This project is a conversion of the Architect's AIA Award-recognized studio into a live/work residence. An additional 725 sf allowed the project to completely in-fill an urban building site in a mixed residential/commercial neighborhood while accommodating a private courtyard and pool. Very few modifications were needed to the original studio building to convert the space available to a kitchen and dining space on the first floor and a bedroom, bath and home office on the second floor. The east-side addition includes a butler's pantry, powder room, living room, patio and pool on the first floor and a master suite on the second. The original finishes of metal and concrete were expanded to include concrete masonry and stucco. The masonry now extends from the living space into the outdoor courtyard, creating the illusion that the courtyard is an actual extension of the house. The previous studio and the current live/work home have been on multiple AIA and RDA home tours during its various phases. TK Images, Houston

Backyard shed converted to home office with hardwood floors, custom cabinetry and exposed collar ties.
Arts and crafts home office photo in Atlanta

design: W. Timothy Hess AIA, Design Principal Justin Mello, Nathan Sawyer all for DSA Architects photographs: Charles Mayer photography and Tim Hess photo-styling: Natalie Leighton stone sculpture: Todd Fulshaw paintings: Charles Mayer and Todd Fulshaw Guest quarters for a big house on the Concord River, this project enlarges former studio space over a four-bay garage into a new four-bedroom ‘outpost’. design challenges: Convert Studio Apartment to 4-Bedroom Home without enlarging footprint of building. Keep costs minimal. On the ground floor, both pre-existing eight- and twelve-foot tall halves of the former scheme remain in-place, as do the structural bones of two faceted ‘beaks’. The complex former roof was removed for its limited use of available floor area. A single long shed now unifies the high East side of the house and its small private individual spaces with the wide-open shared space of the lower West Side. Aligned with the stair-tower extruded from a former beak, a childrens’ loft-library and two-sided fireplace conduct the East-West interface.

Garage converted into an Accessory Dwelling Unit. Arched entrance giving you the feeling of warmth and welcome. So peaceful and serene. Lovely redwood deck complementing the light navy blue ciders.

Imagine a situation where you love to cook but your dinning room is too small and there is not room to expand the area. This Sedona addition and kitchen remodel project solved the problem by converting the existing two car garage into a magnificent dining room and by building a detached garage in another location on the lot. A new roof pitch was added to the old garage to give the interior a vaulted dining room feel, and to make the exterior match the existing architecture of the main house. An enclosed patio is added to the dinning room addtion for the outdoor experience. The detached two car garage is designed with an offset between the two car spaces for two reasons; first, to make it visually interesting and secondly to accommodate the tight property set back conditions. A breakfast nook was also added next to the kitchen to give the home an intimate dining area when large dinner parties were not needed. The kitchen was also updated to please the chef and give the home it's final touch of elegance. Sustainable Sedona Residential Design

design: W. Timothy Hess AIA, Design Principal Justin Mello, Nathan Sawyer all for DSA Architects photographs: Charles Mayer photography and Tim Hess photo-styling: Natalie Leighton stone sculpture: Todd Fulshaw paintings: Charles Mayer and Todd Fulshaw Guest quarters for a big house on the Concord River, this project enlarges former studio space over a four-bay garage into a new four-bedroom ‘outpost’. design challenges: Convert Studio Apartment to 4-Bedroom Home without enlarging footprint of building. Keep costs minimal. On the ground floor, both pre-existing eight- and twelve-foot tall halves of the former scheme remain in-place, as do the structural bones of two faceted ‘beaks’. The complex former roof was removed for its limited use of available floor area. A single long shed now unifies the high East side of the house and its small private individual spaces with the wide-open shared space of the lower West Side. Aligned with the stair-tower extruded from a former beak, a childrens’ loft-library and two-sided fireplace conduct the East-West interface.

design: W. Timothy Hess AIA, Design Principal Justin Mello, Nathan Sawyer all for DSA Architects photographs: Charles Mayer photography and Tim Hess photo-styling: Natalie Leighton stone sculpture: Todd Fulshaw paintings: Charles Mayer and Todd Fulshaw Guest quarters for a big house on the Concord River, this project enlarges former studio space over a four-bay garage into a new four-bedroom ‘outpost’. design challenges: Convert Studio Apartment to 4-Bedroom Home without enlarging footprint of building. Keep costs minimal. On the ground floor, both pre-existing eight- and twelve-foot tall halves of the former scheme remain in-place, as do the structural bones of two faceted ‘beaks’. The complex former roof was removed for its limited use of available floor area. A single long shed now unifies the high East side of the house and its small private individual spaces with the wide-open shared space of the lower West Side. Aligned with the stair-tower extruded from a former beak, a childrens’ loft-library and two-sided fireplace conduct the East-West interface.

Inspiration for a timeless shed remodel in Indianapolis

These clients reached out to Hillcrest Construction when their family began out-growing their Phoenixville-area home. Through a comprehensive design phase, opportunities to add square footage were identified along with a reorganization of the typical traffic flow throughout the house. All household traffic into the hastily-designed, existing family room bump-out addition was funneled through a 3’ berth within the kitchen making meal prep and other kitchen activities somewhat similar to a shift at a PA turnpike toll booth. In the existing bump-out addition, the family room was relatively tight and the dining room barely fit the 6-person dining table. Access to the backyard was somewhat obstructed by the necessary furniture and the kitchen alone didn’t satisfy storage needs beyond a quick trip to the grocery store. The home’s existing front door was the only front entrance, and without a foyer or mudroom, the front formal room often doubled as a drop-zone for groceries, bookbags, and other on-the-go items. Hillcrest Construction designed a remedy to both address the function and flow issues along with adding square footage via a 150 sq ft addition to the family room and converting the garage into a mudroom entry and walk-through pantry. - The project’s addition was not especially large but was able to facilitate a new pathway to the home’s rear family room. The existing brick wall at the bottom of the second-floor staircase was opened up and created a new, natural flow from the second-floor bedrooms to the front formal room, and into the rear family hang-out space- all without having to cut through the often busy kitchen. The dining room area was relocated to remove it from the pathway to the door to the backyard. Additionally, free and clear access to the rear yard was established for both two-legged and four-legged friends. The existing chunky slider door was removed and in its place was fabricated and installed a custom centerpiece that included a new gas fireplace insert with custom brick surround, two side towers for display items and choice vinyl, and two base cabinets with metal-grated doors to house a subwoofer, wifi equipment, and other stow-away items. The black walnut countertops and mantle pop from the white cabinetry, and the wall-mounted TV with soundbar complete the central A/V hub. The custom cabs and tops were designed and built at Hillcrest’s custom shop. The farmhouse appeal was completed with distressed engineered hardwood floors and craftsman-style window and door trim throughout. - Another major component of the project was the conversion of the garage into a pantry+mudroom+everyday entry. The clients had used their smallish garage for storage of outdoor yard and recreational equipment. With those storage needs being addressed at the exterior, the space was transformed into a custom pantry and mudroom. The floor level within the space was raised to meet the rest of the house and insulated appropriately. A newly installed pocket door divided the dining room area from the designed-to-spec pantry/beverage center. The pantry was designed to house dry storage, cleaning supplies, and dry bar supplies when the cleaning and shopping are complete. A window seat with doggie supply storage below was worked into the design to accommodate the existing elevation of the original garage window. A coat closet and a small set of steps divide the pantry from the mudroom entry. The mudroom entry is marked with a striking combo of the herringbone thin-brick flooring and a custom hutch. Kids returning home from school have a designated spot to hang their coats and bookbags with two deep drawers for shoes. A custom cherry bench top adds a punctuation of warmth. The entry door and window replaced the old overhead garage doors to create the daily-used informal entry off the driveway. With the house being such a favorable area, and the clients not looking to pull up roots, Hillcrest Construction facilitated a collaborative experience and comprehensive plan to change the house for the better and make it a home to grow within.

Example of a mountain style home design design in Seattle

These clients reached out to Hillcrest Construction when their family began out-growing their Phoenixville-area home. Through a comprehensive design phase, opportunities to add square footage were identified along with a reorganization of the typical traffic flow throughout the house. All household traffic into the hastily-designed, existing family room bump-out addition was funneled through a 3’ berth within the kitchen making meal prep and other kitchen activities somewhat similar to a shift at a PA turnpike toll booth. In the existing bump-out addition, the family room was relatively tight and the dining room barely fit the 6-person dining table. Access to the backyard was somewhat obstructed by the necessary furniture and the kitchen alone didn’t satisfy storage needs beyond a quick trip to the grocery store. The home’s existing front door was the only front entrance, and without a foyer or mudroom, the front formal room often doubled as a drop-zone for groceries, bookbags, and other on-the-go items. Hillcrest Construction designed a remedy to both address the function and flow issues along with adding square footage via a 150 sq ft addition to the family room and converting the garage into a mudroom entry and walk-through pantry. - The project’s addition was not especially large but was able to facilitate a new pathway to the home’s rear family room. The existing brick wall at the bottom of the second-floor staircase was opened up and created a new, natural flow from the second-floor bedrooms to the front formal room, and into the rear family hang-out space- all without having to cut through the often busy kitchen. The dining room area was relocated to remove it from the pathway to the door to the backyard. Additionally, free and clear access to the rear yard was established for both two-legged and four-legged friends. The existing chunky slider door was removed and in its place was fabricated and installed a custom centerpiece that included a new gas fireplace insert with custom brick surround, two side towers for display items and choice vinyl, and two base cabinets with metal-grated doors to house a subwoofer, wifi equipment, and other stow-away items. The black walnut countertops and mantle pop from the white cabinetry, and the wall-mounted TV with soundbar complete the central A/V hub. The custom cabs and tops were designed and built at Hillcrest’s custom shop. The farmhouse appeal was completed with distressed engineered hardwood floors and craftsman-style window and door trim throughout. - Another major component of the project was the conversion of the garage into a pantry+mudroom+everyday entry. The clients had used their smallish garage for storage of outdoor yard and recreational equipment. With those storage needs being addressed at the exterior, the space was transformed into a custom pantry and mudroom. The floor level within the space was raised to meet the rest of the house and insulated appropriately. A newly installed pocket door divided the dining room area from the designed-to-spec pantry/beverage center. The pantry was designed to house dry storage, cleaning supplies, and dry bar supplies when the cleaning and shopping are complete. A window seat with doggie supply storage below was worked into the design to accommodate the existing elevation of the original garage window. A coat closet and a small set of steps divide the pantry from the mudroom entry. The mudroom entry is marked with a striking combo of the herringbone thin-brick flooring and a custom hutch. Kids returning home from school have a designated spot to hang their coats and bookbags with two deep drawers for shoes. A custom cherry bench top adds a punctuation of warmth. The entry door and window replaced the old overhead garage doors to create the daily-used informal entry off the driveway. With the house being such a favorable area, and the clients not looking to pull up roots, Hillcrest Construction facilitated a collaborative experience and comprehensive plan to change the house for the better and make it a home to grow within.

Outdoor retreat with Moroccan influences converted from an old tool shed.
Mid-sized eclectic red one-story brick exterior home photo in Los Angeles with a shed roof

Located in Monterey Park, CA, the project included complete renovation and addition of a 2nd floor loft and deck. The previous house was a traditional style and was converted into an Art Moderne house with shed roofs. The 2,312 square foot house features 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and upstairs loft. The 400 square foot garage was increased and repositioned for the renovation.

A rustic metal garden sign adds whimsy to the side of the greenhouse. Photo by Bob Trainor
Greenhouse - mid-sized traditional detached greenhouse idea in Boston

Shed - traditional shed idea in Indianapolis

Sweatman-Young converted the original garage into a craft room and constructed a new 16' x 24' garage. This project started with drawings all the way to completion of hauling off the debris generated by the construction.

Guesthouse - rustic detached guesthouse idea

8ft x 12ft Western Red Cedar Shed from Outdoor Living today. Converted Office Space.
Home design - large modern home design idea in Vancouver