Blending a modern sensibility with traditional architecture, this garden features a front yard meadow with native grasses (Carex praecracilis) and wildflowers. Poured-in-place concrete pavers in a meandering pattern slow the approach from the sidewalk to the entry. The modestly-sized backyard has been maximized for entertaining with outdoor dining and lounging areas and subtle landscape lighting. Native plants, herbs, and edibles share the back garden beds, and a raised pond brings the garden to life. Photo by Martin Cox Photography.

Photo: Ten Ten Creative
Wet bar - transitional single-wall dark wood floor and brown floor wet bar idea in Dallas with shaker cabinets, black cabinets, black backsplash, subway tile backsplash and gray countertops

Mike Curtis
Example of a tuscan patio design in San Francisco

Laundry room - traditional laundry room idea in Chicago

Terran Landscapes http://www.terranlandscapes.com Project Entry: Fishers Woodland Garden 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Theme Garden $15,000-$30,000 Award Level: Bronze Photo Description: We were contracted by the client to design a calming space for their staff to relax, take a walk, and enjoy a leisurely lunch as well as to provide their grandchildren a place to run and pick flowers. The space was originally dominated by large trees and had been overgrown with ivy, sumac and aggressive vines, providing an unwelcome, dark space with little color or visual appeal. The client requested a colorful blend of shrubs and perennials that would provide interest throughout the seasons, as well as provide privacy by screening the street traffic along Carisbrooke Road. Our goal was to create the privacy screen along the road by layering plants from the ground to the tree canopy. The theme was to let nature inspire the landscape, allowing a space that was originally woodland to become an enhanced version of itself, creating a beautiful habitat for birds and butterflies to excite the senses and satisfy all who enjoy the beauty of nature. We began by clearing the brush and removing all aggressive vines and ivy that jeopardized the health of the trees. We kept and transplanted all non- invasive or native plant material in the area to various locations throughout the property. Several yards of compost were then tilled into the soil and the existing trees fertilized to provide a rich growing environment. A few challenges occurred during the design process. It was decided that a new generator was to be installed in the woodland and due to a future addition to the house, we were forced to eliminate planned additional impervious pathway surfaces. We provided screening to hide the generator and buffer the noise, and created a meandering path and sitting area out of natural woodchips instead of the proposed bluestone to solve the impervious space issue. The woodchips add a sense of informality and invite the viewer to walk slowly through the space. The reduced noise from the additional screening of the generator allows for quiet reflection as chipmunks scurry and hummingbirds dart about between the flowers. Our plant palette consists of shady understory plants that thrive and flower vigorously from spring through fall. A tall, lush, evergreen backdrop of Ilex opaca and Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’ provides the screening and blends into a middle layer of ‘Ivory Halo’ dogwood, hydrangeas and winterberry hollies. Beautiful perennials and groundcovers bloom along the woodland path, providing a low visual layer of color and texture. Movement throughout the garden is provided by the graceful Calamagrostis brachytricha and Hakenchloa that soften the nearby hardscaping. The woodland floor is full of shade-loving Solomon’s seal, hosta, astilbe, ferns, bleeding heart, Tiarella and Aconitum. The street side of this woodland required plants with a preference for a little more sun and drought tolerance. A palette of oakleaf hydrangea, Agastache, Liatris and Rudbeckia softens the fence line and provides the desired color. As designed and installed, the woodland garden successfully provides the client’s family and office staff a quiet space where they can take a peaceful moment and enjoy nature. Photo Credit: Lisa C. Falls

Terran Landscapes http://www.terranlandscapes.com Project Entry: Fishers Woodland Garden 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Theme Garden $15,000-$30,000 Award Level: Bronze Photo Description: We were contracted by the client to design a calming space for their staff to relax, take a walk, and enjoy a leisurely lunch as well as to provide their grandchildren a place to run and pick flowers. The space was originally dominated by large trees and had been overgrown with ivy, sumac and aggressive vines, providing an unwelcome, dark space with little color or visual appeal. The client requested a colorful blend of shrubs and perennials that would provide interest throughout the seasons, as well as provide privacy by screening the street traffic along Carisbrooke Road. Our goal was to create the privacy screen along the road by layering plants from the ground to the tree canopy. The theme was to let nature inspire the landscape, allowing a space that was originally woodland to become an enhanced version of itself, creating a beautiful habitat for birds and butterflies to excite the senses and satisfy all who enjoy the beauty of nature. We began by clearing the brush and removing all aggressive vines and ivy that jeopardized the health of the trees. We kept and transplanted all non- invasive or native plant material in the area to various locations throughout the property. Several yards of compost were then tilled into the soil and the existing trees fertilized to provide a rich growing environment. A few challenges occurred during the design process. It was decided that a new generator was to be installed in the woodland and due to a future addition to the house, we were forced to eliminate planned additional impervious pathway surfaces. We provided screening to hide the generator and buffer the noise, and created a meandering path and sitting area out of natural woodchips instead of the proposed bluestone to solve the impervious space issue. The woodchips add a sense of informality and invite the viewer to walk slowly through the space. The reduced noise from the additional screening of the generator allows for quiet reflection as chipmunks scurry and hummingbirds dart about between the flowers. Our plant palette consists of shady understory plants that thrive and flower vigorously from spring through fall. A tall, lush, evergreen backdrop of Ilex opaca and Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’ provides the screening and blends into a middle layer of ‘Ivory Halo’ dogwood, hydrangeas and winterberry hollies. Beautiful perennials and groundcovers bloom along the woodland path, providing a low visual layer of color and texture. Movement throughout the garden is provided by the graceful Calamagrostis brachytricha and Hakenchloa that soften the nearby hardscaping. The woodland floor is full of shade-loving Solomon’s seal, hosta, astilbe, ferns, bleeding heart, Tiarella and Aconitum. The street side of this woodland required plants with a preference for a little more sun and drought tolerance. A palette of oakleaf hydrangea, Agastache, Liatris and Rudbeckia softens the fence line and provides the desired color. As designed and installed, the woodland garden successfully provides the client’s family and office staff a quiet space where they can take a peaceful moment and enjoy nature. Photo Credit: Lisa C. Falls

Single hole faucet with two valves and pop-up drain. The Mozart collection of harmonious aesthetics that decorates the bathroom space with defined classic lines that adapt to the urban style. A simple piece in compact form that incorporates refined finishes that make this work an exclusive faucet. Its innovative design of double valve with cross handle improves the functionality of continuous use. A piece of timeless as a proposal for the current bathrooms. Manufactured in brass will make your product stand the test of time like the first day. Available in inventory in different finishes. Complete the installation of your bathroom with the accessories of the Classic family Features: Two piece cartridge mixer with ceramic discs Cartridge diameter 3/4 inch 3/8 compression stainless steel flexible connections and 13 inch length. Minimum dynamic pressure: 0.5 Bar (7 1/4 Psi) Maximum operational pressure: 10 Bar (145 Psi) Recommended operational pressure: 3-5 Bar (43 1/2 72 1/2 Psi) It is recommended to use a pressure reducer if inside the waterpipes there are static pressure superior to 5 Bar (72 1/2 Psi) Maximum hot water temperature: 80 Celsius (176 Fahrenheit) Material: Brass Finish/Color: See Color Options Dimensions: W: 8.5" * H: 9.6" * D: 8" Rustproof: Yes Warranty (Years): 1 Material Warranty: Yes Finish Warranty: Yes Easy Installation: Yes SHOP NOW: https://tbboutique.com/collections/bathroom_faucets/products/gir-baf-moz-00437?variant=12605156950115

As a manager of a building or property, you quickly learn the art of mediation. One minute you may be working with a vendor to keep the building’s operating system running efficient and smooth; the next moment you may be calming a tenant down after finding the change in the system disrupted his office’s workflow. Give and take; it’s the only way to make sure every day runs perfectly. Overall, you have two goals to strive for in everything you do. 1. Keep the building running properly, upgrading systems as appropriate, and striving to do all you can on a pre-established budget. 2. Keep the building occupants happy, with as little disruption as possible. While some changes are minor, barely registering on a building occupant’s mind, with HVAC challenges, that’s rarely the case. If a HVAC contractor is replacing an air handler, for instance, and disconnects one and moves to the next unit, it may cause major disruptions to sensitive areas of a building. And if the occupant wasn’t prepared for the disruption, you can have a mighty unhappy customer on your hand. Anytime you are working on HVAC projects throughout your building, there are strategies you can put into place to keep things running smooth. Communicate with occupants Communication is key to any good relationship, and as a property manager, this rule is a great place to start. If you will be working with the HVAC equipment, block out the timeframe for work to be done, and understand the potential consequences of the process. Then communicate this process with every point of contact you have throughout the building. The more detail you can provide, the less surprises you’ll have throughout the process. You can also work with your building’s occupants before the process begins, finding out if there are better timeframes than others. Establish a realistic schedule As a property manager, its easy to provide your expectations for the HVAC project at hand, and request that the proposal be written in such a way that work is completed on your timeframe. Unfortunately, many contractors want your business and will agree to anything upfront in order to win the bid, knowing full well the work will take longer than specified. Instead of projecting your timeframes into the proposal process, ask for HVAC project bids to establish realistic schedules of how long the process will take, and what areas of your property will be most effected throughout the schedule. This will help you avoid crises between you and the contractor, and you and your tenants. Plan for the whole system If one small piece of your HVAC system is weak, its easy to fix that one small piece. But how will that impact your overall system? Will it cause weak spots in different parts of the building – maybe a corner office will have reduced air flow, and therefore be colder in the winter and warmer in the summer? When retrofitting new pieces with older existing systems, its easy to reduce the efficiency of your entire system. Before agreeing to certain repairs, make sure you understand how it will impact your entire system overall. An easy way of handling this problem is by working with the same HVAC contractor again and again, He will understand your system’s potential, and know when to make repairs, and when to replace. Have points of contact available for immediate assistance In many cases, problems arise because connections can’t be made. Can the HVAC contractor get a hold or you or another person that can make decisions at a moments notice if a problem arises? Do you have access to decision makers throughout the building that may be impacted by this change? Many projects have been put on hold simply because a person in authority can’t be found to give the go-ahead to move forward. If you have access to these people during the time of the project, you’ll be able to complete the project in record time. Test Finally, if you can test things in stages, or test when the potential for problems is the smallest, you reduce the chances of bigger emergency issues falling into your lap. If you’ll be installing a new terminal unit, can you make the switch on a Saturday morning when the building is largely unoccupied? If you’re replacing a large system, can you replace and test in phases so the entire project isn’t released at once? Most issues can be avoided with just a little strategy from the beginning. If you’ve never had a HVAC maintenance team to help you stay on track with your building’s heating and cooling, now may be the time to find out how easy a team approach makes the process.

Small elegant gray one-story mixed siding gable roof photo in Charleston

Terran Landscapes http://www.terranlandscapes.com Project Entry: Fishers Woodland Garden 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Theme Garden $15,000-$30,000 Award Level: Bronze Photo Description: We were contracted by the client to design a calming space for their staff to relax, take a walk, and enjoy a leisurely lunch as well as to provide their grandchildren a place to run and pick flowers. The space was originally dominated by large trees and had been overgrown with ivy, sumac and aggressive vines, providing an unwelcome, dark space with little color or visual appeal. The client requested a colorful blend of shrubs and perennials that would provide interest throughout the seasons, as well as provide privacy by screening the street traffic along Carisbrooke Road. Our goal was to create the privacy screen along the road by layering plants from the ground to the tree canopy. The theme was to let nature inspire the landscape, allowing a space that was originally woodland to become an enhanced version of itself, creating a beautiful habitat for birds and butterflies to excite the senses and satisfy all who enjoy the beauty of nature. We began by clearing the brush and removing all aggressive vines and ivy that jeopardized the health of the trees. We kept and transplanted all non- invasive or native plant material in the area to various locations throughout the property. Several yards of compost were then tilled into the soil and the existing trees fertilized to provide a rich growing environment. A few challenges occurred during the design process. It was decided that a new generator was to be installed in the woodland and due to a future addition to the house, we were forced to eliminate planned additional impervious pathway surfaces. We provided screening to hide the generator and buffer the noise, and created a meandering path and sitting area out of natural woodchips instead of the proposed bluestone to solve the impervious space issue. The woodchips add a sense of informality and invite the viewer to walk slowly through the space. The reduced noise from the additional screening of the generator allows for quiet reflection as chipmunks scurry and hummingbirds dart about between the flowers. Our plant palette consists of shady understory plants that thrive and flower vigorously from spring through fall. A tall, lush, evergreen backdrop of Ilex opaca and Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’ provides the screening and blends into a middle layer of ‘Ivory Halo’ dogwood, hydrangeas and winterberry hollies. Beautiful perennials and groundcovers bloom along the woodland path, providing a low visual layer of color and texture. Movement throughout the garden is provided by the graceful Calamagrostis brachytricha and Hakenchloa that soften the nearby hardscaping. The woodland floor is full of shade-loving Solomon’s seal, hosta, astilbe, ferns, bleeding heart, Tiarella and Aconitum. The street side of this woodland required plants with a preference for a little more sun and drought tolerance. A palette of oakleaf hydrangea, Agastache, Liatris and Rudbeckia softens the fence line and provides the desired color. As designed and installed, the woodland garden successfully provides the client’s family and office staff a quiet space where they can take a peaceful moment and enjoy nature. Photo Credit: Lisa C. Falls

A handy, empty-nester couple, nearing retirement, sold their mansion, and purchased a fixer-upper on a sunlit hillside that features the spectacular ocean view of the Channel Islands. ENRarchitects was hired to assist with making minor enhancements to the plan, integrating the lower level parking court, and adding a patio deck. The owner, a retiring engineer, took on the responsibilities of general contracting during construction. Our collaboration included opening the kitchen to the Living-Dining space, so all can enjoy the ocean view. A balcony was added to second floor Master Study, with a new laundry room below it. Both bathrooms were modestly enlarged to provide more spacious showers. Lastly, the Entry Foyer was opened to ceiling height into the Living Room. In California, ocean views inherently include relentless west sunshine, and formidable interior heat gain. Multiple design studies explored various means to incorporate shading and solar screening measures to permit the view, and to reduce heat gain. Additional studies featured more substantial proposed additions, including a lower level guest suite, and a detached office. A key feature, is the addition of a raised, covered entry porch, where passengers and goods can be offloaded, prior to parking on the lower level. The new porch also provides a secondary transition around the structure to the ocean view, split-level patio. A 2nd phase included the suggestion of rebuilding the lower covered parking to include a roof deck, rooftop guest suite, and solar electricity, which was successfully completed. The property is now mildly reminiscent of the Sea Ranch community. With the blessing of year-round comfortable weather, and ever-changing, dynamic views, the successfully remodeled home takes full advantage for a new generation of colorful living. (photo by owner) "We are so happy with the results, and proud you’d include our place in your client list. We are extremely happy and will always tout your skills." -Bill & Janice, Camarillo

A handy, empty-nester couple, nearing retirement, sold their mansion, and purchased a fixer-upper on a sunlit hillside that features the spectacular ocean view of the Channel Islands. ENRarchitects was hired to assist with making minor enhancements to the plan, integrating the lower level parking court, and adding a patio deck. The owner, a retiring engineer, took on the responsibilities of general contracting during construction. Our collaboration included opening the kitchen to the Living-Dining space, so all can enjoy the ocean view. A balcony was added to second floor Master Study, with a new laundry room below it. Both bathrooms were modestly enlarged to provide more spacious showers. Lastly, the Entry Foyer was opened to ceiling height into the Living Room. In California, ocean views inherently include relentless west sunshine, and formidable interior heat gain. Multiple design studies explored various means to incorporate shading and solar screening measures to permit the view, and to reduce heat gain. Additional studies featured more substantial proposed additions, including a lower level guest suite, and a detached office. A key feature, is the addition of a raised, covered entry porch, where passengers and goods can be offloaded, prior to parking on the lower level. The new porch also provides a secondary transition around the structure to the ocean view, split-level patio. A 2nd phase included the suggestion of rebuilding the lower covered parking to include a roof deck, rooftop guest suite, and solar electricity, which was successfully completed. The property is now mildly reminiscent of the Sea Ranch community. With the blessing of year-round comfortable weather, and ever-changing, dynamic views, the successfully remodeled home takes full advantage for a new generation of colorful living. (photo by owner) "We are so happy with the results, and proud you’d include our place in your client list. We are extremely happy and will always tout your skills." -Bill & Janice, Camarillo

A handy, empty-nester couple, nearing retirement, sold their mansion, and purchased a fixer-upper on a sunlit hillside that features the spectacular ocean view of the Channel Islands. ENRarchitects was hired to assist with making minor enhancements to the plan, integrating the lower level parking court, and adding a patio deck. The owner, a retiring engineer, took on the responsibilities of general contracting during construction. Our collaboration included opening the kitchen to the Living-Dining space, so all can enjoy the ocean view. A balcony was added to second floor Master Study, with a new laundry room below it. Both bathrooms were modestly enlarged to provide more spacious showers. Lastly, the Entry Foyer was opened to ceiling height into the Living Room. In California, ocean views inherently include relentless west sunshine, and formidable interior heat gain. Multiple design studies explored various means to incorporate shading and solar screening measures to permit the view, and to reduce heat gain. Additional studies featured more substantial proposed additions, including a lower level guest suite, and a detached office. A key feature, is the addition of a raised, covered entry porch, where passengers and goods can be offloaded, prior to parking on the lower level. The new porch also provides a secondary transition around the structure to the ocean view, split-level patio. A 2nd phase included the suggestion of rebuilding the lower covered parking to include a roof deck, rooftop guest suite, and solar electricity, which was successfully completed. The property is now mildly reminiscent of the Sea Ranch community. With the blessing of year-round comfortable weather, and ever-changing, dynamic views, the successfully remodeled home takes full advantage for a new generation of colorful living. (photo by owner) "We are so happy with the results, and proud you’d include our place in your client list. We are extremely happy and will always tout your skills." -Bill & Janice, Camarillo

A handy, empty-nester couple, nearing retirement, sold their mansion, and purchased a fixer-upper on a sunlit hillside that features the spectacular ocean view of the Channel Islands. ENRarchitects was hired to assist with making minor enhancements to the plan, integrating the lower level parking court, and adding a patio deck. The owner, a retiring engineer, took on the responsibilities of general contracting during construction. Our collaboration included opening the kitchen to the Living-Dining space, so all can enjoy the ocean view. A balcony was added to second floor Master Study, with a new laundry room below it. Both bathrooms were modestly enlarged to provide more spacious showers. Lastly, the Entry Foyer was opened to ceiling height into the Living Room. In California, ocean views inherently include relentless west sunshine, and formidable interior heat gain. Multiple design studies explored various means to incorporate shading and solar screening measures to permit the view, and to reduce heat gain. Additional studies featured more substantial proposed additions, including a lower level guest suite, and a detached office. A key feature, is the addition of a raised, covered entry porch, where passengers and goods can be offloaded, prior to parking on the lower level. The new porch also provides a secondary transition around the structure to the ocean view, split-level patio. A 2nd phase included the suggestion of rebuilding the lower covered parking to include a roof deck, rooftop guest suite, and solar electricity, which was successfully completed. The property is now mildly reminiscent of the Sea Ranch community. With the blessing of year-round comfortable weather, and ever-changing, dynamic views, the successfully remodeled home takes full advantage for a new generation of colorful living. (photo by owner) "We are so happy with the results, and proud you’d include our place in your client list. We are extremely happy and will always tout your skills." -Bill & Janice, Camarillo

Photo: Hoi Ning Wong © 2014 Houzz
Photo of a mid-century modern landscaping in San Francisco.

We used: Custom cherry cabinetry in Arts & Crafts Shaker style by Kabinart in Boulder and Espresso stains. Liberty Hardware Venetian bronze 1-1/2" cabinet knobs. KitchenAid Architect II Series 22 CF counter-depth French door refrigerator. KitchenAid Architect Series II 27" convection single wall oven. KitchenAid 36" 6-burner dual fuel freestanding commercial-style range. KitchenAid Architect II Series 24" dishwasher. Sharp Insight Pro Series 24" built-in microwave drawer (Model #KB6524PS). Crystorama Solaris 12" wide pendant lights in English bronze. Granite countertops in Brown Fantasy. 3"x6" polished marble backsplash. Paint colors: Walls: Glidden Silver Cloud 30YY 63/024 Ceilings/Trims/Doors: Glidden Swan White GLC23 Robert B. Narod Photography

The new owners of this house in Harvard, Massachusetts loved its location and authentic Shaker characteristics, but weren’t fans of its curious layout. A dated first-floor full bathroom could only be accessed by going up a few steps to a landing, opening the bathroom door and then going down the same number of steps to enter the room. The dark kitchen faced the driveway to the north, rather than the bucolic backyard fields to the south. The dining space felt more like an enlarged hall and could only comfortably seat four. Upstairs, a den/office had a woefully low ceiling; the master bedroom had limited storage, and a sad full bathroom featured a cramped shower. KHS proposed a number of changes to create an updated home where the owners could enjoy cooking, entertaining, and being connected to the outdoors from the first-floor living spaces, while also experiencing more inviting and more functional private spaces upstairs. On the first floor, the primary change was to capture space that had been part of an upper-level screen porch and convert it to interior space. To make the interior expansion seamless, we raised the floor of the area that had been the upper-level porch, so it aligns with the main living level, and made sure there would be no soffits in the planes of the walls we removed. We also raised the floor of the remaining lower-level porch to reduce the number of steps required to circulate from it to the newly expanded interior. New patio door systems now fill the arched openings that used to be infilled with screen. The exterior interventions (which also included some new casement windows in the dining area) were designed to be subtle, while affording significant improvements on the interior. Additionally, the first-floor bathroom was reconfigured, shifting one of its walls to widen the dining space, and moving the entrance to the bathroom from the stair landing to the kitchen instead. These changes (which involved significant structural interventions) resulted in a much more open space to accommodate a new kitchen with a view of the lush backyard and a new dining space defined by a new built-in banquette that comfortably seats six, and -- with the addition of a table extension -- up to eight people. Upstairs in the den/office, replacing the low, board ceiling with a raised, plaster, tray ceiling that springs from above the original board-finish walls – newly painted a light color -- created a much more inviting, bright, and expansive space. Re-configuring the master bath to accommodate a larger shower and adding built-in storage cabinets in the master bedroom improved comfort and function. A new whole-house color palette rounds out the improvements. Photos by Katie Hutchison

The new owners of this house in Harvard, Massachusetts loved its location and authentic Shaker characteristics, but weren’t fans of its curious layout. A dated first-floor full bathroom could only be accessed by going up a few steps to a landing, opening the bathroom door and then going down the same number of steps to enter the room. The dark kitchen faced the driveway to the north, rather than the bucolic backyard fields to the south. The dining space felt more like an enlarged hall and could only comfortably seat four. Upstairs, a den/office had a woefully low ceiling; the master bedroom had limited storage, and a sad full bathroom featured a cramped shower. KHS proposed a number of changes to create an updated home where the owners could enjoy cooking, entertaining, and being connected to the outdoors from the first-floor living spaces, while also experiencing more inviting and more functional private spaces upstairs. On the first floor, the primary change was to capture space that had been part of an upper-level screen porch and convert it to interior space. To make the interior expansion seamless, we raised the floor of the area that had been the upper-level porch, so it aligns with the main living level, and made sure there would be no soffits in the planes of the walls we removed. We also raised the floor of the remaining lower-level porch to reduce the number of steps required to circulate from it to the newly expanded interior. New patio door systems now fill the arched openings that used to be infilled with screen. The exterior interventions (which also included some new casement windows in the dining area) were designed to be subtle, while affording significant improvements on the interior. Additionally, the first-floor bathroom was reconfigured, shifting one of its walls to widen the dining space, and moving the entrance to the bathroom from the stair landing to the kitchen instead. These changes (which involved significant structural interventions) resulted in a much more open space to accommodate a new kitchen with a view of the lush backyard and a new dining space defined by a new built-in banquette that comfortably seats six, and -- with the addition of a table extension -- up to eight people. Upstairs in the den/office, replacing the low, board ceiling with a raised, plaster, tray ceiling that springs from above the original board-finish walls – newly painted a light color -- created a much more inviting, bright, and expansive space. Re-configuring the master bath to accommodate a larger shower and adding built-in storage cabinets in the master bedroom improved comfort and function. A new whole-house color palette rounds out the improvements. Photos by Katie Hutchison

The new owners of this house in Harvard, Massachusetts loved its location and authentic Shaker characteristics, but weren’t fans of its curious layout. A dated first-floor full bathroom could only be accessed by going up a few steps to a landing, opening the bathroom door and then going down the same number of steps to enter the room. The dark kitchen faced the driveway to the north, rather than the bucolic backyard fields to the south. The dining space felt more like an enlarged hall and could only comfortably seat four. Upstairs, a den/office had a woefully low ceiling; the master bedroom had limited storage, and a sad full bathroom featured a cramped shower. KHS proposed a number of changes to create an updated home where the owners could enjoy cooking, entertaining, and being connected to the outdoors from the first-floor living spaces, while also experiencing more inviting and more functional private spaces upstairs. On the first floor, the primary change was to capture space that had been part of an upper-level screen porch and convert it to interior space. To make the interior expansion seamless, we raised the floor of the area that had been the upper-level porch, so it aligns with the main living level, and made sure there would be no soffits in the planes of the walls we removed. We also raised the floor of the remaining lower-level porch to reduce the number of steps required to circulate from it to the newly expanded interior. New patio door systems now fill the arched openings that used to be infilled with screen. The exterior interventions (which also included some new casement windows in the dining area) were designed to be subtle, while affording significant improvements on the interior. Additionally, the first-floor bathroom was reconfigured, shifting one of its walls to widen the dining space, and moving the entrance to the bathroom from the stair landing to the kitchen instead. These changes (which involved significant structural interventions) resulted in a much more open space to accommodate a new kitchen with a view of the lush backyard and a new dining space defined by a new built-in banquette that comfortably seats six, and -- with the addition of a table extension -- up to eight people. Upstairs in the den/office, replacing the low, board ceiling with a raised, plaster, tray ceiling that springs from above the original board-finish walls – newly painted a light color -- created a much more inviting, bright, and expansive space. Re-configuring the master bath to accommodate a larger shower and adding built-in storage cabinets in the master bedroom improved comfort and function. A new whole-house color palette rounds out the improvements. Photos by Katie Hutchison