Solution: “The large-scale sculptural chandelier adds interest to the high ceiling, and layering various textures and subtle patterns throughout the room adds that intimate touch,” Pacca says.
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6. Redesign Remedy
Designer: Oonagh Ryan of ORA
Location: Los Angeles
Project: Transform the kitchen into a light and airy space with strong connections between living spaces and the garden.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The budget did not anticipate the need to upgrade the plumbing supply and waste pipes and electrical service, both of which were at the end of their serviceable life,” designer Oonagh Ryan says.
Solution: “This necessitated a redesign of what started out as custom cabinets to Ikea boxes wrapped in plywood and creating a small pantry for food storage, the fridge and trash, which reduced the amount of cabinetry required,” Ryan says.
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Designer: Oonagh Ryan of ORA
Location: Los Angeles
Project: Transform the kitchen into a light and airy space with strong connections between living spaces and the garden.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The budget did not anticipate the need to upgrade the plumbing supply and waste pipes and electrical service, both of which were at the end of their serviceable life,” designer Oonagh Ryan says.
Solution: “This necessitated a redesign of what started out as custom cabinets to Ikea boxes wrapped in plywood and creating a small pantry for food storage, the fridge and trash, which reduced the amount of cabinetry required,” Ryan says.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
7. Curved Cure
Designers: Jennifer Grey, Jodi Mendelsohn of JM Design Studios and Ethan Charles Design
Location: Beverly Glen neighborhood of Los Angeles
Project: Take advantage of an expansive wall in a new-build home guest bathroom.
“Uh-oh” moment. “Due to the bulky exposed soffit, figuring out the mirror placement around it presented a great challenge,” designer Jennifer Grey says.
Solution: “I had a great lightbulb moment,” Grey says. “I instructed our mirror guy to cut the wall mirror at a radius. It not only allowed us to work around the soffit, but you look past it like it doesn’t even exist, because the eye is pulled immediately toward the interesting radius mirror. And it gives such great personality to the space, making it a great feature. That’s turning lemons into lemonade.”
Vanity paint: Warmed Cognac by Benjamin Moore
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Designers: Jennifer Grey, Jodi Mendelsohn of JM Design Studios and Ethan Charles Design
Location: Beverly Glen neighborhood of Los Angeles
Project: Take advantage of an expansive wall in a new-build home guest bathroom.
“Uh-oh” moment. “Due to the bulky exposed soffit, figuring out the mirror placement around it presented a great challenge,” designer Jennifer Grey says.
Solution: “I had a great lightbulb moment,” Grey says. “I instructed our mirror guy to cut the wall mirror at a radius. It not only allowed us to work around the soffit, but you look past it like it doesn’t even exist, because the eye is pulled immediately toward the interesting radius mirror. And it gives such great personality to the space, making it a great feature. That’s turning lemons into lemonade.”
Vanity paint: Warmed Cognac by Benjamin Moore
More on Houzz
Read more about working with home professionals
Browse photos for inspiration
Find home design and remodeling pros
Shop for home products
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Designer: Naomi Dresser of Fig St. Design
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Project: Remove walls to create an open-plan kitchen to better entertain family and friends.
“Uh-oh” moment. “The rounded shape of the island was a challenge,” designer Naomi Dresser says. “It was just too large of an island to go with a single slab. We would have had to purchase two and have a seam down the center of the island. Our clients really didn’t like the sound of that.”
Solution: “We worked with our local concrete artist to craft us a custom terrazzo slab with the exact stone colors we wanted,” Dresser says.
Dresser used Houzz Pro software to manage this kitchen project with the homeowners. “Our clients enjoyed the easy payment process we offer through Houzz Pro,” she says.
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