On a quiet cul-de-sac not too far from downtown San Luis Obispo lies the contemporary craftsman styled Clausen Residence. The challenges that accompanied this project were what, in the end, made it so interesting. The buildable area of the site is very small due to the fact that almost half of the property is occupied by a biological open space easement, established to protect the creek that runs behind the lot. In addition to this, the site is incredibly steep, which lent itself well to a stair stepped 3-story floor plan. Strict height restrictions set by the local jurisdiction governed the decision to bury the garage in the hill, and set the main living space on top of it, accompanied by the children’s bedrooms and game room further back on the site. The 3rd floor is occupied fully by the master suite, which looks down on the back yard below. Off of the great room is a vast deck, with built in barbecue, fire place and heaters, ideal for outdoor entertaining year round. The house, adorned in lap siding and true craftsman details is flanked by gorgeous oak trees and the creek beyond.

This project began with a sketch from our client that they'd received from a friend. It gave us a general idea of what they wanted but adjustments needed to be made for us to keep the renovation within budget. There were plenty of challenges in the designing and building stages. Early on, we learned the main structure of this 1940s house was encroaching the building restriction line. To remain within zoning limits, we needed to have two corners of the new addition slightly out of square. The new structure, cantilevered on both sides, required a heavy 45-degree angle beam to carry the load of the second floor and the roof. We equipped the house with central AC and expanded the existing hydronic heating system into the new space. The completed addition resulted in a shared music room and in-law suite with a bathroom on the first floor, and a master bedroom, bath, and hall bath on the second floor.

This historic 1840’s Gothic Revival home perched on the harbor, presented an array of challenges: they included a narrow-restricted lot cozy to the neighboring properties, a sensitive coastal location, and a structure desperately in need of major renovations. The renovation concept respected the historic notion of individual rooms and connecting hallways, yet wanted to take better advantage of water views. The solution was an expansion of windows on the water siding of the house, and a small addition that incorporates an open kitchen/family room concept, the street face of the home was historically preserved. The interior of the home has been completely refreshed, bringing in a combined reflection of art and family history with modern fanciful choices. Adds testament to the successful renovation, the master bathroom has been described as “full of rainbows” in the morning.

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We designed the unique roofline of this custom home in accordance with the city’s strict height restrictions, carefully upheld to preserve beautiful views of the city, water, and Stanley Park. The result is a standing-seam metal roof that doubles as a tool—maximizing the region’s abundant rainfall by gathering rain water and funneling it into a Zen garden below. The entire main level enjoys an open-concept plan and varying ceiling heights, creating a sense of variation throughout the house. The master suite, offering incredible views, is located opposite the secondary bedrooms, while three covered balconies provide multiple places to enjoy the outdoors, even in the rain.

This historic 1840’s Gothic Revival home perched on the harbor, presented an array of challenges: they included a narrow-restricted lot cozy to the neighboring properties, a sensitive coastal location, and a structure desperately in need of major renovations. The renovation concept respected the historic notion of individual rooms and connecting hallways, yet wanted to take better advantage of water views. The solution was an expansion of windows on the water siding of the house, and a small addition that incorporates an open kitchen/family room concept, the street face of the home was historically preserved. The interior of the home has been completely refreshed, bringing in a combined reflection of art and family history with modern fanciful choices. Adds testament to the successful renovation, the master bathroom has been described as “full of rainbows” in the morning.

The owners of this 1970s-era split-level on Lake Calhoun recently added a third story bringing the home up-to-date with attractive soffits, angles, and half-walls built to create depth and dimension. But in a house where every room registered a dull white, a healthy dose of color becomes the true force for modernizing this space. The homeowners asked Otogawa-Anschel to bring color into their lives. The standalone fireplace in the room’s center wears an entirely different chromatic palette on each side. From the sleeping area and looking out toward the lake, cool tones tease out the aqua and dark blue in the slate fireplace surround. From the opposite side, warm hues pick up the rose and violet of the same material. The wall separating the bedroom from the bathroom boasts a rich adobe red, set off by a gold soffit and a rich chocolate panel. The bold, earthy color triad serves as the eye-catching anchor point for the room. Asymmetrical glass block flanking the bathroom vanity opens up an otherwise restrictive space, allowing it to communicate with the walk-in closet on one side and the natural light spill on the other. Because the green glass block diffuses the light, the room’s colors work to compensate for this softening. A mix of tangerine, pale green, and lemon yellow tile used in the shower find a place on the floor and walls as well for a burst of synthetic sunshine designed to shift and bend depending on vantage point. The gently morphing pattern eliminates the flat sterility of white tile and ordinary glass block. The transition from the second floor to the third floor features a combination of yellow hues that also appear to shimmer and shift with the movement of natural light through the space. In the intense afternoon sun, the pigments lose their distinction and become a solid glowing wall. As the sun sets, they regain their individual character. Like any healthy relationship, the living room and dining room work together while maintaining independence. In the living room, a soft suede wall gives way to the room’s large bank of windows and smartly complements the stone fireplace. Muted greens and golds segue effortlessly to the spectacular lake view. Meanwhile, the vibrant tones of the dining room tastefully contrast the cool calm of the living area. highlights Fifty-six colors in whole house Forty-two colors in master suite

These are returning clients of Sosna, who purchased a condo built in 2009 to be their forever home to enjoy now that they are retired . Although the area and views are beautiful, the condo felt small, dark, and dated. The layout was also not functional, and had a lot of wasted space. They wanted the space to fit their lifestyle and feel like it was their own. Having worked with Sosna previously, they knew they could put their full trust in Sosna. During the renovation, they were able to visit their cottage and relax, knowing their home was in good hands. Their only worry was that the condominium rules would restrict or delay the job. These worries were laid to rest, as Sosna developed a respectful and trusting relationship with the building management during construction. In the Kitchen and eating area, we kept the existing footprint, but installed plenty of new cabinetry to provide much more functional storage, ensuring every square inch of the space was used to its full potential as a useful space. A white marble countertop and lower cabinetry made the space feel bright and open. In the Master Bathroom, we re-worked the layout to allow for a larger, more functional and luxurious shower with a built in seat and nooks. During the design phase, we noticed that our clients had been hang drying clothing using a small rack in the bathtub. New hanging rods were installed above a new bathtub to provide a more functional solution for hang drying clothing that did not require having to move drying racks in and out of the space when needed. Beautiful patterned floor tiles were accented as well in the shower nooks to tie the bright new space together. The Guest Bathroom was dark and dated. We were able to give it a welcoming facelift, giving it a more open and airy feel and a pop of colour in the shower. Finally, we replaced the previously mismatched laminate flooring throughout the home with a darker vinyl flooring, all flowing in the same direction to provide a seamless and cohesive flow throughout the home, not to mention easy maintenance! In the end, our clients were delighted with the care and quality of work put into their home, as well as the ease of the process from design to completion. If you’re ready to make your forever home feel like it’s been made just for you, contact us to get started! We’re the Renovator You Can Count On! Sosna Inc 7250 Keele Street, Unit 372 Vaughan, ON L4K 1Z8 416-888-7366 (RENO) Website: sosna.ca Email: contact@sosna.ca

Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW Like many families with older children, this local Glen Ellyn couple wanted to expand the size of their kitchen while also creating a more open, airy feel for their main level. The home had plenty of space that included a formal living room, formal dining room, family room with eat-in area and kitchen with butler’s pantry. What it didn’t have, was an effortless flow between the areas used daily for cooking, eating and gathering. Additionally, the kitchen had become outdated, feeling dark and dismal, despite the abundance of natural light. Our clients wanted a bright, cheerful interior that would inspire the family to congregate in this part of the house. No easy feat with teenagers. An open floor plan design solved the issues with functionality and circulation, removing the walls that restricted flow and opening up the entry to the dining room. We also eliminated the rarely used butler’s pantry allowing us to expand the kitchen and add a large island for food prep and gathering. To create a sense of symmetry and consistency in the space, a clerestory window was added below the header and framed to match the existing adjacent entry from the living room. Inspired by the owner’s Scottish ancestry, the island cabinetry boasts a beautiful blue hue, paired with stools upholstered in a sprightly plaid. The built-in buffet area provides additional storage, topped with a beautiful wooden top stained to coordinate with the stunning tones of the flooring. The owner’s opted for stainless steel appliances, inspiring the selection of brushed silver light fixtures and polished chrome hardware. Marble-look quartz offered a durable, lightly colored surface to reflect sunlight and enhance the cheer factor. According to this happy family, this uplifting space is now everyone’s favorite place to gather. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more design inspiration go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

This historic 1840’s Gothic Revival home perched on the harbor, presented an array of challenges: they included a narrow-restricted lot cozy to the neighboring properties, a sensitive coastal location, and a structure desperately in need of major renovations. The renovation concept respected the historic notion of individual rooms and connecting hallways, yet wanted to take better advantage of water views. The solution was an expansion of windows on the water siding of the house, and a small addition that incorporates an open kitchen/family room concept, the street face of the home was historically preserved. The interior of the home has been completely refreshed, bringing in a combined reflection of art and family history with modern fanciful choices. Adds testament to the successful renovation, the master bathroom has been described as “full of rainbows” in the morning.

The Control/Shift House is perched on the high side of the site which takes advantage of the view to the southeast. A gradual descending path navigates the change in terrain from the street to the entry of the house. A series of low retaining walls/planter beds gather and release the earth upon the descent resulting in a fairly flat level for the house to sit on the top one third of the site. The entry axis is aligned with the celebrated stair volume and then re-centers on the actual entry axis once you approach the forecourt of the house. The initial desire was for an “H” scheme house with common entertaining spaces bridging the gap between the more private spaces. After an investigation considering the site, program, and view, a key move was made: unfold the east wing of the “H” scheme to open all rooms to the southeast view resulting in a “T” scheme. The new derivation allows for both a swim pool which is on axis with the entry and main gathering space and a lap pool which occurs on the cross axis extending along the lengthy edge of the master suite, providing direct access for morning exercise and a view of the water throughout the day. The Control/Shift House was derived from a clever way of following the “rules.” Strict HOA guidelines required very specific exterior massing restrictions which limits the lengths of unbroken elevations and promotes varying sizes of masses. The solution most often used in this neighborhood is one of addition - an aggregation of masses and program randomly attached to the inner core of the house which often results in a parasitic plan. The approach taken with the Control/Shift House was to push and pull program/massing to delineate and define the layout of the house. Massing is intentional and reiterated by the careful selection of materiality that tracks through the house. Voids and relief in the plan are a natural result of this method and allow for light and air to circulate throughout every space of the house, even into the most inner core. Photography: Charles Davis Smith

Located in the well-established community of Northwood, close to Grande Dunes, this superior quality craftsman styled 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom energy efficient home designed by CRG Companies will feature a Hardie board exterior, Trex decking, vinyl railings and wood beadboard ceilings on porches, a screened-in porch with outdoor fireplace and carport. The interior features include 9’ ceilings, thick crown molding and wood trim, wood-look tile floors in main living areas, ceramic tile in baths, carpeting in bedrooms, recessed lights, upgraded 42” kitchen cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, a huge tile shower and free standing soaker tub in the master bathroom. The home will also be pre-wired for home audio and security systems. Detached garage can be an added option. No HOA fee or restrictions, 98' X 155' lot is huge for this area, room for a pool.

On a quiet cul-de-sac not too far from downtown San Luis Obispo lies the contemporary craftsman styled Clausen Residence. The challenges that accompanied this project were what, in the end, made it so interesting. The buildable area of the site is very small due to the fact that almost half of the property is occupied by a biological open space easement, established to protect the creek that runs behind the lot. In addition to this, the site is incredibly steep, which lent itself well to a stair stepped 3-story floor plan. Strict height restrictions set by the local jurisdiction governed the decision to bury the garage in the hill, and set the main living space on top of it, accompanied by the children’s bedrooms and game room further back on the site. The 3rd floor is occupied fully by the master suite, which looks down on the back yard below. Off of the great room is a vast deck, with built in barbecue, fire place and heaters, ideal for outdoor entertaining year round. The house, adorned in lap siding and true craftsman details is flanked by gorgeous oak trees and the creek beyond.

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This historic 1840’s Gothic Revival home perched on the harbor, presented an array of challenges: they included a narrow-restricted lot cozy to the neighboring properties, a sensitive coastal location, and a structure desperately in need of major renovations. The renovation concept respected the historic notion of individual rooms and connecting hallways, yet wanted to take better advantage of water views. The solution was an expansion of windows on the water siding of the house, and a small addition that incorporates an open kitchen/family room concept, the street face of the home was historically preserved. The interior of the home has been completely refreshed, bringing in a combined reflection of art and family history with modern fanciful choices. Adds testament to the successful renovation, the master bathroom has been described as “full of rainbows” in the morning.

Green Mountain Builders has recently completed a luxury whole home remodel in Bonita Bay, a magnificent award-winning country club community in Bonita Springs, Florida. The remodel focused on opening up the interior space by removing walls that closed off rooms, restricting an open-concept layout. With the dining room wall removed, the home now is bathed in additional sunlight. Opening up the closed area, also makes the home seem much larger. New flooring and paint throughout and a beautiful Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring enhance the beauty of this lovely golf course home. LVP is a wonderful wood-look flooring option that offers warmth and texture. The kitchen was completely renovated as were the bedrooms, including the master, and all bathrooms. Green Mountain creatively used shiplap boards in the family room effecting a stunning wall display. In addition, the lovely courtyard remodel has been updated to provide an outdoor space perfect for entertaining and family enjoyment.

A flood inspired the owners of this 1980’s home in Ocean Ranch to update and minimize. Our restriction was that the homeowners did not want to use any color, so we needed to create a harmonious balance with the contemporary architecture using a palette of neutrals. We opted for a “soft contemporary” feeling using moss green, pale green, soft brown, dark beige, and cream alongside dark wood in some rooms and pale driftwood in others. Texture, rather than pattern, creates visual interest in the rooms. Organic materials mixed with dark bronze metal details add a natural touch. A fully automated home, lights, sound, and window coverings are all accessed by remote control. A state of the art sound system in the Media Room is confined in the room by special sound absorbing wall and ceiling materials. Photo by Martin King.

Our clients were inspired by the idea of a master bedroom with beautiful, functional closet space, and a larger shower – more so than there loathed 36″ x 36″ corner acrylic unit. After a number of visits, a plan was devised to build 3 closet areas, and a large shower with a floating quartz bench. The bedroom would see a dividing wall, but not to the ceiling so light could come through. The biggest of the three closets would be closest to the window, with a room entirely devoted to that space. The floor in the bathroom would feature a heated flooring system, and the vanity would have backlight lighting on the mirror. The demolition uncovered some surprises, which restricted certain locations of plumbing, so the shower was enlarged and one of the closets was scrapped. In the end, it worked out fantastic. More emphasis was placed on the open concept closet, which thrilled our clients. They were also not disappointed with their larger shower. Photo Aristea Photography

Located in the well-established community of Northwood, close to Grande Dunes, this superior quality craftsman styled 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom energy efficient home designed by CRG Companies will feature a Hardie board exterior, Trex decking, vinyl railings and wood beadboard ceilings on porches, a screened-in porch with outdoor fireplace and carport. The interior features include 9’ ceilings, thick crown molding and wood trim, wood-look tile floors in main living areas, ceramic tile in baths, carpeting in bedrooms, recessed lights, upgraded 42” kitchen cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, a huge tile shower and free standing soaker tub in the master bathroom. The home will also be pre-wired for home audio and security systems. Detached garage can be an added option. No HOA fee or restrictions, 98' X 155' lot is huge for this area, room for a pool.