Inspiration for a contemporary home design remodel in New York

With a narrow driveway and leaning concrete retaining walls, parking was a major challenge at this 1938 brick Tudor on Spokane's South Hill. Crumbling concrete stairs added another layer of difficulty, and after a particularly rough winter, the homeowners were ready for a change. The failing concrete walls were replaced with stacked boulders, which created space for a new, wider driveway. Natural stone steps offer access to the backyard, while the new front stairs and sidewalk provide a safe route to the front door. The original iron railings were preserved and modified to be reused with the new stairs.

Specialty UltraLuxe Arch Shutters Arch windows present difficulties for most window coverings, but not for custom UltraLuxe Shutters.

The brief: Our clients own an apartment in a mansion block overlooking Clapham Common. They wanted to modernise and bring the apartment up to date and had a few goals: To change the existing small cellular spaces in the apartment to create a new open-plan room To extend into the loft and create a new master bedroom suite To create a roof terrace for some much-needed private outdoor space The key to the brief was to ensure a good connection between the different levels of the apartment and ensure natural light could flood into all spaces. The apartment is in a conservation area, which was an important consideration. The solution: We changed the primary room space to run from the front to the back of the building. This change created the large kitchen dining living space our clients wanted, an area with good natural light throughout and at all times of the day. We created a master bedroom suite in the loft space, with generous room size and lots of natural light. The limitations of the building’s form meant that a critical aspect to creating these larger living spaces was carefully considered smaller areas, including the bathrooms and a pocket utility room. The circulation space was carefully considered, too, with the landings used for storage in the form of new joinery. The stairs were vital in the design. Creating an in-between/half level meant we made the most of the flat roof extension for a bedroom suite and terrace. It also helped natural light get into the centre of the apartment, creating a clear connection between the different floors. The stairs also help to mark the difference between the existing and the new. We shifted the design from a minimalist take on traditional metal balustraded stairs to open tread steel stairs with a glazed balustrade. Externally, we kept the design quite simple and in keeping with the context. By adding dormers to the front and back, we created a sculptural and fun loft space. The result: A spacious, light and luxurious apartment for our clients Gareth and Mary in a Clapham Common Conservation area. We asked about their experience with Granit, and we are pleased with their response: Our experience overall is very good, even with the unexpected difficulties created by Covid. If you are thinking of appointing an architect and interior design firm, Granit should be seriously considered.

Before Pic - this incredible fire pit was built with an in-ground fire pit ring. This is a unique fire pit in that most fire pits today are built with a raised fire pit ring. The degree of difficulty is much higher with the in-ground due to the tight inside radius cut that is required around the fire pit ring. Platinum Ponds & Landscaping and their customer were extremely happy with the way this fire pit came to life and transformed the area!

view of the enormous, 60" decorative hood over the gas range.
Eat-in kitchen - large transitional u-shaped dark wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Indianapolis with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Our investor client, Summit Homes, reached out to us for their renovation project located on C Street in Washington, DC. The scope included a full kitchen installation, custom vanities for the bathrooms, and a custom-built closet for the primary bedroom. For the kitchen, we designed and installed elegant double-stacked upper cabinets to take full advantage of the vertical space. However, recognizing that the future homeowner might have difficulty reaching the uppermost cabinets, Summit requested a functional solution. We added a custom ladder system that attaches directly to the cabinetry—making upper cabinet access easier while enhancing the kitchen’s overall visual appeal. The kitchen was also fitted with panel-ready appliances, for which we fabricated matching cabinet panels to ensure a seamless, built-in look. To elevate the design further, we installed natural granite countertops, which bring both durability and timeless beauty to the space. The granite’s organic texture adds warmth and character, perfectly complementing the deep cabinetry and refined finishes. In the bathrooms, we installed carefully selected modern vanities and coordinated them with granite countertops that match the home’s overall aesthetic. These choices not only enhance the look and feel of the bathrooms but also provide durable, long-lasting surfaces for daily use. Upstairs, the designated closet area in the primary bedroom was transformed into a fully custom-built closet system designed to optimize functionality and storage. We finished the piece with matte black hardware, giving the space a clean, modern edge. From kitchen to closet, this project reflects our focus on combining thoughtful design with practical elegance—tailored to meet the needs of both investors and future homeowners.

Eat-in kitchen - large transitional u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in Other with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, white backsplash, marble backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

This townhome located on Lake Anna of Reston, VA own into a confined gall kitchen with a very limited cabinet space, short wall cabinets, big closet taking over big portion of kitchen, duct chase creating a big barrier, plumbing chases causing bulkhead and a bearing wall header to name a few of obstacles Their dream was to walk in from front door and have a clear view of wall to wall scenic view of the lake. Modernize the kitchen, eliminate bearing walls, lots of storage, upgraded appliances and so much more. They have been chasing this dream for years and have been turned down by multiple firms due to level of difficulty of the project, budget constraint and as she put it “cleeking with a design firm that can feel her needs” Our staff spent countless number of hours to hear her and bring her dream to reality. The main constraint was the bearing wall on corner of foyer and living room, which was a closet, main duct chase and return ducts, obscene amount of plumbing and not to mention structural load. By the way of re-routing mechanical chases, and reformulating all second-floor plumbing stack to back walls, and then inserting few structural beams that transfer the second-floor joists to front and back wall, we have accomplished the biggest goals of all and created the view open floor plan Now home to a big island with cooktop and beverage center. The home has front to back clear view of the scenic lake. ¬¬¬With expanding the kitchen into front breakfast area, we have doubled up on storage and cabinet space. Long line of gorgeous counter top and full backsplash under new Led lighting has glorified this kitchen project. The linear porcelain floor tile has complimented the counter top and her trophy accessories.

Open concept kitchen - mid-sized traditional u-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen idea in Raleigh with a drop-in sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, stone tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Mid-sized transitional l-shaped eat-in kitchen photo in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets and an island

This project, sitting on a little more than 3.5 acres on Rivercrest was completed in 3 years with a total square footage of more than 26,000 square feet. Typically modern homes are smaller. At a certain size, usually around 4,000 square feet, the difficulty with modern or contemporary architecture becomes scale, and the minimalist idea gets lost. Whenever you get to this scale of house at over 26,000 square feet, this problem adds a layer of complexity. Connie Anderson Photography

If you have any difficulty to go up the stairs in your home and look for an affordable solution Priva Mobility will bring back your independence in no time.

With a narrow driveway and leaning concrete retaining walls, parking was a major challenge at this 1938 brick Tudor on Spokane's South Hill. Crumbling concrete stairs added another layer of difficulty, and after a particularly rough winter, the homeowners were ready for a change. The failing concrete walls were replaced with stacked boulders, which created space for a new, wider driveway. Natural stone steps offer access to the backyard, while the new front stairs and sidewalk provide a safe route to the front door. The original iron railings were preserved and modified to be reused with the new stairs.

We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to help an older couple in our local community. They approached us with a project that they thought would be impossible. Turn a 6x6 first floor pantry into a fully functioning bathroom. Normally this space limitation would not be a problem but the plumbing presented a difficulty that already scared away 2 other contractors. We were able to overcome this obstacle with the help of our experienced staff who keep up to date on the newest devices and products in the remodeling industry. We had a very enjoyable experience designing and remodeling this room. Even with the small space limitations we believe we came up with a very unique and rustic feel for their 1890's farm house. I must end on all the custom wood work that our employees made for this project. From the custom, two-sided, door to the little, wooden, wall shelf we made all of the wooden pieces you see in this project and most of them were unique creations specifically for this job.

Our client recently purchased a newly-constructed home in order to downsize and have a low- maintenance home and yard. The existing side yard/back yard was undeveloped by the builder, leaving the homeowner with the huge challenge of creating a great outdoor entertaining space for family and friends, while creating privacy and overcoming the over 8-foot steep drop from the existing back porch down to the alley. The grade was the largest challenge because the space was so narrow with such a large fall from existing porch to the property line. The second largest challenge is that this residence is located in a semi-private community where HOA approval of plans and materials is difficult, as all the residences here share a similar look and feel with a very clean and contemporary aesthetic. We had to precisely shoot grades to know what kinds of retaining walls would need to be constructed along with how much backfill soil and dirt movement would need to be done. After that the design had to carefully consider the space with maximum functionality for outdoor entertainment with newly constructed walls to ensure it would last for many years to come. All of this was done with multiple meetings with the homeowners who are a retired engineer and active architect themselves. Once a design was settled upon, then submission to the HOA board of approval had to be completed and signed off on with all questions and concerns answered for the community by-laws. The two biggest difficulties within the construction phase were that the neighbor next to the back yard had a large retaining wall not properly backfilled up to the property line. That neighbor wouldn’t allow us proper access and control to help alleviate the issues, so we had to skillfully work around this to ensure what we constructed would last, despite their property not being properly addressed. We also had to go through multiple shipments from the manufacturer due to large variances in the material’s appearance on the steps and another shipment that was broken during shipping. These two things delayed the project we were working to complete before the spring so the homeowner could have the maximum use of the space this year. Topping off this challenging construction was a beautiful palette of native grasses, rosemary, groundcover, granite walkways, and synthetic grass to ensure year-round, practically effortless beauty.

This project, sitting on a little more than 3.5 acres on Rivercrest was completed in 3 years with a total square footage of more than 26,000 square feet. Typically modern homes are smaller. At a certain size, usually around 4,000 square feet, the difficulty with modern or contemporary architecture becomes scale, and the minimalist idea gets lost. Whenever you get to this scale of house at over 26,000 square feet, this problem adds a layer of complexity. Connie Anderson Photography

The brief: Our clients own an apartment in a mansion block overlooking Clapham Common. They wanted to modernise and bring the apartment up to date and had a few goals: To change the existing small cellular spaces in the apartment to create a new open-plan room To extend into the loft and create a new master bedroom suite To create a roof terrace for some much-needed private outdoor space The key to the brief was to ensure a good connection between the different levels of the apartment and ensure natural light could flood into all spaces. The apartment is in a conservation area, which was an important consideration. The solution: We changed the primary room space to run from the front to the back of the building. This change created the large kitchen dining living space our clients wanted, an area with good natural light throughout and at all times of the day. We created a master bedroom suite in the loft space, with generous room size and lots of natural light. The limitations of the building’s form meant that a critical aspect to creating these larger living spaces was carefully considered smaller areas, including the bathrooms and a pocket utility room. The circulation space was carefully considered, too, with the landings used for storage in the form of new joinery. The stairs were vital in the design. Creating an in-between/half level meant we made the most of the flat roof extension for a bedroom suite and terrace. It also helped natural light get into the centre of the apartment, creating a clear connection between the different floors. The stairs also help to mark the difference between the existing and the new. We shifted the design from a minimalist take on traditional metal balustraded stairs to open tread steel stairs with a glazed balustrade. Externally, we kept the design quite simple and in keeping with the context. By adding dormers to the front and back, we created a sculptural and fun loft space. The result: A spacious, light and luxurious apartment for our clients Gareth and Mary in a Clapham Common Conservation area. We asked about their experience with Granit, and we are pleased with their response: Our experience overall is very good, even with the unexpected difficulties created by Covid. If you are thinking of appointing an architect and interior design firm, Granit should be seriously considered.

These clients fell in love with this home immediately when they saw it on the market, and quickly made the offer. From the unique lighting, retro architectural details, and view of the cascades, this home was full of potential to be remodeled to fit the lifestyle and personality of it’s new owners. Through the design process, we identified the aspects of the home that these owners loved, such as the Living Room soffit, grasscloth wallpaper, floating staircase and outdoor-feel basement. We then pinpointed the difficulties that the floor plan and materials presented for their lifestyle, such as the closed-off/compartmentalized floor plan, shag carpet in the living room, outdated finishes, lack of wood, and a newer kitchen that was an outlier within the style of the house. The finished product is a magazine-worthy transformation that thoughtfully unifies the owner’s personal style and the home’s retro roots.