What a transformation, from poorly laid, uneven turf to a useable space for entertaining & relaxing. This backyard is now the ideal place to entertain, spend the chilly months by the firepit or beat the heat under an open-air pergola with views of tropical garden beds and a water feature.

Timber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements. Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma. Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house" Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden. Builder: East Shore Builders Photographer: Michael Eric Berube

A transformation inspired by the owner’s love of modern architecture, art and color (and the adjacent sand, rock, water, and the northwest landscape), the Indianola House sought to bring the soul of a home to a colorless muted box. The original house was a drab 1990’s-era box with no personality or presence sited on a beautiful secluded bay, facing water and island views, northwest of the City of Seattle. The existing mono-colored stucco-clad exterior and pyramidal glass-block openings had led the neighborhood to dub the structure, unflatteringly, “The Miami Vice House”. Rhodes Architecture’s Residential Architects careful use of natural light, rich, collaged finishes and ability to open the house to gardens, beach, and outdoor gathering was critical to the design. The house soon became “The Gallery”. The original home’s grey stucco exterior made the house seem both large and featureless; the introduction of no-maintenance exterior materials that collage and complement each other was a goal of the homeowner and the Seattle Architects who teamed up for this residential design. The bloated scale of the house cried out for the establishment and definition of the parts of the structure, a breaking down of the home’s form and its apparent bland size. Living, sleeping, and bathing areas that started as staid spaces were in need of opening to the natural environment with additions of large doors, folding glass walls and useable balconies were crucial to each space having a dialogue with the outdoors. The owner’s extensive art collection was highlighted and became the focus of interior places, well-lit naturally and through a new lighting system. Energy use and sustainable systems were a key component of the design which used high-efficacy lighting, better cladding on a rain-screen system, high-efficiency doors and windows, new insulation and weather barriers, and which added a photovoltaic-generated electrical system. The contemporary design sought to integrate all of these systems, materials, and finishes into a seamless whole that lent interest and drama to a residence which was previously lusterless. How radically this house was transformed is evident in the exteriors, gardens and the natural spaces the house now opens to, as well as the gallery-like interiors. This home is a stunning testament to what is possible “before-and-after” when remade by Rhodes Architecture + Light. The clients are an older couple with long professional and political careers, a love of art and a clear desire to connect with the Northwest environment and enliven their daily lives with spaces full of color and natural light. Rhodes Architecture + Light was hired in 2019 to add new exteriors and interiors, natural light, larger openings to beach and bay, seismic and foundation upgrades to the home, and to infuse life into the house through the re-use of existing space and varied materials, color, textures, and lighting. The only actual change to the exterior “shell” of the house was the introduction of a low “gull-wing” roof with wood soffits above the central atrium space, to add drama and bring natural light into the entry gallery space. Interior spaces, including bedrooms and bathrooms, were re-planned and opened to each other, to greater natural light, to roof decks, and to the incredible views and sea-side environment. The Builder, Fairbank Construction Company of Bainbridge Island, Washington, met the challenge of the design, first completely deconstructing the finishes inside and out, then precisely interlocking new claddings, windows and doors, cabinetry, finishes and a new gull-wing central roof in a beautiful transformation. The construction was total, thorough, and very detailed, resulting a house that, far from seeming a “remodeling”, is far more present and fitting to the owner’s lives and the natural environment than the house we started with.

We turned this cabinet door front into useable space for the homeowner. A beverage frig on the other side did not allow us to place a cabinet here.
Inspiration for a large timeless galley medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Other with an undermount sink, beaded inset cabinets, gray cabinets, granite countertops, beige backsplash, porcelain backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

An Outdoor Room with a Flagstone Patio and Beautiful Drought Tolerant Landscaping. Ashley Farrell Landscape Design
Example of a tuscan patio design in Santa Barbara

Another design that creates a useable front yard that includes a fire pit, a large rock retaining wall, and easy low maintenance plants creating amazing curb appeal. The side yard has beautiful large steps and a false creek. The back yard is a simple sodded area for kids and grandkids to play.

We started with a small crowded patio and we transformed it into a larger, useable outdoor living space by adding a circular seat wall with built in LED low voltage lighting, a natural wood burning fire pit, 480 sq feet of Belgard pavers, custom build Cedar Pergola and flagstone walkway for side access. We also fixed all of the disrupted sod areas and built natural areas for future planting and added Low voltage LED lighting along the flagstone pathway.

This large expansive deck has two distinct areas that created both a perfect spot for dining and lounging. Trex Coastal bluff was used for the decking, while Afco rails were used to give this project the low maintenance worry free options our homeowners were looking for. We added Trex Rain Escape to add useable space under the deck for rainy days. Palram PVC was used on the fascia and post wraps for the finishing touches and the ribbon on the package.

Before: An uninsulated, roughly built, lean to addition on a gorgeous stone century home, with roof rafters made of cedar logs and some gorgeous timber frame post and beam holding it all together. After: We preserved a few of the post and beams as an aesthetic nod to this spaces's past. Added a huge amount of natrual light with tripe pane windows, a significant amount of R value with dense pack cellulose (our preferred insulation!). This space is now useable part of this family's home with plenty of hidden storage, airy space, and gorgeous details. We loved taking on this project, and can't wait to see become a part of the family home.

This home takes advantage of heavily wooded and steep terrain with mended level changes that maximize useable outdoor spaces. The original home was stripped of its garish Mediterranean finishes revealing a flow of spaces that were reconstructed and refinished in a refined contemporary style. Outdoor spaces provide intrigue as they weave paths, stairways, landings, terraces, and gardens into a cohesive response to the home’s complex layout. At the front of the home a procession through the landscape begins with an enlarged driveway and auto court surrounded by lush plantings. From the auto court a stepped walkway descends two levels to a gated courtyard leading to the front door. Along this lushly planted route are layered gardens and terraces providing opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. After passing through the home, expansive decks and landings open to the rear yards. Here an infinity pool with spa, lounging areas, outdoor cooking, dining space and gardens have been woven between trees, existing walls, sloped hillsides, and a multitude of access points to create a world apart for family and friends.

A porch with our sheet as siding. Builders: Fisher Brothers Exteriors Photo by: VERSATEX Trimboard
This is an example of a large traditional screened-in side porch design in Philadelphia with a roof extension.

This deck adds great useable space and has plenty of shaded area on the first and second floor
Inspiration for a huge backyard deck remodel in Other with no cover

Hide the sump pump in plain sight to increase useable space! By John and Ben Uttenreither of Lazzell Design Works Remodeling
Mountain style home design photo in Nashville

Example of a trendy patio design in San Francisco

Our customer was tired of having a tiny food preparation space that occupied only a small part of their kitchen. We worked with them to make the entire kitchen space useable and the result is nothing short of an amazing change! We started with bulkhead removal to allowing cabinets extending to the ceiling. New Porcelain flooring was installed followed by Benjamin Moore custom painted cabinetry in the customers chosen colours. Beautiful quartz ounters were then installed followed by a mosaic backsplash to tie it all together. Stunning! Check out the before pics to see where we started!

A Plant Lover Garden Oasis This home in the Watermark community includes a fantastic landscape design that adds curb appeal to the front of the yard with places to relax and unwind in the backyard. Three seating areas were incorporated into the backyard with easy access to the outdoor kitchen. Concrete pads were poured for the entertaining spaces and are connected by paving stones in between. Along the pathway, you’ll also find a unique circular water feature that matches the circular potted plants in the front yard. The entertaining spaces include an outdoor dining area, a propane fireplace, and a wood-burning fireplace. The mixture of shrubs, trees, and flowers creates an oasis-like feel to this yard that is useable for a large part of the year. This project includes: 25 trees, 72 shrubs, and an assortment of perennials Trees have in-lite spotlights Three smooth modern concrete slabs seating areas 40mm Rundle Rock garden beds 24x24 Charcoal Slabs pathways lit with in-lite PVC edging Woodburning fireplace

La Habra Heights at its finest. This home has everything you can ask for in a Heights property. Useable land, pool, views and has been tastefully upgraded. This home has been completely remodeled within the last 10 years. Newer kitchen, windows, bathrooms, driveway and patio. Entertainers dream with large living areas that all flow seamlessly to the outdoor oasis. Fire pit, built in BBQ, fenced in pool with slide and lots of space for lounging around on those lazy summer days. There is also a bonus room that is not connected to the house that can be used for a game room or man cave. Easy access from Hacienda Rd. Come see this one before it's too late.

Ashley Farrell Landscape Design replaced a dead lawn with a dry creek bed and a small patio with an access path to the back yard. Great example of sustainable landscaping and useable space.

We transitioned this unfinished basement to a functional space including a kitchen, workout room, lounge area, extra bathroom and music room. The homeowners opted for an exposed black ceiling and epoxy coated floor, and upgraded the stairwell with creative two-toned shiplap and a stained wood tongue and groove ceiling. This is a perfect example of using an unfinished basement to increase useable space that meets your specific needs.