The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build. To begin, we gave this home a more modern layout. We opened the walls upstairs, expanded the master bathroom, and gave the home an overall open feeling. In order to do so, we restructured and moved some of the walls.

The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build. To begin, we gave this home a more modern layout. We opened the walls upstairs, expanded the master bathroom, and gave the home an overall open feeling. In order to do so, we restructured and moved some of the walls.

The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build. To begin, we gave this home a more modern layout. We opened the walls upstairs, expanded the master bathroom, and gave the home an overall open feeling. In order to do so, we restructured and moved some of the walls.

The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build.

The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build.

The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build.

The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build.

The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build. To begin, we gave this home a more modern layout. We opened the walls upstairs, expanded the master bathroom, and gave the home an overall open feeling. In order to do so, we restructured and moved some of the walls.

The renovation of our Renfrew Residence completely reimagined what we expected from a classic Vancouver Special home. The boxy shape of Vancouver Specials was a result of maximizing floor space under the zoning guidelines of their time. Builders in the 1960s and 1980s saw an opportunity and made the most of it! Today, renovating these homes are a common and rewarding project for Design Build firms. We love transforming Vancouver Specials because they have a lot of versatility and great foundations! Our Renfrew Residence is a great example of how all the common modernizations of a Vancouver Special are even better with Design Build.

On this major remodel in Santa Cruz we were faced with a dilapidated Victorian built in 1904. We began by creating a complete set of building plans detailing the renovation and remodeling of the building. We added new square footage to the master bedroom, reengineered and rebuilt the back half of the structure and then completely replaced all of the plumbing and electrical services. All of our construction on the exterior was required to match the original in order to comply with the historical status of the building. This project was conducted under the new green building guidelines established by the City of Santa Cruz. We were able to recycle nearly 80% of our demolition and construction refuse. We took care to preserve and renovate the existing redwood window casings and all of the original custom heart redwood doors in the home. These were planed, sanded and refinished to both save cost and maintain the vintage warmth of the original structure. The windows were recycled and new Marvin dual pane wood windows installed in their place. The original upstairs redwood flooring was preserved and the damaged sections replaced with material salvaged from the flooring at the first story. These surfaces were sanded and finished to recreate the look of the former flooring. We were also able to save and reuse the decorative fireplace mantle from the original construction.

This project was an interior refurbishment of a Vancouver Special. The driving focus was a space which is clean and simple, in order to serve as a backdrop for the homeowners' modern living. The intention was to create a canvas to showcase the Owners' furniture, art and objects and have space for their growing family while staying budget conscious. Photos by Laura Jaramillo

This project was an interior refurbishment of a Vancouver Special. The driving focus was a space which is clean and simple, in order to serve as a backdrop for the homeowners' modern living. The intention was to create a canvas to showcase the Owners' furniture, art and objects and have space for their growing family while staying budget conscious. Photos by Laura Jaramillo

This project was an interior refurbishment of a Vancouver Special. The driving focus was a space which is clean and simple, in order to serve as a backdrop for the homeowners' modern living. The intention was to create a canvas to showcase the Owners' furniture, art and objects and have space for their growing family while staying budget conscious. Photos by Laura Jaramillo

This project was an interior refurbishment of a Vancouver Special. The driving focus was a space which is clean and simple, in order to serve as a backdrop for the homeowners' modern living. The intention was to create a canvas to showcase the Owners' furniture, art and objects and have space for their growing family while staying budget conscious. Photos by Laura Jaramillo

By smoothing the curve of the wall and redesigning the hand railing, we were able to create an entranceway that drew your eyes upwards. This would not have been possible without a Design Build team. While designing the custom angled scoop in the wall, and a custom recessed handrail, the biggest question for our team was “how do we actually build this”? We couldn’t find any examples that matched exactly what we envisioned, so our Design Build team found their own way! It was a collaborative and efficient effort; the biggest reward was making these deceivingly complex shapes feel effortless. Perhaps even more impressive is our completely seamless recessed hand railing!

On this major remodel in Santa Cruz we were faced with a dilapidated Victorian built in 1904. We began by creating a complete set of building plans detailing the renovation and remodeling of the building. We added new square footage to the master bedroom, reengineered and rebuilt the back half of the structure and then completely replaced all of the plumbing and electrical services. All of our construction on the exterior was required to match the original in order to comply with the historical status of the building. This project was conducted under the new green building guidelines established by the City of Santa Cruz. We were able to recycle nearly 80% of our demolition and construction refuse. We took care to preserve and renovate the existing redwood window casings and all of the original custom heart redwood doors in the home. These were planed, sanded and refinished to both save cost and maintain the vintage warmth of the original structure. The windows were recycled and new Marvin dual pane wood windows installed in their place. The original upstairs redwood flooring was preserved and the damaged sections replaced with material salvaged from the flooring at the first story. These surfaces were sanded and finished to recreate the look of the former flooring. We were also able to save and reuse the decorative fireplace mantle from the original construction.

By smoothing the curve of the wall and redesigning the hand railing, we were able to create an entranceway that drew your eyes upwards. This would not have been possible without a Design Build team. While designing the custom angled scoop in the wall, and a custom recessed handrail, the biggest question for our team was “how do we actually build this”? We couldn’t find any examples that matched exactly what we envisioned, so our Design Build team found their own way! It was a collaborative and efficient effort; the biggest reward was making these deceivingly complex shapes feel effortless. Perhaps even more impressive is our completely seamless recessed hand railing!

On this major remodel in Santa Cruz we were faced with a dilapidated Victorian built in 1904. We began by creating a complete set of building plans detailing the renovation and remodeling of the building. We added new square footage to the master bedroom, reengineered and rebuilt the back half of the structure and then completely replaced all of the plumbing and electrical services. All of our construction on the exterior was required to match the original in order to comply with the historical status of the building. This project was conducted under the new green building guidelines established by the City of Santa Cruz. We were able to recycle nearly 80% of our demolition and construction refuse. We took care to preserve and renovate the existing redwood window casings and all of the original custom heart redwood doors in the home. These were planed, sanded and refinished to both save cost and maintain the vintage warmth of the original structure. The windows were recycled and new Marvin dual pane wood windows installed in their place. The original upstairs redwood flooring was preserved and the damaged sections replaced with material salvaged from the flooring at the first story. These surfaces were sanded and finished to recreate the look of the former flooring. We were also able to save and reuse the decorative fireplace mantle from the original construction.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Envision Virtual Tours and High Resolution Photography is your best choice to find just what you are looking for in the Ellijay, Ga. area .Ellijay, Georgia, known as the “Apple Capital” of Georgia, is located between the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers where they join to make the Coosawattee River and is the county seat of Gilmer County, Georgia. The origin of the city’s name is not certain but thought to be the English derivative of an Indian word(s) meaning “many waters”, “place of green things” or “new ground”. Some histories say it may have been named for an Indian chief. Inhabited for countless years by the Cherokee people indigenous to the North Georgia, the area was first mentioned as a village and trade center before the onslaught of white settlers inhabited the region. During the 1830’s both white settlers and Indians occupied Ellijay. During the original land lottery in 1832, Martin Scalf acquired the 160 acre lot where the town now stands. In 1833, Clemonds Quinland bought 10 acres from Scalf, retained one acre for himself and donated the rest of the purchase to the County. A plan for twenty town lots, streets and a public square was created and the streets were oriented to allow maximum sunlight exposure to the buildings. Proceeds from lot sales were used to build a jail and courthouse and pay other city expenses. During this same year, Gilmer County was appropriated $800.00 from the State to build a school, and a three-acre lot was donated for the city cemetery. On December 29, l834, Ellijay was incorporated and designated as the County seat of Gilmer County. By 1837, the town had twenty dwellings, three stores and one attorney. Most of these early buildings were of log construction. Many roads led to Ellijay by 1849. The population had grown to 150 by 1850 and the town at five stores. Some wood-frame buildings were being constructed at this time and in 1854, a new courthouse was built in the center of the square, replacing the earlier building. The County’s first newspaper was the Ellijay Courier, started in 1875, and during this time period, Ellijay was a stop on the stagecoach line. The railroad bridge over the Cartecay River was completed in 1884 and the town now had rail service. With the arrival of the railroad and subsequent tracks to White Path, Ellijay began to grow much faster. Many hotels were constructed and land was donated for a depot east of town. More industries, such as a cheese factory and the Shippen Brothers Lumber Mill, located in Ellijay. By 1898, the city had expanded its limits in every direction and now included the depot. By 1900, all the buildings on the town square were brick. This included the recently completed Hyatt Hotel. Most of the other buildings in town were still of log construction, but new wood-frame buildings were being built. The Shippen Brothers Lumber Company production was expanding and exporting their lumber to Europe. Within the next few decades, this company grew to be one of the largest employers in Ellijay, often with five to six million feet of lumber in the yard at one time. The population of Ellijay grew to 659 by 1910, and began to acquire many new modern conveniences such as electric lights and power, a telephone company and many new businesses. Then in 1912, a fire ravaged the city, destroying 23 buildings. As a result, many new buildings were constructed under new and stricter fire and safety guidelines. The population, however, decreased slightly at this time to 632 in 1920. During the 1920’s the town’s population began to grow again and, by this time, apples were being shipped out of the county and new storage facilities were built. Chickens were also shipped to markets outside of Ellijay and Gilmer County. From the mid 1930’s to 1950, Ellijay received much assistance from the Federal WPA Programs. The old courthouse was removed from the center of town square and the Hyatt Hotel was remodeled to be the new courthouse. A park was created on the site of the old courthouse and the streets around the square were paved. A new street was built at this time entering town from the northeast. Other new roads, bridges, sidewalks and gutters were constructed to improve the city. A school and gymnasium were also built and other structures improved. This growth began to impact the city’s infrastructure and in the l950’s and l960’s, a period of upgrading water systems, roads, and power supplies began. New low-rent housing appeared in l960 and a new hospital was built in l957. Georgia Highway 5 was widened in l962, new buildings around the square replaced old ones and some were remodeled. In 1974, the hospital was enlarged. Currently, Ellijay attracts tourists who love the small-town feel and friendly atmosphere. Hotels and restaurants, unique shops, antiques and art galleries lend their charms to those who visit. A new courthouse constructed to resemble the old one, new streetscaping, family-oriented downtown events and the beautification of the square have stepped up the social and economic activity and have made Ellijay a popular destination.