Our clients purchased this 1950 ranch style cottage knowing it needed to be updated. They fell in love with the location, being within walking distance to White Rock Lake. They wanted to redesign the layout of the house to improve the flow and function of the spaces while maintaining a cozy feel. They wanted to explore the idea of opening up the kitchen and possibly even relocating it. A laundry room and mudroom space needed to be added to that space, as well. Both bathrooms needed a complete update and they wanted to enlarge the master bath if possible, to have a double vanity and more efficient storage. With two small boys and one on the way, they ideally wanted to add a 3rd bedroom to the house within the existing footprint but were open to possibly designing an addition, if that wasn’t possible. In the end, we gave them everything they wanted, without having to put an addition on to the home. They absolutely love the openness of their new kitchen and living spaces and we even added a small bar! They have their much-needed laundry room and mudroom off the back patio, so their “drop zone” is out of the way. We were able to add storage and double vanity to the master bathroom by enclosing what used to be a coat closet near the entryway and using that sq. ft. in the bathroom. The functionality of this house has completely changed and has definitely changed the lives of our clients for the better!

Small Ranch Style. Photo by Mark Galbraith
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary brown two-story wood gable roof remodel with a shingle roof

Alise O'Brien
Inspiration for a country white two-story wood exterior home remodel in Austin

Meghan Bob Photography
Kitchen - mid-sized transitional l-shaped light wood floor and beige floor kitchen idea in Los Angeles with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, green cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, no island and porcelain backsplash

This is a remodel of a 1970's ranch. The shed dormers were added to create height to the horizontal ranch home. New windows with crisp white trim gives this home cottage charm. The taupe board and batten siding compliments the homes original stone exterior. White columns were added to the entry and garage to add architectural detail.

Country white one-story wood gable roof idea in San Francisco

The 3,400 SF, 3 – bedroom, 3 ½ bath main house feels larger than it is because we pulled the kids’ bedroom wing and master suite wing out from the public spaces and connected all three with a TV Den. Convenient ranch house features include a porte cochere at the side entrance to the mud room, a utility/sewing room near the kitchen, and covered porches that wrap two sides of the pool terrace. We designed a separate icehouse to showcase the owner’s unique collection of Texas memorabilia. The building includes a guest suite and a comfortable porch overlooking the pool. The main house and icehouse utilize reclaimed wood siding, brick, stone, tie, tin, and timbers alongside appropriate new materials to add a feeling of age.

Paul Johnson
Family room - cottage family room idea in New York

Susan Teare
Example of a small mountain style two-story wood gable roof design in Burlington

Erik Kvalsvik
Farmhouse white two-story gable roof idea in Austin

Bernard Andre
Example of a transitional beige one-story stucco exterior home design in San Francisco with a metal roof

Example of a mid-sized cottage white one-story wood exterior home design in San Diego

1960s gray one-story concrete fiberboard house exterior photo in Houston with a hip roof and a metal roof

Alek Lisefski / tiny-project.com
Small trendy living room photo in San Francisco

Showcase Photographers
Inspiration for a small cottage white one-story brick gable roof remodel in Nashville

Alek Lisefski / tiny-project.com
Trendy kitchen photo in San Francisco with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets and stainless steel appliances

The owners of this mid-century post-and-beam Pasadena house overlooking the Arroyo Seco asked us to add onto and adapt the house to meet their current needs. The renovation infused the home with a contemporary aesthetic while retaining the home's original character (reminiscent of Cliff May's Ranch-style houses) the project includes and extension to the master bedroom, a new outdoor living room, and updates to the pool, pool house, landscape, and hardscape. we were also asked to design and fabricate custom cabinetry for the home office and an aluminum and glass table for the dining room. PROJECT TEAM: Peter Tolkin,Angela Uriu, Dan Parks, Anthony Denzer, Leigh Jerrard,Ted Rubenstein, Christopher Girt ENGINEERS: Charles Tan + Associates (Structural) LANDSCAPE: Elysian Landscapes GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Western Installations PHOTOGRAPHER:Peter Tolkin

Set in Montana's tranquil Shields River Valley, the Shilo Ranch Compound is a collection of structures that were specifically built on a relatively smaller scale, to maximize efficiency. The main house has two bedrooms, a living area, dining and kitchen, bath and adjacent greenhouse, while two guest homes within the compound can sleep a total of 12 friends and family. There's also a common gathering hall, for dinners, games, and time together. The overall feel here is of sophisticated simplicity, with plaster walls, concrete and wood floors, and weathered boards for exteriors. The placement of each building was considered closely when envisioning how people would move through the property, based on anticipated needs and interests. Sustainability and consumption was also taken into consideration, as evidenced by the photovoltaic panels on roof of the garage, and the capability to shut down any of the compound's buildings when not in use.

An existing mid-century ranch house is renovated and expanded to accommodate the client's preference for a modern style of living. The extent of the renovation included a reworked floor plan, new kitchen, a large, open great room with indoor/outdoor space and an expended and reconfigured bedroom wing. Newly vaulted ceilings with shed dormers bring substantial daylight into the living spaces of the home. The exterior of the home is reinterpreted as a modern take on the traditional farmhouse. Interior Design: Lillie Design Photographer: Caroline Johnson