Before & After project! Magical, Storybook, Renovated 1919 Grand Craftsman Bungalow on a gorgeous tree-lined street in Spaulding Square HPOZ Taken by: Noam Baram

Before & After project! Magical, Storybook, Renovated 1919 Grand Craftsman Bungalow on a gorgeous tree-lined street in Spaulding Square HPOZ Taken by: Noam Baram

Photo of a small garden area after area was cleaned up and native plants were planted. Picture was taken before mulch was added.
Design ideas for a shade backyard flower bed in DC Metro.

Before & After project! Open layout with high ceilings. Formal living room has the original Batchhelder wood-burning fireplace w/ NEW chimney. Taken by: Noam Baram

Before & After project! Magical, Storybook, Renovated 1919 Grand Craftsman Bungalow on a gorgeous tree-lined street in Spaulding Square HPOZ Taken by: Noam Baram

Before & After project! Magical, Storybook, Renovated 1919 Grand Craftsman Bungalow on a gorgeous tree-lined street in Spaulding Square HPOZ Taken by: Noam Baram

This is the bare master bedroom space BEFORE we did any interior decor work. Working on this space with the client was exciting. The client had ideas about a grand master bedroom that would give impact. This involved a lot of changes to the current space including changing all light fittings and fixtures. The next picture captures the result after we brought our ideas to life.

Before & After project! Magical, Storybook, Renovated 1919 Grand Craftsman Bungalow on a gorgeous tree-lined street in Spaulding Square HPOZ. Taken by: Noam Baram

Before & After project! Magical, Storybook, Renovated 1919 Grand Craftsman Bungalow on a gorgeous tree-lined street in Spaulding Square HPOZ Taken by: Noam Baram

Inspiration for a mid-sized carpeted curved staircase remodel in Other with carpeted risers

Before & After project! Magical, Storybook, Renovated 1919 Grand Craftsman Bungalow on a gorgeous tree-lined street in Spaulding Square HPOZ Taken by: Noam Baram

Below Buchanan is a basement renovation that feels as light and welcoming as one of our outdoor living spaces. The project is full of unique details, custom woodworking, built-in storage, and gorgeous fixtures. Custom carpentry is everywhere, from the built-in storage cabinets and molding to the private booth, the bar cabinetry, and the fireplace lounge. Creating this bright, airy atmosphere was no small challenge, considering the lack of natural light and spatial restrictions. A color pallet of white opened up the space with wood, leather, and brass accents bringing warmth and balance. The finished basement features three primary spaces: the bar and lounge, a home gym, and a bathroom, as well as additional storage space. As seen in the before image, a double row of support pillars runs through the center of the space dictating the long, narrow design of the bar and lounge. Building a custom dining area with booth seating was a clever way to save space. The booth is built into the dividing wall, nestled between the support beams. The same is true for the built-in storage cabinet. It utilizes a space between the support pillars that would otherwise have been wasted. The small details are as significant as the larger ones in this design. The built-in storage and bar cabinetry are all finished with brass handle pulls, to match the light fixtures, faucets, and bar shelving. White marble counters for the bar, bathroom, and dining table bring a hint of Hollywood glamour. White brick appears in the fireplace and back bar. To keep the space feeling as lofty as possible, the exposed ceilings are painted black with segments of drop ceilings accented by a wide wood molding, a nod to the appearance of exposed beams. Every detail is thoughtfully chosen right down from the cable railing on the staircase to the wood paneling behind the booth, and wrapping the bar.

The new California Closets set up in this Minneapolis home was designed to accommodate the hanging heights so the clothing no longer hangs on the floor. Pant racks were designed in the space to sit back at 14" deep which enables this client to utilize the left side of the closet better. The pant rack also adds vertical space to the design, giving this closet added shelving to use for folded space and shoe storage. A huge impact to the day to day function in this small Minneapolis reach-in closet.

A single house that needed the extra touch. A master bathroom that never been touched before transformed into a luxurious bathroom, bright, welcoming, fine bathroom. The couple invested in great materials when they first bought their house so we were able to use the cabinets and reface the kitchen to show fresh and up-to-date look to it. The entire house was painted with a light color to open up the space and make it looks bigger. In order to create a functional living room, we build a media center where now our couple and enjoy movie nights together.

As written in Northern Home & Cottage by Elizabeth Edwards Sara and Paul Matthews call their head-turning home, located in a sweet neighborhood just up the hill from downtown Petoskey, “a very human story.” Indeed it is. Sara and her husband, Paul, have a special-needs son as well as an energetic middle-school daughter. This home has an answer for everyone. Located down the street from the school, it is ideally situated for their daughter and a self-contained apartment off the great room accommodates all their son’s needs while giving his caretakers privacy—and the family theirs. The Matthews began the building process by taking their thoughts and needs to Stephanie Baldwin and her team at Edgewater Design Group. Beyond the above considerations, they wanted their new home to be low maintenance and to stand out architecturally, “But not so much that anyone would complain that it didn’t work in our neighborhood,” says Sara. “We were thrilled that Edgewater listened to us and were able to give us a unique-looking house that is meeting all our needs.” Lombardy LLC built this handsome home with Paul working alongside the construction crew throughout the project. The low maintenance exterior is a cutting-edge blend of stacked stone, black corrugated steel, black framed windows and Douglas fir soffits—elements that add up to an organic contemporary look. The use of black steel, including interior beams and the staircase system, lend an industrial vibe that is courtesy of the Matthews’ friend Dan Mello of Trimet Industries in Traverse City. The couple first met Dan, a metal fabricator, a number of years ago, right around the time they found out that their then two-year-old son would never be able to walk. After the couple explained to Dan that they couldn’t find a solution for a child who wasn’t big enough for a wheelchair, he designed a comfortable, rolling chair that was just perfect. They still use it. The couple’s gratitude for the chair resulted in a trusting relationship with Dan, so it was natural for them to welcome his talents into their home-building process. A maple floor finished to bring out all of its color-tones envelops the room in warmth. Alder doors and trim and a Doug fir ceiling reflect that warmth. Clearstory windows and floor-to-ceiling window banks fill the space with light—and with views of the spacious grounds that will become a canvas for Paul, a retired landscaper. The couple’s vibrant art pieces play off against modernist furniture and lighting that is due to an inspired collaboration between Sara and interior designer Kelly Paulsen. “She was absolutely instrumental to the project,” Sara says. “I went through two designers before I finally found Kelly.” The open clean-lined kitchen, butler’s pantry outfitted with a beverage center and Miele coffee machine (that allows guests to wait on themselves when Sara is cooking), and an outdoor room that centers around a wood-burning fireplace, all make for easy, fabulous entertaining. A den just off the great room houses the big-screen television and Sara’s loom— making for relaxing evenings of weaving, game watching and togetherness. Tourgoers will leave understanding that this house is everything great design should be. Form following function—and solving very human issues with soul-soothing style.

There was a very narrow laundry room off the kitchen before. By taking down that wall, we were able to expand the kitchen and built a custom stack-able laundry area, complete with storage that matches the rest of the kitchen. When the cabinet doors are closed, you would never know the laundry is in there. That's the beauty of great design.

See what our client say about Paul Lopa Designs. I started my search for a contractor about a year before I hired Paul to do a kitchen and bathroom renovation. This was my first time at the bat, and I really had no idea what to expect. I had many contractor proposals that swung wildly in price but for some reason I never felt inclined to hire any of the guys I met with. I happened to be looking at Houzz one day and came across Paul’s company and he had very good reviews. I gave him a call and he came to my apartment quickly. I liked him immediately when we met. I thought it was strange that he asked me for my budget and how much I wanted to spend but in hindsight, providing that information allowed Paul to come back to me with a very detailed proposal based on my budget. I soon realized that the lower proposals I had did not include many of the budget items that would be necessary to complete the job. Paul laid out the pricing and provided a very reasonable “allowance” based on your measurements for tile, toilet, sinks, etc. It is up to you to stay within that allowance.