This is the first home of a young professional couple. Their main goal was to remodel their kitchen to create a more open feel. At the time the kitchen included a built in bench and table that was dated and nonfunctional. We worked together to create a new layout on our design software program. It was very helpful for our clients to see their new kitchen in 3-D drawings. We removed a bearing wall between the dining room and kitchen and opened it up for a breakfast bar contained in the peninsula. During demolition we found that there was no foundation under the floor joists in the concealed crawl space below the kitchen and no footings under the bearing wall. After addressing these discovered structural compromises we completed the project with no more surprises for this happy couple. Photographer: Ilona Kalimov

For this full-home remodel, the homeowners were looking for a design-build firm with strong credentials, sustainable practices, and a personal touch. After an extensive search, they chose Schulte Design Build for our expertise, approachability, and commitment to high-quality craftsmanship. From the beginning, collaboration was essential. The homeowners had a well-defined vision but remained open to professional insights, allowing us to create a design that balanced functionality, sustainability, and budget-conscious decisions. Energy efficiency played a key role in the project, with strategic upgrades such as relocating the water heater and switching to a hybrid model. We also adjusted the backup furnace to side vent, reducing roof penetrations and improving overall efficiency. Accessibility was another priority, and our team incorporated thoughtful ADA-friendly solutions throughout the home. The material selection process was equally intentional, ensuring that finishes aligned with the homeowners’ aesthetic goals while staying within budget. Our design team worked closely with them to achieve a refined and cohesive look without compromising quality. Project management and clear communication were crucial to the success of this remodel. With regular check-ins and project tracking software, we kept the process organized and transparent, providing a seamless experience from start to finish. The construction phase lasted six months, during which the homeowners stayed actively involved while trusting our team to bring their vision to life. The end result is a beautifully transformed home that integrates modern efficiencies, accessibility, and timeless design. Beyond the renovation itself, the homeowners gained a deeper understanding of their home’s functionality and feel more connected to their space than ever before. At Schulte Design Build, we take pride in guiding homeowners through the remodeling journey with expertise, integrity, and a collaborative spirit.

Inspired by the multi-functional performance of a shell structure in nature, the design of this two-bedroom, two-bath ADU explored a performance-based roof geometry that becomes the building façade and privacy screen. Coupled with deep roof overhangs, this second skin allows dappled light to penetrate the interior during the day while reflecting the detrimental UV radiation on the southern exposure. The perforations in the second skin are based on the effects of the sun path on the southern exposure and the location of the windows behind the screen. At night, the interior light glows through the perforations, contributing to the name of the project, “LuminOCity”. Orange Coast College and UC Irvine formed a partnership called "Team MADE" to enter the 2023 Orange County Sustainability Decathlon. "MADE" is an acronym for Modular, Affordable Dwellings for the Environment. LuminOCity won second place in the competition and 9 awards in various categories. Following the competition, the home was donated to Homeless Intervention Services, Orange County, where it serves as an ADU on an existing property to provide transitional housing for youth experiencing housing insecurities. This 750sf prefabricated, modular home is built on four, eight foot wide modules that nest together. The building system is predicated on a software-to-manufacturing pipeline called the FrameCAD Machine. This roll-former for light-gauge steel allowed Team MADE to prototype as well as site-manufacture every stud and track in the steel-framed home they would design. Over 100 student volunteers aided in the construction of the steel framing, MEP installation, building envelope, and site work. The use of prefabricated Light Gauge Steel allowed for higher construction tolerances with simplified assembly diagrams that could be followed by student volunteers. Joseph Sarafian, AIA was the lead architect as well as one of four faculty advisors on the project, leading the design of the project from conception to completion.

For this full-home remodel, the homeowners were looking for a design-build firm with strong credentials, sustainable practices, and a personal touch. After an extensive search, they chose Schulte Design Build for our expertise, approachability, and commitment to high-quality craftsmanship. From the beginning, collaboration was essential. The homeowners had a well-defined vision but remained open to professional insights, allowing us to create a design that balanced functionality, sustainability, and budget-conscious decisions. Energy efficiency played a key role in the project, with strategic upgrades such as relocating the water heater and switching to a hybrid model. We also adjusted the backup furnace to side vent, reducing roof penetrations and improving overall efficiency. Accessibility was another priority, and our team incorporated thoughtful ADA-friendly solutions throughout the home. The material selection process was equally intentional, ensuring that finishes aligned with the homeowners’ aesthetic goals while staying within budget. Our design team worked closely with them to achieve a refined and cohesive look without compromising quality. Project management and clear communication were crucial to the success of this remodel. With regular check-ins and project tracking software, we kept the process organized and transparent, providing a seamless experience from start to finish. The construction phase lasted six months, during which the homeowners stayed actively involved while trusting our team to bring their vision to life. The end result is a beautifully transformed home that integrates modern efficiencies, accessibility, and timeless design. Beyond the renovation itself, the homeowners gained a deeper understanding of their home’s functionality and feel more connected to their space than ever before. At Schulte Design Build, we take pride in guiding homeowners through the remodeling journey with expertise, integrity, and a collaborative spirit.

This Wooden Victorian addition and complete kitchen remodel transformed this old outdated traditional home into an elegant and functional space. Now the owners don’t want to move. Even though It looks like an expensive architect designed project, we saved the homeowners the expense of an architect by designing in house with our virtual CAD software to show everything from the chef’s stove, granite top island, pass through arched top window over the kitchen sink and french doors to make the kitchen feel larger, fresh and filled with natural light. With our modular designed Conservatory and structurally insulated floor system, this new favorite part of the house was finished much more quickly than other options.

A waterfront new build, in collaboration with Pat Stone. This is a custom new build on a secluded waterfront lot near Camden, Maine, overlooking the ocean. It was designed for and with Pat Stone, an interior designer I've collaborated with on many projects. When Pat decided to build her own house, she hired me to draw it, and we worked together on both the exterior and the interior the same way we have on other clients' homes. That kind of trust between architect and designer is rare, and it shows up in the result. The site is sloped and wooded, opening to a long ocean view. The house is two volumes connected by a breezeway: the main house and a detached garage. The vocabulary is contemporary modern with traditional New England barn bones. Gabled roofs, a tall stone chimney, vertical board-and-batten siding, standing seam metal roof. Stone foundation walls anchor the lower level into the slope and give the building its name. The view side opens almost entirely to glass. Interior detailing throughout is Pat's. The early design was done in pencil. The colored-pencil studies and the measured elevation both show the same approach: figure out proportions and rhythm by hand before committing them to drawing software. For a custom build like this, on a difficult site, with a client whose own work is in design, that early hand work is where the real decisions get made. It's the project I'm proudest of in Maine. When a designer trusts you to draw the house she'll live in, you take the responsibility seriously, and the work tends to come out better for it.

This Wooden Victorian addition and complete kitchen remodel transformed this old outdated traditional home into an elegant and functional space. Now the owners don’t want to move. Even though It looks like an expensive architect designed project, we saved the homeowners the expense of an architect by designing in house with our virtual CAD software to show everything from the chef’s stove, granite top island, pass through arched top window over the kitchen sink and french doors to make the kitchen feel larger, fresh and filled with natural light. With our modular designed Conservatory and structurally insulated floor system, this new favorite part of the house was finished much more quickly than other options.

Jenna Weiler & Brit Amundson
Example of an arts and crafts basement design in Minneapolis

This Wooden Victorian addition and complete kitchen remodel transformed this old outdated traditional home into an elegant and functional space. Now the owners don’t want to move. Even though It looks like an expensive architect designed project, we saved the homeowners the expense of an architect by designing in house with our virtual CAD software to show everything from the chef’s stove, granite top island, pass through arched top window over the kitchen sink and french doors to make the kitchen feel larger, fresh and filled with natural light. With our modular designed Conservatory and structurally insulated floor system, this new favorite part of the house was finished much more quickly than other options.

This project consists of a full backyard remodel in the San Diego, CA region. New outdoor living elements designed and installed by System Pavers include: full built-in bbq, energy efficient led lighting, custom paver patio and walkway, pergola with electrical hookups, pergola awning attached to home, built in gas fire pit, artificial turf, and drought tolerant landscaping.

Opulent Design Build — Orange County's Premier Custom Home Builder & Full-Service Design-Build Firm Opulent Design Build is Orange County's award-winning design-build firm, bringing over 20 years of experience to custom home construction, whole-home renovations, and high-end remodeling projects across Irvine, Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar, Laguna Beach, Coto de Caza, and beyond. As a true one-stop design-build company, we manage every phase of your project under one roof — from initial concept and architectural design to engineering, HOA approvals, permitting, construction, and final inspection. No handoffs. No miscommunication. No surprises. What We Do: Custom home building & ground-up construction Whole-home renovations & luxury remodels Kitchen remodeling & custom cabinetry Bathroom remodeling & master suite transformations Room additions & Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Eco-friendly & sustainable building solutions Outdoor living spaces & stamped concrete Interior design & finish selections Why Homeowners Choose Opulent: Our in-house team of engineers, licensed contractors, interior designers, and landscape specialists means your project moves faster, stays on budget, and reflects your exact vision. We use state-of-the-art project management software so clients receive daily progress updates and full transparency throughout construction. From gated Newport Harbor estates to sprawling ranch homes in Trabuco Canyon, we've delivered hundreds of custom builds across Orange County — each one crafted with uncompromising attention to detail and premium materials. 5x Best of Houzz Winner | Licensed & Insured | Fixed-Price Estimates | No Hidden Fees ? Irvine, CA | Serving all of Orange County ? (949) 340-0915 | opulentdb.com

For this full-home remodel, the homeowners were looking for a design-build firm with strong credentials, sustainable practices, and a personal touch. After an extensive search, they chose Schulte Design Build for our expertise, approachability, and commitment to high-quality craftsmanship. From the beginning, collaboration was essential. The homeowners had a well-defined vision but remained open to professional insights, allowing us to create a design that balanced functionality, sustainability, and budget-conscious decisions. Energy efficiency played a key role in the project, with strategic upgrades such as relocating the water heater and switching to a hybrid model. We also adjusted the backup furnace to side vent, reducing roof penetrations and improving overall efficiency. Accessibility was another priority, and our team incorporated thoughtful ADA-friendly solutions throughout the home. The material selection process was equally intentional, ensuring that finishes aligned with the homeowners’ aesthetic goals while staying within budget. Our design team worked closely with them to achieve a refined and cohesive look without compromising quality. Project management and clear communication were crucial to the success of this remodel. With regular check-ins and project tracking software, we kept the process organized and transparent, providing a seamless experience from start to finish. The construction phase lasted six months, during which the homeowners stayed actively involved while trusting our team to bring their vision to life. The end result is a beautifully transformed home that integrates modern efficiencies, accessibility, and timeless design. Beyond the renovation itself, the homeowners gained a deeper understanding of their home’s functionality and feel more connected to their space than ever before. At Schulte Design Build, we take pride in guiding homeowners through the remodeling journey with expertise, integrity, and a collaborative spirit.

For this full-home remodel, the homeowners were looking for a design-build firm with strong credentials, sustainable practices, and a personal touch. After an extensive search, they chose Schulte Design Build for our expertise, approachability, and commitment to high-quality craftsmanship. From the beginning, collaboration was essential. The homeowners had a well-defined vision but remained open to professional insights, allowing us to create a design that balanced functionality, sustainability, and budget-conscious decisions. Energy efficiency played a key role in the project, with strategic upgrades such as relocating the water heater and switching to a hybrid model. We also adjusted the backup furnace to side vent, reducing roof penetrations and improving overall efficiency. Accessibility was another priority, and our team incorporated thoughtful ADA-friendly solutions throughout the home. The material selection process was equally intentional, ensuring that finishes aligned with the homeowners’ aesthetic goals while staying within budget. Our design team worked closely with them to achieve a refined and cohesive look without compromising quality. Project management and clear communication were crucial to the success of this remodel. With regular check-ins and project tracking software, we kept the process organized and transparent, providing a seamless experience from start to finish. The construction phase lasted six months, during which the homeowners stayed actively involved while trusting our team to bring their vision to life. The end result is a beautifully transformed home that integrates modern efficiencies, accessibility, and timeless design. Beyond the renovation itself, the homeowners gained a deeper understanding of their home’s functionality and feel more connected to their space than ever before. At Schulte Design Build, we take pride in guiding homeowners through the remodeling journey with expertise, integrity, and a collaborative spirit.

For this full-home remodel, the homeowners were looking for a design-build firm with strong credentials, sustainable practices, and a personal touch. After an extensive search, they chose Schulte Design Build for our expertise, approachability, and commitment to high-quality craftsmanship. From the beginning, collaboration was essential. The homeowners had a well-defined vision but remained open to professional insights, allowing us to create a design that balanced functionality, sustainability, and budget-conscious decisions. Energy efficiency played a key role in the project, with strategic upgrades such as relocating the water heater and switching to a hybrid model. We also adjusted the backup furnace to side vent, reducing roof penetrations and improving overall efficiency. Accessibility was another priority, and our team incorporated thoughtful ADA-friendly solutions throughout the home. The material selection process was equally intentional, ensuring that finishes aligned with the homeowners’ aesthetic goals while staying within budget. Our design team worked closely with them to achieve a refined and cohesive look without compromising quality. Project management and clear communication were crucial to the success of this remodel. With regular check-ins and project tracking software, we kept the process organized and transparent, providing a seamless experience from start to finish. The construction phase lasted six months, during which the homeowners stayed actively involved while trusting our team to bring their vision to life. The end result is a beautifully transformed home that integrates modern efficiencies, accessibility, and timeless design. Beyond the renovation itself, the homeowners gained a deeper understanding of their home’s functionality and feel more connected to their space than ever before. At Schulte Design Build, we take pride in guiding homeowners through the remodeling journey with expertise, integrity, and a collaborative spirit.

Inspired by the multi-functional performance of a shell structure in nature, the design of this two-bedroom, two-bath ADU explored a performance-based roof geometry that becomes the building façade and privacy screen. Coupled with deep roof overhangs, this second skin allows dappled light to penetrate the interior during the day while reflecting the detrimental UV radiation on the southern exposure. The perforations in the second skin are based on the effects of the sun path on the southern exposure and the location of the windows behind the screen. At night, the interior light glows through the perforations, contributing to the name of the project, “LuminOCity”. Orange Coast College and UC Irvine formed a partnership called "Team MADE" to enter the 2023 Orange County Sustainability Decathlon. "MADE" is an acronym for Modular, Affordable Dwellings for the Environment. LuminOCity won second place in the competition and 9 awards in various categories. Following the competition, the home was donated to Homeless Intervention Services, Orange County, where it serves as an ADU on an existing property to provide transitional housing for youth experiencing housing insecurities. This 750sf prefabricated, modular home is built on four, eight foot wide modules that nest together. The building system is predicated on a software-to-manufacturing pipeline called the FrameCAD Machine. This roll-former for light-gauge steel allowed Team MADE to prototype as well as site-manufacture every stud and track in the steel-framed home they would design. Over 100 student volunteers aided in the construction of the steel framing, MEP installation, building envelope, and site work. The use of prefabricated Light Gauge Steel allowed for higher construction tolerances with simplified assembly diagrams that could be followed by student volunteers. Joseph Sarafian, AIA was the lead architect as well as one of four faculty advisors on the project, leading the design of the project from conception to completion.

For this full-home remodel, the homeowners were looking for a design-build firm with strong credentials, sustainable practices, and a personal touch. After an extensive search, they chose Schulte Design Build for our expertise, approachability, and commitment to high-quality craftsmanship. From the beginning, collaboration was essential. The homeowners had a well-defined vision but remained open to professional insights, allowing us to create a design that balanced functionality, sustainability, and budget-conscious decisions. Energy efficiency played a key role in the project, with strategic upgrades such as relocating the water heater and switching to a hybrid model. We also adjusted the backup furnace to side vent, reducing roof penetrations and improving overall efficiency. Accessibility was another priority, and our team incorporated thoughtful ADA-friendly solutions throughout the home. The material selection process was equally intentional, ensuring that finishes aligned with the homeowners’ aesthetic goals while staying within budget. Our design team worked closely with them to achieve a refined and cohesive look without compromising quality. Project management and clear communication were crucial to the success of this remodel. With regular check-ins and project tracking software, we kept the process organized and transparent, providing a seamless experience from start to finish. The construction phase lasted six months, during which the homeowners stayed actively involved while trusting our team to bring their vision to life. The end result is a beautifully transformed home that integrates modern efficiencies, accessibility, and timeless design. Beyond the renovation itself, the homeowners gained a deeper understanding of their home’s functionality and feel more connected to their space than ever before. At Schulte Design Build, we take pride in guiding homeowners through the remodeling journey with expertise, integrity, and a collaborative spirit.

For this full-home remodel, the homeowners were looking for a design-build firm with strong credentials, sustainable practices, and a personal touch. After an extensive search, they chose Schulte Design Build for our expertise, approachability, and commitment to high-quality craftsmanship. From the beginning, collaboration was essential. The homeowners had a well-defined vision but remained open to professional insights, allowing us to create a design that balanced functionality, sustainability, and budget-conscious decisions. Energy efficiency played a key role in the project, with strategic upgrades such as relocating the water heater and switching to a hybrid model. We also adjusted the backup furnace to side vent, reducing roof penetrations and improving overall efficiency. Accessibility was another priority, and our team incorporated thoughtful ADA-friendly solutions throughout the home. The material selection process was equally intentional, ensuring that finishes aligned with the homeowners’ aesthetic goals while staying within budget. Our design team worked closely with them to achieve a refined and cohesive look without compromising quality. Project management and clear communication were crucial to the success of this remodel. With regular check-ins and project tracking software, we kept the process organized and transparent, providing a seamless experience from start to finish. The construction phase lasted six months, during which the homeowners stayed actively involved while trusting our team to bring their vision to life. The end result is a beautifully transformed home that integrates modern efficiencies, accessibility, and timeless design. Beyond the renovation itself, the homeowners gained a deeper understanding of their home’s functionality and feel more connected to their space than ever before. At Schulte Design Build, we take pride in guiding homeowners through the remodeling journey with expertise, integrity, and a collaborative spirit.

A waterfront new build, in collaboration with Pat Stone. This is a custom new build on a secluded waterfront lot near Camden, Maine, overlooking the ocean. It was designed for and with Pat Stone, an interior designer I've collaborated with on many projects. When Pat decided to build her own house, she hired me to draw it, and we worked together on both the exterior and the interior the same way we have on other clients' homes. That kind of trust between architect and designer is rare, and it shows up in the result. The site is sloped and wooded, opening to a long ocean view. The house is two volumes connected by a breezeway: the main house and a detached garage. The vocabulary is contemporary modern with traditional New England barn bones. Gabled roofs, a tall stone chimney, vertical board-and-batten siding, standing seam metal roof. Stone foundation walls anchor the lower level into the slope and give the building its name. The view side opens almost entirely to glass. Interior detailing throughout is Pat's. The early design was done in pencil. The colored-pencil studies and the measured elevation both show the same approach: figure out proportions and rhythm by hand before committing them to drawing software. For a custom build like this, on a difficult site, with a client whose own work is in design, that early hand work is where the real decisions get made. It's the project I'm proudest of in Maine. When a designer trusts you to draw the house she'll live in, you take the responsibility seriously, and the work tends to come out better for it.

For this full-home remodel, the homeowners were looking for a design-build firm with strong credentials, sustainable practices, and a personal touch. After an extensive search, they chose Schulte Design Build for our expertise, approachability, and commitment to high-quality craftsmanship. From the beginning, collaboration was essential. The homeowners had a well-defined vision but remained open to professional insights, allowing us to create a design that balanced functionality, sustainability, and budget-conscious decisions. Energy efficiency played a key role in the project, with strategic upgrades such as relocating the water heater and switching to a hybrid model. We also adjusted the backup furnace to side vent, reducing roof penetrations and improving overall efficiency. Accessibility was another priority, and our team incorporated thoughtful ADA-friendly solutions throughout the home. The material selection process was equally intentional, ensuring that finishes aligned with the homeowners’ aesthetic goals while staying within budget. Our design team worked closely with them to achieve a refined and cohesive look without compromising quality. Project management and clear communication were crucial to the success of this remodel. With regular check-ins and project tracking software, we kept the process organized and transparent, providing a seamless experience from start to finish. The construction phase lasted six months, during which the homeowners stayed actively involved while trusting our team to bring their vision to life. The end result is a beautifully transformed home that integrates modern efficiencies, accessibility, and timeless design. Beyond the renovation itself, the homeowners gained a deeper understanding of their home’s functionality and feel more connected to their space than ever before. At Schulte Design Build, we take pride in guiding homeowners through the remodeling journey with expertise, integrity, and a collaborative spirit.