This commercial-to-residential remodel took an abandoned commercial building in southeast Portland and transformed it into an open, light-filled celebration of simplicity. Architect Elizabeth Williams of Pencil Work Studio designed the remodel of the building, which in its hundred-year life had served as nickelodeon, school, place of worship, and dance hall. The loft living space occupies the second floor, while music and rehearsal space occupies the first. After converting the building into a livable loft space, Hammer & Hand returned to remodel the existing kitchen with design by Risa Boyer Architecture.

Custom map wallpaper with coastal Delaware theme, white vanity, and sleek counter.
Small beach style wallpaper powder room photo in Other with white cabinets and a freestanding vanity

This one is near and dear to my heart. Not only is it in my own backyard, it is also the first remodel project I've gotten to do for myself! This space was previously a detached two car garage in our backyard. Seeing it transform from such a utilitarian, dingy garage to a bright and cheery little retreat was so much fun and so rewarding! This space was slated to be an AirBNB from the start and I knew I wanted to design it for the adventure seeker, the savvy traveler, and those who appreciate all the little design details . My goal was to make a warm and inviting space that our guests would look forward to coming back to after a full day of exploring the city or gorgeous mountains and trails that define the Pacific Northwest. I also wanted to make a few bold choices, like the hunter green kitchen cabinets or patterned tile, because while a lot of people might be too timid to make those choice for their own home, who doesn't love trying it on for a few days?At the end of the day I am so happy with how it all turned out!

Primary bathroom remodel with steel blue double vanity and tower linen cabinet, quartz countertop, petite free-standing soaking tub, custom shower with floating bench and glass doors, herringbone porcelain tile floor, v-groove wall paneling, white ceramic subway tile in shower, and a beautiful color palette of blues, taupes, creams and sparkly chrome.

Photo: Vicki Bodine
Eat-in kitchen - large cottage u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in New York with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stone slab backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography

This vintage sink was given a new life in the remodeled kitchen. A new faucet was purchased and stripped down to its original brass base to give it a vintage look suitable for the age of the sink.

We used a very linear, classical plan with open piers in lieu of walls and exposed wood beams to create a bright sophisticated interior. The interior incorporates stained, wide-plank flooring, wood storefront (glass stile + rail) doors, barn doors, simple modern and weathered tile, stained, traditionally-finished cabinetry, wood beams, custom lighting, and incorporates the client’s art, collected during their world travels.

ModDesk Pro-L by MultiTable® https://www.multitable.com/product/moddesk-pro-l-adjustable-height-l-shaped-standing-desk/ The ModDesk Pro-L by MultiTable® is obsessively engineered to be today’s most advanced height adjustable L-shaped workstation. Now you have every advantage to expand your entire work surface to 3,048 total square inches that raise and lower at your command. Powered by technologically enhanced triple Bosch motors, the desk surpasses the industry standard with a quieter, faster and smoother transition from 24.25” to the height of 50.25” in a matter of seconds. The powder-coated frame is configured for maximum durability, integrating automotive-grade steel components flawlessly designed for optimal performance. Adaptable to any modern office environment, the L-shaped desk return is interchangeable from left to right. Just a few simple adjustments to the desk frame offer you the added flexibility and freedom to redefine your workstyle. Broaden your reach with a premium desk that is fundamentally designed to do more for you at every level.

Example of a cottage formal living room design in Boston with white walls and a standard fireplace

This commercial-to-residential remodel took an abandoned commercial building in southeast Portland and transformed it into an open, light-filled celebration of simplicity. Architect Elizabeth Williams of Pencil Work Studio designed the remodel of the building, which in its hundred-year life had served as nickelodeon, school, place of worship, and dance hall. The loft living space occupies the second floor, while music and rehearsal space occupies the first. After converting the building into a livable loft space, Hammer & Hand returned to remodel the existing kitchen with design by Risa Boyer Architecture.

Mikiko Kikuyama
Example of a 1960s light wood floor dining room design in New York with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace

Bret Gum for Cottages and Bungalows
Inspiration for a shabby-chic style terra-cotta tile dining room remodel in Los Angeles

MVB.
Example of a transitional living room design in Seattle

Open to the living room, the kitchen features walnut open shelving, a gorgeous Cerno "Aeris" LED linear pendant, a SubZero refrigerator and generous work space on the granite peninsula. The large wall niche is a workhorse, holding mugs, a French press, and other kitchen staples. A small painting dresses up the niche and adds an unexpected treat.

Large transitional beige two-story mixed siding house exterior photo in Kansas City with a shingle roof

Not all garage doors are created equal. Dynamic Garage Doors are custom designed for each individual project. Our full custom design and manufacturing abilities allow us to create unique custom garage doors that naturally blend into each home's authentic architectural style. This Mid Century style carport was converted into a fully functional garage but presented a problem when it came time to retrofit it with a custom wood garage door. Since the ground was pitched at a sloping angle it required the need of a custom designed asymmetrical garage door that would compensate for the huge gap at the bottom of the garage door opening. Taking careful measurements was of essence to handcraft a garage door that would fit perfectly into the awkwardly shaped garage opening. Once everything was calculated to perfection our designers came up with a minimalistic Mid Century style garage door design that would complement the home's architectural elements. The answer was a fine-lined garage door design with horizontal tongue and groove slats in solid mahogany that were carefully stained to simulate and match the home's existing ipe wood accents. We opted for ipe-stained mahogany in lieu of real ipe to save the client on the custom garage door cost while still delivering a garage door that will last a lifetime and look like a naturally blended architectural element of the home. Enclosing the carport and adding a Dynamic Garage Door re-purposed and graduated a simple carport to a fully functional garage with a working automatic garage door. Investing in a custom garage door for this sloping carport will prove to return the investment at time of resale. Not to mention, of course, the curb appeal enhancement it gave the home.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern 3/4 beige tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile corner shower remodel in Miami with black cabinets, beige walls and granite countertops

Dark stone, custom cherry cabinetry, misty forest wallpaper, and a luxurious soaker tub mix together to create this spectacular primary bathroom. These returning clients came to us with a vision to transform their builder-grade bathroom into a showpiece, inspired in part by the Japanese garden and forest surrounding their home. Our designer, Anna, incorporated several accessibility-friendly features into the bathroom design; a zero-clearance shower entrance, a tiled shower bench, stylish grab bars, and a wide ledge for transitioning into the soaking tub. Our master cabinet maker and finish carpenters collaborated to create the handmade tapered legs of the cherry cabinets, a custom mirror frame, and new wood trim.