2013 PROFESSIONAL REMODELER, SILVER AWARD WINNER, RESIDENTIAL KITCHEN This 1970’s split-level single-family home in an upscale Arlington neighborhood had been neglected for years. With his surrounding neighbors all doing major exterior and interior remodeling, however, the owner decided it was time to renovate his property as well. The home’s signature space is a kitchen that combines both form and function. Custom-made dark and light cherry cabinets are topped by exotic granite countertops. Prairie-style windows, wide plank hard wood floors and a tumbled stone backsplash complete the Arts & Crafts design. Professional-grade appliances include a gas cooktop, double wall ovens and a large refrigerator/freezer with matching inset cabinet panels. The kitchen work triangle guarantees ultimate efficiency. Recessed lighting and a skylight assures adequate lighting in the space at all times.

From neglected hoarder house to showplace! This post-war traditional ranch was remodeled into a sophisticated contemporary home by Tim Braseth of ArtCraft Homes, completed in 2013. Located in the Crenshaw Manor neighborhood of central Los Angeles with direct access to neighboring Culver City and downtown L.A. via the new Expo line. Space reconfiguration resulted in 3 spacious bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms. Features include all-new custom kitchen with stainless steel appliances, glass tile bathrooms, and solid oak floors throughout. The private master retreat features its own glass-tiled en suite bathroom with dual vanities, generously-sized walk-in closet, vaulted ceiling and French doors to the expansive patio with a direct view to the distant Hollywood sign. Remodel by ArtCraft Homes. Staging by Leslie Whitlock. "After" photography by Marc Angeles of Unlimited Style.

Rain gardens can look a bit messy, but the Prairie Dropseed grass border was planted as a 'Cues for Care' to let people know that this garden is being well cared for and is not a neglected area. Photo by DIY Landscape Designs

After years of neglect, this house looked like a meteor had hit it. We bought what was left of it in 2017
Large transitional three-story exterior home idea in Cincinnati

A family of passionate athletes and sports aficionados embarked on a remarkable endeavor alongside our team and Studio M Merge. Their vision? To breathe new life into their outdated mid-century modern home and neglected pool, resulting in the dramatic “Sports Enthusiasts’ Hideaway.” The transformative journey focused on opening the interior spaces out toward the beautiful gardens and amenities. The renewed house features expanded open-plan living areas, a new bedroom, and a reimagined primary bath. An attached ADU added a sports bar and a flexible office space that can double as a private guest bedroom. The outdoor spaces were brought to life with the addition of expansive decks, inviting patios, a horseshoe pit, a basketball half-court, refreshing plunge pools, and a lush sports lawn. A pool house artfully frames the view from the pool to the neighboring golf course. This family of five finds themselves immersed in their expanded home and experiential outdoor hideaway. Every element has been thoughtfully designed to cater to their favorite activities, providing a peaceful haven where they can fully indulge their shared passion for sports. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova, Geoff Campen
Interior Architectural Design: Klopf Architecture
Landscape Architect: Studio M Merge
Contractor: Flegels Construction
Landscape Contractor: Frank & Grossman (phase 1), Garden Group (phase 2)
Photography: ©2013-2023 Mariko Reed
Year Completed: 2012 through 2020 Location: Los Gatos, CA

A full interior renovation was required to bring sparkle back to a neglected 1970’s ranch-style home at Ivywild Park in Boise. The carport and breezeway were enclosed to create a two-car garage and laundry room. The furnace and water heater were relocated to the garage, enlarging the kitchen and allowing for a more open concept living space. A gas fireplace insert was installed in the living room with a stone surround, wood mantle and recessed TV space above.

This American Foursquare built in the early 1900’s needed a complete restoration. The back two story porch was rotten from years of neglect and needed to be torn down and completely rebuilt. Inside, the kitchen and bathrooms needed full renovations, and the trunk room was turned into the master bath in order to create a true master suite. Piperbear also handled the staging and assisted with the marketing of the property.

These homeowners relocated to Indianapolis and wanted a traditional home in the Meridian Hills area that offered family living space off the kitchen. “It’s what we were used to, but we had trouble finding exactly what we were looking for.” They spent a lot of time thinking about the possibilities of a remodel. They had space both within and outside the house that were under-utilized and decided to embark on a significant renovation project. We endeavored to completely rework the current floor plan in hopes of addressing all their needs and wants. Plans included relocating the kitchen, moving the exterior walls by a couple of feet, raising the ceiling, and moving the office. The results of these changes were dramatic. Additionally the family now enjoys a larger and updated entrance with storage and closets that is perfect for their two active daughters and two often muddy labs, a beautiful kitchen with improved functionality that is filled with tons of natural light, as well as a cozy hearth room, ideal for relaxing together as a family. The once neglected screened porch is now a unique and inviting office with workspace for everyone. Once these improvements were made the view to the back of the house was now apparent, the couple decided to enhance their outdoor living space as well. We added a new patio, a custom pergola, water feature and a fire pit. “Now it’s a private spot to relax and connect with the outdoors. It really highlights the style of the house and we love it,” says the homeowner.

Neglected Garden bed and pool area resurfaced, cleaned and painted.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional full sun backyard raised garden bed in Los Angeles for summer.

A neglected backyard in deep shade needed a redesign. Clean and usable garden was built full of shade tolerant perennials and shrubs. As this garden will mature in years to come it will provide owners with lush vegetation and plenty of room to entertain and play.

Neglected Garden bed and pool area resurfaced, cleaned and painted.
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional full sun backyard raised garden bed in Los Angeles for summer.

We have just completed the site design for a home that sits on a wooded lot near Syracuse New York. The homeowners purchased the property recently and needed to update the home and landscape for their growing family. The existing gardens were very neglected and poorly constructed by the previous homeowner. The multiple-level changes and large existing trees made for a complex site design that needed to benefit the homeowners yet caused minimal disruption to the wooded site. The rear garden deck was unsafe and demolished. We replaced it with a IPE deck with a separate screened-in porch. New retaining walls, natural fieldstone walls, steps, and bluestone paved terraces were added throughout the property for ease of use and safety. New LED lighting and new planting complete the design.

Here's a chimney that had been neglected for far too long. Roofers rarely assess & address the flashing needs of the chimney, and they typically just leave it. In this case, the diverter had started leaking, leaving the original 70+ year old flashing on the house. We removed the original flashing & counter flashing. Then, we framed a larger diverter, and installed a custom fabricated diverter, colored to match. Before & after pictures are outstanding!

This Dutch Renaissance Revival style Brownstone located in a historic district of the Crown heights neighborhood of Brooklyn was built in 1899. The brownstone was converted to a boarding house in the 1950’s and experienced many years of neglect which made much of the interior detailing unsalvageable with the exception of the stairwell. Therefore the new owners decided to gut renovate the majority of the home, converting it into a four family home. The bottom two units are owner occupied, the design of each includes common elements yet also reflects the style of each owner. Both units have modern kitchens with new high end appliances and stone countertops. They both have had the original wood paneling restored or repaired and both feature large open bathrooms with freestanding tubs, marble slab walls and radiant heated concrete floors. The garden apartment features an open living/dining area that flows through the kitchen to get to the outdoor space. In the kitchen and living room feature large steel French doors which serve to bring the outdoors in. The garden was fully renovated and features a deck with a pergola. Other unique features of this apartment include a modern custom crown molding, a bright geometric tiled fireplace and the labyrinth wallpaper in the powder room. The upper two floors were designed as rental units and feature open kitchens/living areas, exposed brick walls and white subway tiled bathrooms.

This client had recently moved into her “retirement home” and wanted to re-do and add on to the plantings for continual interest and beauty. There were many areas to clean up and remove years of weeds and neglect. Once that was done, new areas were established for new beds & bio-soil and boulderettes were brought in for contrast & retaining purposes.

Here's the after photo. A fresh coat of neutral-colored paint, a great deal of yardwork, and professional photography transformed this neglected little ranch into a prize to be won! As you can see, listings don't have to be perfect—but you do have to know which updates will make a difference.

The couple that purchased this home, moved to Omaha from California. They loved the history of the neighborhood. It had been neglected for years, until someone came through before them and decided to flip it (and not very well). They had multiple spaces in the house they wished to renovate, while maintaining the original integrity of the home. Their first goal was to convert an upstairs bathroom, bedroom, and hall space to a large master bath with two walk-in closets and large shower. We then changed the pitch of the outdoor porch roof of the back addition to accommodate a hot tub above, and connect an entrance to their newly renovated upstairs master bath/suite. We also had additional cabinetry made for a serving bar in the kitchen that was previously an empty space. The last space was a full hall bath that we took completely down to the studs and re-designed/built. I would like to credit Bill Bolte Construction for taking my designs and the ideas laid out by the homeowners and turning them into an incredible reality.

Neglected Garden bed and pool area resurfaced, cleaned and painted.
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional full sun backyard raised garden bed in Los Angeles for summer.

After decades of neglect left its yard overgrown with weeds and wild flora, we have painstakingly restored the landscapes back to a simple and beautiful state where old growth is enhanced by new additions.