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Archive for Renovations – Page 2

The Renovation Transformation: A Guided Tour of the Interior

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 August 28, 2023

Building With Hope and Faith

The Renovation Transformation

Interior-renovation-living-room

We enjoy taking on a variety of home renovation projects of all sizes. We shared the first part of this design story last month, where we gave you a tour of the exterior of this renovation transformation. This time, we’ll give you a guided tour of the beautiful new interior. We hope you love this as much as we (and the homeowners) do and can visualize your own home achieving a design upgrade.

Opening the First Floor Expanded The View

This traditional Cape Cod style house used to consist of small walled off spaces and doorways. During design discussions, our homeowners came prepared with a wish list, and at the top of the list was an open floor plan, a larger kitchen, an expanded basement, and a new great room.

What Is a Great Room?

Great Rooms are not a new concept, dating back to medieval castles. Today, great rooms are combinations of several different rooms in a home. It can typically include a living room area, dining area, and kitchen or bar area. It is an open and inviting space for family and guests to enjoy entertaining and relaxing.

Open kitchen with view of loft

The house now has a new addition, which you cannot see from the front. In this new space, we created the Great Room they had always wanted. We redesigned the kitchen for a larger footprint and removed the walls.

To open things up further, the kitchen flows right into their new great room, which has a vaulted ceiling and a lovely view of the swimming pool in the backyard. The whole area is bathed in light from all the windows and skylights, and the now-open floor plan.

The original dining room
The Dining Room - Before
The dining room - after
The Dining Room - After
The original kitchen layout
The Kitchen - Before
The kitchen after transformation
The Kitchen - After

Unexpected and Bonus Design

Opening stairs to connect dining room and great room

Our homeowners wanted to open up the dining room area, but there was a staircase right in the middle, surrounded by walls. It completely interrupted their vision of an open floor plan. This dining area connected to the great room and the kitchen.

While the homeowners couldn’t see how it could be accomplished without relocating the stairs, we designed the stairs to be in an open space. Their dream came true: when you open the front door you have an uninterrupted view straight through to the back windows.

New balcony overlook

While designing the great room, we added a surprise we knew they would love – a balcony on the 2nd floor that overlooked the great room. They were overjoyed at getting this bonus they had not imagined. There’s a high window in the great room. When you’re on the 2nd floor balcony you can see the back yard through the large window.

Getting Better Use of Their Spaces

The original living room
The Living Room - Before
The Living Room After
The Living Room - After

— The former living room is now a reading room with glass French doors. An open floor plan has many advantages, but now it was important to establish a quiet and private area that can be closed off with doors. This was the perfect spot and size for a cozy library.

— Another part of their wish list was to make their existing first floor bedroom into a master suite with walk in closet and private bathroom.

— In the basement area under the new addition, our design included a yoga studio. If you’re going to make this your forever home, it’s important to include the features that will make the space enjoyable and functional for many years to come for your personal goals, taste and preferences. In the yoga studio, the full-sized windows have a view to the backyard, making it a lovely and peaceful place for fitness and meditation.

A yoga studio in the basement

Before the renovation there was one entry into the basement which was down the interior stairs. We added an additional entry directly from outside and also connected the old and new basements.

It all added up to taking a traditional Cape Cod house from modest to sensational.

Our Clients Are Just Like You

Our homeowners had been living there a long time. They loved their style of home, their neighborhood, and the property. This was their forever home, with no thoughts of moving. They knew what they didn’t like, and they knew what they wanted. How it would or could happen, was the unknown factor. “We don’t think you can do that with this house” is a phrase we’ve heard many times over many projects.

One thing they knew for sure: the time was now. As they put it, “if not now, when??”

Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!


Do you have transformational dreams for your house and

simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!

If a friend forwarded this to you, this does not mean that we have added you to our list. However, if you would like to receive our updates, click below.

Yes, send me your design tips.

Categories : Interior Renovations, Kitchen Renovation, Renovations, Residential Design

The Renovation Transformation

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 July 31, 2023

Building With Hope and Faith

The Renovation Transformation

Renovation and transformation of Cape Cod style home

Zimmerman Architects takes on a variety of home renovation projects of every size. In this design story, we’re giving you a guided tour of a major transformation that we will reveal over the course of two emails. First, we’ll show you the exterior. Stay tuned for next time when we usher you through the doors of the interior.

In this home, the rear of the property was spacious and lovely. Their backyard was a true retreat, with swimming pool, patio and lawn area. It was the hot spot for entertaining friends and a place of relaxation for family and guests. What more could they want? Let’s walk around to the front of the property. The home was (and still is) a modest Cape Cod style house.

What is a Cape Cod Style House?

In early America, Cape Cod homes began as single story houses with a low and broad rectangular profile, a central chimney, and a pitched, side-gabled roof. As time went on, Cape Cod homes began to feature dormers and second stories. 

Front of house before transformation

While our homeowners loved their 2-story cape, they wanted to add more curb appeal to the front of the house, including new siding and new windows.  

Our design kept to the traditional look of a cape by adding 3 dormers. We also added a front porch and enlarged the garage. While new siding, windows, dormers, front porch and larger garage added up to give them the wow factor, the house did not look dramatically bigger from the exterior front view. The new addition to the house is at the rear, which we’ll describe in our next email.

house front after renovaton
House front after transformation

Expanding the Garage

Garage before expansion
Garage - Before

Their existing garage was snug for their 2 cars and provided no direct entry to the house. In addition to being able to walk into the garage from the house, their wish list also included making it large enough to easily fit 3 vehicles.

We know that a “large garage” could easily overshadow this modest house. So we designed it to comfortably fit 3 cars while maintaining the character and charm of the house.

Garage after Expansion
Garage - After
Rear of house before renovation

The Rear Before

House View after Transformation

The Rear After

Another New Entrance

From the swimming pool in the backyard, the only access to a bathroom was by walking through the house. As you can imagine, during summer pool use, wet and slippery floors leading the way to the bathroom was a safety hazard and a nuisance.

Our design included a new entry to the renovated section of the basement from the back yard. Their downstairs bathroom was already in great shape, but now they gained access to it straight from the yard. Much neater, safer and more convenient!

And while their new home addition took up some backyard space, their entertainment areas were already far enough away from the house that none of it was impacted.

It all added up to a Cape Cod house that looked lovely from the front exterior with an amazing back property.

We can’t wait to show you the inside next time!

Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!


Do you have transformational dreams for your house and

simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!

If a friend forwarded this to you, this does not mean that we have added you to our list. However, if you would like to receive our updates, click below.

Yes, send me your design tips.

Categories : Exterior Improvements, Renovations, Residential Design, Working with Zimmerman Architects

Thinking Ahead – Should I Stay or Should I Move?

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 July 3, 2023

Building With Hope and Faith

Thinking Ahead – Should I Stay or Should I Move?

Our specialty is helping homeowners fall in love with their home. People at or nearing retirement age are often faced with the quandary of staying in their family home or downsizing to a small home or condominium. In the past few years, it’s been a popular trend to “downsize” – but a trend is not a rule, so the option of where you live is always completely up to you!

Deciding whether to move to a new home or to renovate your current house is a significant decision. One huge factor is your own financial situation, so you’ll want to consult with your financial advisor to help you understand your options.

Other than the financial, here are some things to consider.

Lifestyle and Recreation

If you’re planning on retiring soon and have made it a priority to be in a living situation where you’re close to the golf course, pool or tennis court, then you should look at a place to live where these recreational choices are convenient.

You’ll want to be careful of the freedom you’re giving up, however. Condo and townhome living means adhering to the rules of the Home Owners Association, so you’ll want to be crystal clear about those rules before you make the leap.

Mobility and Safety

Some retirees move to single-level living because stairs may become hard to manage, or having your laundry in the basement is becoming tricky. We want you to stay safe but that doesn’t mean leaving a home and neighborhood you love. We have created designs to move your laundry room to where you want it, and to accommodate elevators and other mobility installations. Renovation of a house you love may be a wiser choice than moving to a new area just because of stairs.

Zimmerman Architects can assist you in designing a beautiful and safe shower

Left:  a shower designed with beauty and safety in mind.

Right: an elevator right in your home.

Neighborhood and Relationships

One important contributor to a long and healthy life is cultivating personal bonds and relationships. If you have strong community connections or proximity to family and friends, moving will cause an emotional disruption. Some retirees and seniors moved because they thought they should have a smaller or easier place to live, yet regretted the friendships they left behind after their move. 

Modern Appearance and Convenience

Simmerman Architects can design a kitchen with a modern appearance and convenience

Your old home has an outdated kitchen, tiny bathrooms and never enough electrical outlets and lighting. We get it! This is why we love planning new rooms and modern convenience features with our homeowners. We can arrange the floor plans so they actually work for you, and you can have the modern and spacious rooms you’ve always admired – right in your own home.

BETTER Should Be Defined by YOU

A deck for relaxing can add to your retirement way of life

Everyone has an opinion, and people often say that moving to a smaller place will be easier – better. But is it? For some, sure, but not for everyone. If moving to a smaller place means giving up your sewing room, your den with a piano, your sunroom where you like to sip your coffee, your deck for having a glass of wine with friends, then how is that better? You deserve the space you want, the rooms you want, to live life how you want.

Ultimately, the decision to move or renovate depends on your unique circumstances and preferences. It may be that moving is the right thing to do, but do your homework first. We welcome a phone call so that you can tell us about your situation and your preferences.


Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!

Do you have transformational dreams for your house and
simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!

If a friend forwarded this to you, this does not mean that we have added you to our list.
However, if you would like to receive our updates, click below.

Yes, send me your design tips.
Categories : Interior Renovations, Renovations, Residential Design, Rightsizing for Retirement, Working with Zimmerman Architects

Plan Your Best New House – Right Inside Your Own Home

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 June 16, 2023
Building with Hope and Faith

Plan Your Best New House – Right Inside Your Own Home

Renovate your current home into your forever homeOften you hear about empty-nesters and retirees downsizing and moving away to start the next chapter of their lives. They declutter and donate rooms full of belongings, and say goodbye to neighbors as they venture into another town, county, or state. This is their choice, their dream, and you wish them the best.

But –you love your neighborhood, your community, your town. Do you need to downsize to retire? Why on earth would you move?

Zimmerman Architects can make your current home work better for you

Not sure about staying in your current house forever? After all, there are aspects of your house that just aren’t working.

  • Maybe you’ve always hated the layout of the kitchen because you can’t see the people in the dining room and living room when you’re trapped behind the kitchen wall.
  • Perhaps the location of your bedroom has always driven you crazy because it faces the street and the school bus roaring through in the early morning wakes you up.
  • It could be that you’ve been hoping to invite family members to move in with you but there’s definitely not sufficient room in this house.

Yes, you can move and find a new house or townhouse that has the right layout and all the space you’ve been dreaming of – but you can’t take your neighborhood with you!

Stay in the Comfort of Your Current Community

maintain your current lifestyle and neighborhood

Leaving the familiarity and friendships and warmth of your neighbors and community is not something you’d even want to consider. You love your favorite shops and restaurants. The neighbors watch out for each other. You revel in the small-town atmosphere of your street while your downtown is a stone’s throw from your home.

Or perhaps the privacy and safety of your property and the beauty of the landscaping around you would be heart-breaking to leave behind. There’s so much peaceful nature around you – moving to a new townhome development, no matter how elegant, could never feel the same.

Deciding on Your Next Move Can Be Easier Than You Thought

Retirement does not require moving! And neither does changing your home!

Why lose out on all the friendships you’ve made over the years in your neighborhood? If you love your community and want to have more space so you can get even more involved, consider making the appropriate changes to your home that you’ve been dreaming about.

Taking a closer look at your big picture and detailed goals, you’ll get a clear list of what you want and how to get it.

  • A roomy and private den to invite all the members of your book club to meet, relax and chat with refreshments.
  • A large kitchen for you and your fellow volunteers to make food for your local food pantry or charity.
  • A spacious home gym with enough floor space to invite your friends for yoga.

These are wonderful goals and we can make them happen by designing your “new house” right where your current one is now.

Additions and renovations, indoors and outdoors, we’ve helped many homeowners transform and fall in love with their house, knowing that they can love their house for many years to come.

Retirement does not require you to clean out, pick up and move! If you have dreams of loving your living space, yet don’t want to leave your community, give us a call and we can discuss all the possibilities.

Zimmerman Architects get to know you and individual needs.

It all starts with a phone call – even if you are years away from starting, it’s never too soon to have a conversation.


If a friend forwarded this to you, this does not mean that we have added you to our list.
However, if you would like to receive our updates, click below.

Yes, send me your design tips.


Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!


Do you have transformational dreams for your house and

simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!

 

Categories : Interior Renovations, Renovations, Rightsizing for Retirement
Tags : downsizing, forever home, right-sizing

Converting Your Empty Nest to a Professional Work From Home Space

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 April 17, 2023
Building with Hope and Faith

Converting Your Empty Nest to a
Professional Work From Home Space

Whether you start out with a midsize or a large home, when family members move out, it suddenly feels palatial. What do you do with the newly emptied rooms? It’s a natural time to turn to thoughts of renovations and making your longed-for dreams materialize. But just because someone’s bedroom is now empty, doesn’t mean you’re confined to reusing that exact volume of space as defined by its current walls.

Were you running a business or working from home in a finished basement? Most basement spaces provide a limited amount of sunlight, and noise from the house activity above is less than optimal. Plus, you often share that space with the family’s storage areas, laundry room, and even a party area. Not an ideal working environment on many fronts.

If you’ve arrived at a stage in your family life with newly vacated bedrooms, this is your opportunity to design the beautiful, spacious and functional workspace you need and deserve.

Home Office exterior View

Convert Your Empty Nest into Professional Work From Home Space

The space formerly used as bedrooms for family members who no longer live with you can now be transformed into a full-sized, comfortable work area. Who says a home office just needs enough space for a desk and a bookshelf? Let’s get to work designing your new office with everything you need and what you really want.

A complete office can be created right inside your home. For anyone who can work remotely, this is heaven! Imagine showing your client into your new office, with mini-kitchen area, bathroom, and comfortable conference room. Yes, let’s make that happen.

A Comfortable and Professional Office Has More Than a Desk

A coffee bar in your home office

Perhaps existing space and rooms can be reconfigured to add a ½ bathroom adjacent to your office with entry from the hallway and/or from the office. Next to your work area, walk into your private conference room for a meeting with your team or your clients. Offer your guests refreshments or have lunch right from your mini-kitchen with sink, microwave, fridge and coffee bar.

A Dedicated Home Office Space with Separate Entry for Privacy

Private entrance to your home office adds privacy for your clients

To accommodate easy access to your work area for your guests, we’ll want to situate your new office so that it has access to an exit. This gives convenient entry to your office without your guests walking through your private living area. Whether we create a new separate entrance or reutilize your current back or side door, a dedicated entryway is optimal to make everyone more comfortable. This is the perfect time to add that new porch or deck to add beauty, usable space, and convenience to the entrances to your home.

Adding Natural Light to Your Professional Home Office Space

Added light increases the efficiency and comfort of your home office

Any work space where you’ll be spending several hours at a time needs abundant natural light. We will design a plan to add or enlarge windows (perhaps even skylights) to brighten the room, let nature in, and help circulate fresh air. Nature’s greenery has been shown to improve mood and productivity, so sufficient natural light and views of your yard and trees can help make your work environment peaceful and pleasant.

Of course, sufficient room lighting continues through the use of recessed lighting and even a beautiful pendant light over your conference table and in your refreshment area.

A Professional Work From Home Space Can Be Yours

If you have trouble imagining this happening in your current design, that’s where we come in. We have already designed stunning workspaces for our clients who love “coming to work” every day with zero commute. It all starts with a Design Consultation, so if a professional home office is on your wish list, let’s get it going!


If a friend forwarded this to you, this does not mean that we have added you to our list.
However, if you would like to receive our updates, click below.

Yes, send me your design tips.


Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!


Do you have transformational dreams for your house and

simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!

 

Categories : Interior Renovations, Renovations, Residential Design, Work From Home, Working with Zimmerman Architects

Making Your Home Fit Before You Move In

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 April 5, 2023
Building with Hope and Faith

Making Your Home Fit Before You Move In

The log cabin before updateThe Log Cabin “Before”

When is the best time for a home renovation? It can happen any time, but for this homeowner, she got to work implementing her vision even before moving in. She bought a charming and lovable “log cabin” just perfect for her and her cat. But while she admired many of the design elements like the log walls, its proximity to a lake, and the glorious lake views, there was plenty of room for improvement. This homeowner knew right away that it needed to be transformed so that it would be ready to welcome her at move-in day. Her goal was to entertain guests in a common area with an open kitchen. She also had to change the fact that the outside wall was only 6 feet, 2 inches high and the door was just 6 feet tall. Everyone had to duck coming into the house.

The Log Cabin AfterThe Log Cabin “After”

The Kitchen Transformation

A tiny room fitting only 1 person at a time, the kitchen was not only uncomfortable but also closed off from the rest of the house. With not even enough room to fit a regular refrigerator, the walls surrounding you made you feel isolated. In the renovation, we turned that space into a mudroom entry. The kitchen was moved into a large open space. With an open kitchen no longer trapped inside surrounding walls, you now have an uninterrupted view of the lake while sitting at the kitchen island. Now that’s relaxing! And even though we removed some walls, the remaining log walls retained the log cabin charm the homeowner fell in love with.
The Open Kitchen

The Bedroom

Looking in to the bedroom
Inside the bedroom

Facing the lake, the bedroom has a window with a lovely view, and a door that opens to a deck. To fix the low, flat ceiling, we removed the ceiling joists so that now you can see the underside of the roof. There had been an attic above the ceiling, but it was not needed, so we removed the attic. The result is an increase in volume without increasing the floor space. Along with this new ceiling came new lighting to brighten the larger space.

A view of the left side of the log cabin before
A view of the left side of the log cabin before.
Same view of the log cabin after.
Same view of the log cabin after.

Making the Living Area Taller

The original wrap around porch had a low roof over it and a door to enter the home that was too low for some folks. The porch roof was removed and it was raised 18 inches to match the height of the cabin and to accommodate a regular height door. Raising the roof in that area was barely noticeable from the outside but made a huge difference on the inside.

Lake View Before
Lake View Before
Lake View After
Lake View After

The Deck

There was room to relax on the deck, but no stairs that lead to the ground level. The owner had the option to create those stairs during this project. She also knew it was minor construction that could be scheduled in the future, which is what she decided to do. In many projects, you don’t have to feel pressured to do everything at once, and with our guidance, she was able to make the most comfortable choice for her timeline and her budget.

Rear of the Cabin Before
Rear of the Cabin Before
Rear of Cabin After
Rear of Cabin After

What’s In Your Future?

When you buy a house, there are features you just fall in love with right away – but typically there are issues you want to fix. Rather than move in and deal with challenges for months or years, why not schedule a design consult with us to understand what’s possible before move-in day?

It all starts with a phone call – even if you are years away from starting, it’s never too soon to have a conversation.


Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!


Do you have transformational dreams for your house and

simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!

If a friend forwarded this to you, this does not mean that we have added you to our list. However, if you would like to receive our updates, click below.

Yes, send me your design tips.

Categories : Interior Renovations, Kitchen Renovation, Renovations

Are You Afraid Your Home Renovation May Be Too Stressful?

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 January 11, 2023
  · No Comments
Building with Hope and Faith

Are You Afraid Your
Home Renovation May Be Too Stressful?

There are areas in your home you just don’t love and are anxious to fix – but – what about the stress of a home renovation? You may have heard nightmare stories or watched those overdramatic home improvement shows.

Would it surprise you to learn that our clients have a very different experience? Any endeavor or transformation worth doing should involve an element of good stress – from excitement and anticipation. Much like getting married, buying a new house or going on vacation.

In this video, we want to show you that “good stress” is very manageable, and we’ll be your partners every step of the way.

Hint: the winning combination involves teamwork among the homeowner, architect and contractor.

Listen to what our clients have shared with us!

Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube Channel,Subscribe to Zimmerman Architect's YouTube Channel
so that you don’t miss one of our upcoming Project Prep Episodes!

 

If a friend forwarded this to you, this does not mean that we have added you to our list.
However, if you would like to receive our updates, click below.

Yes, send me your design tips.


Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!


Do you have transformational dreams for your house and

simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!

Categories : Renovations, Videos, Working with Zimmerman Architects

“Moving” Within Your Home

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 December 8, 2022

Building with Hope and Faith

“Moving” Within Your Home

The master bedroom - before

Can you imagine waking up to the sounds of people chatting outside your bedroom window at 6am? How would you feel when you realized this unwelcome sound becomes a daily ritual?

For our homeowner clients, they thought that buying a house beautifully situated by a hiking trail was a rare and beautiful find! But when the hiking trail opened for the season and hikers congregated at 6am at the entrance, which was just a few feet from the couple’s bedroom window, it was literally a rude awakening!

The master bath - before

Another glaring issue was the odd layout of their large master bathroom. While the room was expansive enough to walk through (or even bike through!), the toilet was tucked away inside what felt like a small closet, and the shower was stuck in a dark, small space.

During our design process, we listened to all their challenges, their ideas, their goals. For this couple, this house was to be their forever home, so they wanted to be sure it was custom designed for their use and their personality and would age with them.

Bedroom Transformation

New bedroom

Our newly designed layout switched the location of the bathroom with the bedroom, so now their master bedroom windows faced the peace and quiet of their private backyard. High windows were added over the bed and new French doors led to the yard, with the goal to welcome more light.

The bathroom didn’t need to be as large as it used to be, so we grabbed some of that space to enlarge the master bedroom walk-in closet. While it had been large to begin with, after the renovation, it’s now glamorously huge. Even the new master closet has accessibility features: there are 2 tiers of rods, where the upper rod pulls down for easy access.

Expanded master bedroom walk-in closet

Bathroom Makeover

The bathroom is now at the front of the house, with the bow window retained from when it was the bedroom. Each window has its own top-down shade, so they could adjust for light and privacy.

Master bathroom relocated to front of house

The toilet is in a private alcove behind a small wall which no longer gives you the feeling of being ensconced in a tiny closet. Turning the corner at the end of the sink, you can step into the shower, which does not have a door or curtains. Instead, a glass partial wall separates the shower from the sink vanity, letting the light through to the shower.

Accommodations for the Future

Our clients asked for the house to accommodate any future aging needs, so we designed a walk-in shower with no threshold – this means that a wheelchair could roll in comfortably, should one be needed in the future.

The shower drain was cleverly devised to meld into the design of the wood-mimicking tile floor.

walk-in shower
updated vanity in new bath
Zero-threshold shower

Ready for Future Needs

looking toward bedroom

Throughout the house, there are spacious hallways for using a walker or wheelchair.

Entry to master suite

There is now a new large closet built specifically to accommodate a future elevator, should they need one.

This new closet was carved out the master suite space, with a door facing the front entry foyer. If an elevator should be installed one day, the owners can drive into the garage, walk into their finished basement, and take the elevator to the main level and enter the master suite.

Embracing Custom Design

Not content with the cookie-cutter layouts and designs you’d find in the magazines, this couple knew they wanted the house to reflect their personal preferences. The bathroom features a custom-painted floor that appears as though you’re walking on water, complete with look of water “pooling” around the corner. As you can see in the image of the bathroom windows, the floor underneath the bow window appears to show the reflection of light, until you realize that “reflection” is painted on!

Custom-painted floor
Custom painted floor

What’s In Your Future?

When you own your home, you get to decide if this is a short-term living space, or your forever home. When you decide to age in place, there are many ways to ensure that you’ll be safe and happy for years to come. If you don’t feel confident about the features or layout of your house today, we welcome a phone call to learn about your needs.

It all starts with a phone call – even if you are years away from starting, it’s never too soon to have a conversation.


Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!


Do you have transformational dreams for your house and

simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!

If a friend forwarded this to you, this does not mean that we have added you to our list. However, if you would like to receive our updates, click below.

Yes, send me your design tips.

Categories : Interior Renovations, Renovations, Residential Design, Working with Zimmerman Architects

I Want to Love My House | A Story of Transformation

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 March 25, 2022
Building with Hope and Faith

“I Want to Love My Home”
A Story of Transformation

When we received the initial call from our client, she stated she WANTED to love her house, but “right now it is a big brown box”. She hated the exterior and had a list of what she’d like to see changed.

In fact, the collection of design images she liked was quite extensive and just as varied! Our client didn’t know how all these ideas could be sorted out and even which ones were do-able. She had pictures – but lacked one cohesive vision.

Luckily, we’ve been doing this for over 30 years so we’re well-versed in reviewing a list of disparate design concepts and finding the “string” that ties them all together.

This project was a renovation without additions, except a new front porch. The exterior renovations were done first and have been recently completed. Enjoy the before and after photos! (The interior renovation project will begin soon.)

Exterior Style

In discussing what styles she and her husband liked, we noticed that quite a few of the images she shared with us contained Craftsman style details, so we used this throughout our design.
Front - Before
Before
front - after
After

Roof Details

We added 3 new roofs: over the new front porch; over a new box bay window at the living room; and at the garage doors. For these 3 roofs, we used metal roofing to act as an accent material. Wooden brackets at the garage roof match the posts and beams of the front porch.

Siding

Our client liked different styles of siding and wondered if we could incorporate more than one and still maintain a natural flow. We used clapboard siding along the main level, shingle siding at the upstairs level and board and batten siding at the top levels under the roof overhangs and at the garage.
Garage before
Before
Garage - after
After

Windows

One of the first things you would notice on the original house were the narrow windows. Every window was less than 2 feet wide. Replacing these with large windows delighted the homeowner with an abundance of light brightening the interior.

While keeping the overall composition of the exterior balanced, we were mindful that the size of each window matched the purpose of each room. Where we placed each new window would naturally affect the furniture placement in the rooms. We also considered what future design changes we would implement when we worked on the interior.

Entry - before
Before
Entry - after
After
And speaking of windows, the master bedroom used to have a balcony, but it was too small to even fit a chair. It didn’t serve a real purpose and was never used. It was removed and replaced with large bright windows.
Before side view
Before
After side view
After

Porch

The entry to the house had just a platform and steps with no roof covering. Our clients wanted an ample porch they could use comfortably. Our 8 ft deep porch design gave them a comfy place to sit and relax, with room for a small table and chairs if they wished to use them. The porch is Craftsman style with stone piers and timber frame construction.
View from Porch

Deck

In the back of the home, they had a two-level deck with an unfortunate placement of the stairs. The stairs to the lower level were way off to the side, creating two disjointed spaces. In our design, we featured a large, centrally located stair that joins the 2 spaces and integrates them, so they work together as a cohesive whole.

Lastly, there was a room off of the deck that had been a screened in porch. We redesigned it as a four-season room they can now use however they wish, all year long.

 

Deck Before
Before
Deck after
After
The big brown box is now a memory, and our clients are excited about the upcoming interior work. It all starts with a phone call – even if you are years away from starting, it’s never too soon to have a conversation.

Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!


Do you have transformational dreams for your house and

simply can’t “see it happening?” Click below to get started.

 

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Categories : Design Accuracy, Exterior Improvements, Renovations, Residential Design, Working with Zimmerman Architects

Will COVID-19 Change The Way Homes Are Designed?

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 June 12, 2020
  · No Comments
Building with Hope and Faith

Will COVID-19 Change The Way Homes Are Designed?

Hello from Hope and Faith!

We were recently interviewed by our business strategist who wanted to know what we thought new home construction and remodeling might look like in a post-COVID world.

More home office spaces?
Sanitizing considerations?
Will open-floor concepts give way to smaller rooms?

We’ve been hearing questions about future home design considerations – will we need to change what our homes look like to be more “anti-virus” conscious?? Our answers may surprise you!

Watch Our Interview
The Future of Home Architecture & Design
in a Post-COVID World

 

Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube Channel,Subscribe to Zimmerman Architect's YouTube Channel
so that you don’t miss one of our upcoming Project Prep Episodes!

 

If a friend forwarded this to you, this does not mean that we have added you to our list.
However, if you would like to receive our updates, click below.

Yes, send me your design tips.


Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!

 

Do you have transformational dreams for your house and
simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!

 

Categories : New Construction, Renovations, Videos, Working with Zimmerman Architects
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