Here's one of our most recent projects that was completed in 2011. This client had just finished a major remodel of their house in 2008 and were about to enjoy Christmas in their new home. At the time, Seattle was buried under several inches of snow (a rarity for us) and the entire region was paralyzed for a few days waiting for the thaw. Our client decided to take advantage of this opportunity and was in his driveway sledding when a neighbor rushed down the drive yelling that his house was on fire. Unfortunately, the house was already engulfed in flames. Equally unfortunate was the snowstorm and the delay it caused the fire department getting to the site. By the time they arrived, the house and contents were a total loss of more than $2.2 million. Our role in the reconstruction of this home was two-fold. The first year of our involvement was spent working with a team of forensic contractors gutting the house, cleansing it of all particulate matter, and then helping our client negotiate his insurance settlement. Once we got over these hurdles, the design work and reconstruction started. Maintaining the existing shell, we reworked the interior room arrangement to create classic great room house with a contemporary twist. Both levels of the home were opened up to take advantage of the waterfront views and flood the interiors with natural light. On the lower level, rearrangement of the walls resulted in a tripling of the size of the family room while creating an additional sitting/game room. The upper level was arranged with living spaces bookended by the Master Bedroom at one end the kitchen at the other. The open Great Room and wrap around deck create a relaxed and sophisticated living and entertainment space that is accentuated by a high level of trim and tile detail on the interior and by custom metal railings and light fixtures on the exterior.

Large arts and crafts green two-story wood exterior home photo in San Diego with a shingle roof

This 1930's tudor was expanded with two wings to the rear, and the old facade required complete facade reconstruction on all sides. All half timbering, stucco work, windows and stone work are new, over existing substructure. This view from the street shows the reconstructed facade, keeping the original massing. Photo: Deb Ory

Ken Gutmaker
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless master beige tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile bathroom remodel in San Francisco with recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, an undermount tub, gray walls and quartz countertops

Inspiration for a mediterranean medium tone wood floor and brown floor bedroom remodel in Minneapolis with blue walls

Jed Burdick - Votary Media
Small elegant screened-in front porch photo in Boston with a roof extension

Ken Gutmaker
Example of a small classic porcelain tile powder room design in San Francisco with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, gray walls, a vessel sink, granite countertops and gray countertops

Example of a transitional white two-story house exterior design in Minneapolis with a hip roof and a shingle roof

Example of a tuscan u-shaped medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen design in Minneapolis with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, green cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Jed Burdick - Votary Media
This is an example of a small traditional screened-in front porch design in Boston with a roof extension.

Jed Burdick - Votary Media
Inspiration for a small timeless screened-in front porch remodel in Boston with a roof extension

Example of an eclectic concrete floor and gray floor entryway design in San Francisco with pink walls and a blue front door

Jed Burdick - Votary Media
Small elegant screened-in front porch photo in Boston with a roof extension

Beth Rose
Eat-in kitchen - mid-sized transitional l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen idea in Kansas City with a farmhouse sink, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and shaker cabinets

Jed Burdick - Votary Media
Inspiration for a small timeless screened-in front porch remodel in Boston with a roof extension

Staircase - mediterranean wooden curved metal railing staircase idea in Minneapolis with wooden risers

Example of a mid-sized classic white one-story stucco house exterior design in Philadelphia with a hip roof and a shingle roof

Inspiration for a small transitional 3/4 white tile and subway tile ceramic tile and white floor corner shower remodel in Kansas City with a wall-mount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, white walls, a hinged shower door and a two-piece toilet

This 1914 family farmhouse was passed down from the original owners to their grandson and his young family. The original goal was to restore the old home to its former glory. However, when we started planning the remodel, we discovered the foundation needed to be replaced, the roof framing didn’t meet code, all the electrical, plumbing and mechanical would have to be removed, siding replaced, and much more. We quickly realized that instead of restoring the home, it would be more cost effective to deconstruct the home, recycle the materials, and build a replica of the old house using as much of the salvaged materials as we could. The design of the new construction is greatly influenced by the old home with traditional craftsman design interiors. We worked with a deconstruction specialist to salvage the old-growth timber and reused or re-purposed many of the original materials. We moved the house back on the property, connecting it to the existing garage, and lowered the elevation of the home which made it more accessible to the existing grades. The new home includes 5-panel doors, columned archways, tall baseboards, reused wood for architectural highlights in the kitchen, a food-preservation room, exercise room, playful wallpaper in the guest bath and fun era-specific fixtures throughout.