Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design & Photo Styling | Troy Thies, Photography | Swan Architecture, Architect | Great Neighborhood Homes, Builder Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For info about our work: design@oharainteriors.com

Purchased in 2014 as a maintenance deferred property with only one rentable apartment, Piperbear Designs completed a full scale renovation of the upstairs unit, painted the exterior, and upgraded the heating and cooling to a dual zone high efficiency system to help save the tenants in utility costs. We were able to immediately raise rents by 60% in the upstairs unit.

Inspiration for a small contemporary guest light wood floor bedroom remodel in Philadelphia with black walls

This property was an REO purchased by an investor. He put in a new kitchen and bathrooms, painted and cleaned it up. The realtor who listed the property paid Dcota to stage the house before they listed it and had a professional photographer take the pictures. As you can see we only staged the main rooms which is usually all a property needs.

The 1890 century property as purchased in 2014.
Inspiration for a large country red two-story brick exterior home remodel in Toronto

The client purchased this unit that had not been updated since it was built. The new refresh exceeded the client's expectations. They are now enjoying a great return on their vacation rental property.

The client purchased this unit that had not been updated since it was built. The new refresh exceeded the client's expectations. They are now enjoying a great return on their vacation rental property.

The client purchased this unit that had not been updated since it was built. The new refresh exceeded the client's expectations. They are now enjoying a great return on their vacation rental property.

This gem of a house was built in the 1950s, when its neighborhood undoubtedly felt remote. The university footprint has expanded in the 70 years since, however, and today this home sits on prime real estate—easy biking and reasonable walking distance to campus. When it went up for sale in 2017, it was largely unaltered. Our clients purchased it to renovate and resell, and while we all knew we'd need to add square footage to make it profitable, we also wanted to respect the neighborhood and the house’s own history. Swedes have a word that means “just the right amount”: lagom. It is a guiding philosophy for us at SYH, and especially applied in this renovation. Part of the soul of this house was about living in just the right amount of space. Super sizing wasn’t a thing in 1950s America. So, the solution emerged: keep the original rectangle, but add an L off the back. With no owner to design with and for, SYH created a layout to appeal to the masses. All public spaces are the back of the home--the new addition that extends into the property’s expansive backyard. A den and four smallish bedrooms are atypically located in the front of the house, in the original 1500 square feet. Lagom is behind that choice: conserve space in the rooms where you spend most of your time with your eyes shut. Put money and square footage toward the spaces in which you mostly have your eyes open. In the studio, we started calling this project the Mullet Ranch—business up front, party in the back. The front has a sleek but quiet effect, mimicking its original low-profile architecture street-side. It’s very Hoosier of us to keep appearances modest, we think. But get around to the back, and surprise! lofted ceilings and walls of windows. Gorgeous.

Tudor Revival home built at the beginning of the 20th century on the historical property that served as British occupied Fort Franklin during the Revolutionary War. Anne Coleman Alden purchased the land in the late 1800's and had the firm of McKimm, Mead and Bigelow build her summer home in 1879. In 1900, Mr. William Matheson, a brilliant chemist, purchased the property and hired the firm of Boring and Tilton (architects of Ellis Island) to design the sprawling Tudor Revival home over the McKim house which exists today.

The client purchased this unit that had not been updated since it was built. The new refresh exceeded the client's expectations. They are now enjoying a great return on their vacation rental property.

The client purchased this unit that had not been updated since it was built. The new refresh exceeded the client's expectations. They are now enjoying a great return on their vacation rental property.

The client purchased this unit that had not been updated since it was built. The new refresh exceeded the client's expectations. They are now enjoying a great return on their vacation rental property.

Patio - contemporary patio idea in Seattle

The client purchased this unit that had not been updated since it was built. The new refresh exceeded the client's expectations. They are now enjoying a great return on their vacation rental property.

Mid-sized mountain style open concept vinyl floor living room photo in Austin with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home. The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day. In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat. The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression. Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home. Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name. The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath.

Crowded Master Bathroom was impeding the sale of a magnificent water front property. As a result we transformed the bathroom in to a light and airy space that beckons any home owner to enter to a spa looking space with upscale fixtures and amenities. We offered our client contractor discounted pricing toward the purchase of all Bathroom Plumbing Fittings including the vessel tub, vanity and bathroom fixtures. Tiles were provided at deep discounted while sale prices. Vanity top, Saddles and other marble pieces were all custom fabricated in our shops and installed by our Renovation Expert Technicians.

Purchased in 2014 as a maintenance deferred property with only one rentable apartment, Piperbear Designs completed a full scale renovation of the upstairs unit, painted the exterior, and upgraded the heating and cooling to a dual zone high efficiency system to help save the tenants in utility costs. We were able to immediately raise rents by 60% in the upstairs unit.