Needing more space for their growing family, these young homeowners approached us to help them create an updated, larger home from their existing 1953 split-level. On the first floor, walls were removed to create an open concept kitchen and living room. A new dining room addition was constructed in the back, as well as a new tandem 2-car garage.

Example of a mid-sized minimalist beige two-story stucco exterior home design in Albuquerque with a hip roof

Example of a mid-sized classic gray split-level wood house exterior design in Charlotte with a hip roof and a shingle roof

The garage entry was moved from the back to front of the house, providing much easier access and a backyard free from blacktop. A second level was added over the living room area for a new master suite.

Split level modern trellis detail
Mid-sized transitional blue split-level concrete fiberboard gable roof idea in Raleigh

Needing more space for their growing family, these young homeowners approached us to help them create an updated, larger home from their existing 1953 split-level. On the first floor, walls were removed to create an open concept kitchen and living room. A new dining room addition was constructed in the back, as well as a new tandem 2-car garage. A new second floor addition was created to include 2 bedrooms, a hall bathroom, a master bedroom suite, and a laundry room. On the exterior, a completely new, refreshed and updated look was achieved through the use of new siding, windows and roofing. By more than doubling the size of the existing home, the family is now ready to enjoy all of the space that they need.

Brian Wolf Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern yellow split-level vinyl gable roof remodel in Baltimore

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless split-level stone exterior home remodel in Dallas

Large transitional green split-level concrete fiberboard and clapboard gable roof photo in Chicago with a shingle roof and a brown roof

In a wooded area of Lafayette, a mid-century home was re-imagined for a graphic designer and kindergarten teacher couple and their three children. A major new design feature is a high ceiling great room that wraps from the front to the back yard, turning a corner at the kitchen and ending at the family room fireplace. This room was designed with a high flat roof to work in conjunction with existing roof forms to create a unified whole, and raise interior ceiling heights from eight to over ten feet. All new lighting and large floor to ceiling Fleetwood aluminum windows expand views of the trees beyond. The existing home was enlarged by 700 square feet with a small exterior addition enlarging the kitchen over an existing deck, and a larger amount by excavating out crawlspace at the garage level to create a new home office with full bath, and separate laundry utility room. The remodeled residence became 3,847 square feet in total area including the garage. Exterior curb appeal was improved with all new Fleetwood windows, stained wood siding and stucco. New steel railing and concrete steps lead up to the front entry. Front and rear yard new landscape design by Huettl Landscape Architecture dramatically alters the site. New planting was added at the front yard with landscape lighting and modern concrete pavers and the rear yard has multiple decks for family gatherings with the focal point a concrete conversation circle with central fire feature. Everything revolves around the corner kitchen, large windows to the backyard, quartz countertops and cabinetry in painted and walnut finishes. The homeowners enjoyed the process of selecting Heath Tile for the kitchen backsplash and white oval tiles at the family room fireplace. Black brick tiles by Fireclay were used on the living room hearth. The kitchen flows into the family room all with views to the beautifully landscaped yards. The primary suite has a built-in window seat with large windows overlooking the garden, walnut cabinetry in a skylit walk-in closet, and a large dramatic skylight bouncing light into the shower. The kid’s bath also has a skylight slot with light angling downward over double sinks. More colorful tile shows up in these spaces, as does a geometric patterned tile in the downstairs office bath shower. The large yard is taken full advantage of with concrete paved walkways, stairs and firepit circle. New retaining walls in the rear yard helped to add more level usable outdoor space, with wood slats to visually blend them into the overall design. The end result is a beautiful transformation of a mid-century home, that both captures the client’s personalities and elevates the house into the modern age.

Transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor mudroom photo in Kansas City with beige walls

Inspiration for a large transitional green split-level concrete fiberboard and clapboard gable roof remodel in Chicago with a shingle roof and a brown roof

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

Example of a large transitional green split-level concrete fiberboard and clapboard gable roof design in Chicago with a shingle roof and a brown roof

We used the timber frame of a century old barn to build this rustic modern house. The barn was dismantled, and reassembled on site. Inside, we designed the home to showcase as much of the original timber frame as possible. Photography by Todd Crawford

Ken Vaughan - Vaughan Creative Media
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless detached one-car garage remodel in Dallas

Needing more space for their growing family, these young homeowners approached us to help them create an updated, larger home from their existing 1953 split-level. On the first floor, walls were removed to create an open concept kitchen and living room. A new dining room addition was constructed in the back, as well as a new tandem 2-car garage.

Meagan Larsen
Trendy formal and open concept medium tone wood floor and beige floor living room photo in Phoenix with white walls

Needing more space for their growing family, these young homeowners approached us to help them create an updated, larger home from their existing 1953 split-level. On the first floor, walls were removed to create an open concept kitchen and living room. A new dining room addition was constructed in the back, as well as a new tandem 2-car garage.