one-story frame addition exterior view of french doors and porch

living space with tall ceilings, french doors, many windows

living space with bright light, steps to renovated kitchen

side door entrance to living space with tall ceilings

fisheye view of living space with tall ceilings, french doors, many windows

living space with bright light, hardwood floors, steps to renovated kitchen

renovated living space with built-in bookshelf, hardwood floors, kitchen counter with stool seating

renovated kitchen with built-in bookshelf, hardwood floors, kitchen counter with stool seating

renovated kitchen with hardwood floors, kitchen counter with stool seating

fisheye view of renovated kitchen with hardwood floors and grey and wood cabinets

view through the renovated kitchen to the one-story frame addition with living space and many windows

fisheye view of living space with tall ceilings, french doors, many windows, hardwood floors

Hermitage Avenue Renovation & Addition

Edgewater, Chicago

We renovated the kitchen and built a one-story frame addition on the rear of this early-20th-century single-family home. The kitchen was updated and improved for flow to the new family room. The family room steps down from the kitchen to be closer to the garden, and glass bi-fold doors open to help dissolve the separation between indoor and outdoor. The addition is expressed on the exterior in two volumes: a dark-colored transitional space, which includes a new entryway, and a light-colored pavilion enclosing the family room.

Wilson Avenue Rowhouse Addition

Lincoln Square, Chicago

A kitchen renovation and a modern addition for an 1896 single-family brick rowhouse. The addition includes a first-floor fireplace surrounded by sitting and dining areas, a second-floor bedroom suite, passive solar heating, and concrete floors with radiant heating.

modern addition on 1890s single-family brick rowhouse, french doors open to garden

modern addition on 1890s single-family brick rowhouse, french doors, fireplace, living room, sitting area, dining area, passive solar heating, concrete floors, radiant heating

modern addition on 1890s single-family brick rowhouse, fireplace, living room, sitting area, dining, passive solar heating, concrete floors, radiant heating

modern addition on 1890s single-family brick rowhouse, kitchen renovation

modern addition on 1890s single-family brick rowhouse, french doors

modern addition on 1890s single-family brick rowhouse, french doors, windows

exterior winter view of a newly constructed single-family wood-frame vacation house in rural Michigan with a large porch and an energy-efficient, sustainable green design

exterior summertime view of a newly constructed single-family wood-frame vacation house in rural Michigan with a large porch and an energy-efficient, sustainable green design

French doors open into primary bedroom suite in a single-family wood-frame vacation house in rural Michigan with a large porch and an energy-efficient, sustainable green design

Primary bedroom suite with french doors open to patio in rural, wood-frame, energy-efficient vacation home

Open-plan living area with a wood stove and french doors that open to a large patio in a rural, wood-frame, energy-efficient vacation home

Open-plan living area and kitchen with a wood stove and a skylight in a rural, wood-frame, energy-efficient vacation home

Open-plan living area and loft in a rural, wood-frame, energy-efficient vacation home

Autumn view through french doors to large patio with outdoor seating in a rural, wood-frame, energy-efficient vacation home

Vacation House

Northern Michigan

A new 900-sf single-family house in rural Michigan. The site abuts a national park, and the house is designed primarily for outdoor living, with an expansive deck connecting two living pods. This energy-efficient house is tightly constructed, well-insulated, and uses a wood-burning stove as the main heat source. This was a true collaboration with the owners, who came to us with strong design ideas that meshed with our own principles of compactness, energy efficiency, honesty of materials, and modern aesthetics.

Farm House

Catskill Mountains, New York

This 3,200-sf farmhouse in the Catskill Mountains outside of New York City was renovated and modernized. There is a new kitchen, new interior finishes, and a new second-floor master suite. We opened up the first floor plan and added a new deck to expand the living and entertaining space outward and unblock the views of creek-fed ponds, forests, and hills beyond. We sealed and insulated the exterior for comfortable, year-round living.

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, interior stairs, new kitchen, new interior finishes, open plan

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, open plan, new kitchen, new interior finishes, living room, office, dining

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, open plan, new kitchen, new interior finishes, bar, wine storage, pantry

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, open plan, new kitchen, new interior finishes, bar, wine storage, pantry, back door, porch, deck

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, open plan, new kitchen, new interior finishes, kitchen island

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, open plan, new kitchen, new interior finishes, kitchen storage, interior stairs

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, open plan, new interior finishes, living room, den, media room

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, open plan, new interior finishes, office, master suite

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, deck, porch

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, deck, porch, outdoor dining, mountain home

modernized rural farmhouse, residential renovation, deck, porch, outdoor dining, mountain home, pond

writer's attic studio, home office, skylights, built-in shelving, modernized Victorian home, single-family residential

writer's attic studio, home office, skylights, built-in shelving, modernized Victorian home, single-family residential, bathroom, blueprints, dataCAD, floor plan

Writer’s Attic Studio

Andersonville, Chicago

We renovated an attic with the goal of creating a light, airy, comfortable space for a writer’s studio. We added skylights, built-in shelving, and a bathroom. We winterized and modernized the space while respecting the Victorian roots of the house.

Damen Ave Addition and Renovation

North Center, Chicago

An extensive renovation of a 1920s three-bedroom house. A compact addition replaced an old enclosed porch and added space for a master bedroom suite. Separate kitchen, dining and sitting areas were combined into an open, flowing space.

single-family residential addition and renovation, compact design, Google SketchUp Pro, 3D rendering, 3D model

single-family residential addition and renovation, compact design, Google SketchUp Pro, 3D rendering, 3D model, interior, living dining kitchen, french doors, kitchen island

single-family residential addition and renovation, compact design, french doors

single-family residential addition and renovation, compact design

single-family residential addition and renovation, compact design, kitchen, open plan

single-family residential addition and renovation, compact design, kitchen, open plan, sitting dining living room, french doors

custom single-family residential home renovation, 1920s four-bedoom house

custom single-family residential home renovation, 1920s four-bedoom house, back porch, deck, cat, garden

custom single-family residential home renovation, 1920s four-bedoom house, new kitchen, kitchen island, interior

custom single-family residential home renovation, 1920s four-bedoom house, attic bedroom suite, skylight

custom single-family residential home renovation, 1920s four-bedoom house, attic bedroom suite, skylight, bathroom

Magnolia Street Home Renovation

Edgewater, Chicago

This extensive renovation of a 1920s four-bedroom house included adding a new kitchen, deck, master bedroom suite, and attic bedroom suite.

School Street Coach House

Roscoe Village, Chicago

Gut renovation of a late-1800s coach house residence. We added a new deck for outdoor living, and the building was raised to provide new ground-level parking.

custom gut renovation single-family late-ninteenth-century coach house residential home, building raised on stilts, under construction

custom gut renovation single-family late-ninteenth-century coach house residential home, new deck, new ground-level parking, skylight

custom gut renovation single-family late-ninteenth-century coach house residential home, new deck, new ground-level parking, 3-car garage

custom gut renovation single-family late-ninteenth-century coach house residential home, interior, skylight, stairs, built-in shelves, hardwood floors

custom gut renovation single-family late-ninteenth-century coach house residential home, interior, skylight, stairway, built-in shelves, hardwood floors

custom gut renovation single-family late-ninteenth-century coach house residential home, interior, living dining room kitchen island

custom gut renovation single-family late-ninteenth-century coach house residential home, interior, living dining room kitchen island, open plan

custom residential gut renovated bathroom bathtub skylights

custom residential gut renovated bathroom skylight toilet sink built in shelving

2nd floor addition to residential beach house, porch with sliding glass doors

2nd floor addition with wall of glass windows and long porch, residential beach house

porch with wall of sliding glass doors and glass railing on 2nd floor addition on a residential beach house

custom single-family residential addition renovation, beach house, lakefront, waterfront, lake michigan, balcony

custom single-family residential addition renovation, beach house, lakefront, waterfront, lake michigan

custom single-family residential addition renovation, beach house, lakefront, waterfront, lake michigan, balcony, Google SketchUp Pro, 3D digital rendering model

custom single-family residential addition renovation, beach house, lakefront, waterfront, balcony, Google SketchUp Pro, 3D digital rendering model, interior, master bedroom suite, walk-in closet

custom single-family residential addition renovation, beach house, balcony, Google SketchUp Pro, 3D digital rendering model, interior structure, new walls

Beach House

New Buffalo, Michigan

We designed a 2nd-floor addition for this one-story 1960s weekend house on Lake Michigan, including a wall of windows that faces the lake and opens onto an expansive balcony. On the first floor we remodeled the kitchen and redesigned the fireplace.

Lowell Street House

Irving Park, Chicago

This gut renovation of a late-1920s 4-square frame residence modernized the electrical and heating systems and weatherized the building envelope for improved energy efficiency. We added a new kitchen, attic bedroom suite, and master bedroom suite.

gut renovation frame house residential, modernized electrical heating systems, weatherize building envelope, energy efficient

gut renovation frame house residential, modernized electrical heating systems, weatherize building envelope, energy efficient, interior windows, under construction

1850s federal-style house, historic preservation, historic landmark, residential renovation, contextual design

1850s federal-style house, historic preservation, historic landmark, residential renovation, contextual design, elevation, architectural rendering, perspective drawing

Evanston Historic Landmark, 1850s federal-style house, historic preservation, residential renovation, contextual design, Evanston Historical Society Preservation Commission

Simpson Street Renovation

Evanston, Illinois

This 1850s Federal-style house is the oldest house in Evanston. We rebuilt a portion of the second floor to provide acceptable ceiling heights and create two bedrooms out of one. The design was a contextual response, and needed approval by a review committee due to the historic nature of the original house.

Porches and Decks

We have renovated and redesigned many porches and decks to conform to current building code requirements and satisfy the owner’s expectations of aesthetics and function. This work is often associated with a larger renovation project.