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Archive for Residential Design

How to get 2 architects to work on your dream home – for the price of one

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 December 18, 2024

Building With Hope and Faith

Our Unique Dynamics Makes Our Process
Stand Out From the Crowd

Most folks know that we are twin sisters. This means we get to work separately, together, and give you two architects for the price of one.

Each of us are involved in specific parts of your home renovation project in our own way. But when it comes to designing and working on your project, we put our twin heads together and collaborate on one (awesome) design. One of us creates the design and then we perform an internal review to improve it and bring it to the next level.

When we are doing the technical drawings, we work together on the construction detailing. And you get real quality control in every project, because if one of us creates the drawings, the other will review it and seek to clarify and improve it.

During construction, you will typically see only one of us at the site visits, working with you and the contractor. But behind the scenes, we collaborate, problem solve and act as each other’s sounding board. Even better, we get to be excited over your project together!

You might get to work directly with only one of us, but rest assured, that you’re actually getting 2 experienced and talented architects for the price of one.

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

Subscribe to Zimmerman Architect's YouTube Channel

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.

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Categories : Renovations, Residential Design, Videos, Working with Zimmerman Architects
Tags : collaboration, construction details, home renovation, site visits, technical drawings

The Rise of Multigenerational Homes

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 July 11, 2024

Building With Hope and Faith

Adapting Your Space for Family Harmony

More families are planning their futures together by welcoming other generations to live with them

With rising expenses and possible increasing physical limitations, more families are planning their futures together by welcoming other generations to live with them. Here at Zimmerman Architects, it’s an honor to be asked to design a beautiful and functional space that nurtures the homeowner and their extended families.

As you can imagine, it’s a topic that has many flavors, so we’ll be presenting you with a series of blog posts on what multigenerational living can look like for your family and home. We’ll begin with a top-level view.

Who Are Likely Candidates for a Multigenerational Home?

The Generation Above

See if any of this rings a bell:

  • The principal homeowners are typically in the age range of 45 to 65. This is often referred to as The Sandwich Generation:
    • The generation above is experiencing difficulties in the physical upkeep of their own home; or
    • The generation below is finding the cost of housing to be beyond their financial capabilities for the near future;
    • And of course, our homeowners can be the filling squeezed in the middle of the generation sandwich, getting ready to host either or both sets of families!
  • Their home is in good condition, but maybe could use some modernization. Their property is spacious, but they need to renovate to fit their family members.
  • They love their neighborhood and community and wouldn’t dream of selling to move to another location.
  • They love their family and want to assist in creating living conditions that are safe, comfortable, and beautiful.

The Top Reasons to Transform Your House to Fit Your Family

Every family has their story and whatever your reason, we’re here for you with the utmost respect.

The Generation Above

Mom and Dad used to be able to keep up with home and property maintenance, but their abilities are declining. The homeowners are filled with worry over the safety of Mom and Dad trying to do too much on their own; especially when it’s a solo parent remaining.

Our homeowners tell us they feel greater peace of mind when the elders are now living on the first floor of their home, and they can care for them with increased convenience. When Mom and Dad give up their drivers’ licenses, we either drive distances in each direction to pick them up and drop them off from their doctors’ appointments – or we can simply all meet at the garage!

This generation often grew up in simple homes so often they don’t request anything beyond a bedroom, walk-in closet, and master bathroom. If there’s room, a private “sitting room” or den or home office situated in a quieter part of the house would be icing on the cake. If they need accessibility features, we make sure all of that is accounted for and even help them plan ahead. More on that in another blog.

The generation above

The Generation Below

When the kids get married and start their own families, they grow out of their first apartment or home and now need more room. But home prices today can’t compare to prices even 5 years ago!

They experience an impossible squeeze – not enough room for their family but not enough financial resources to move into a larger home. More young families are finding themselves asking parents if they can “move back in”. (Or the parents make the offer to their kids.)

There’s no shame in this – the financial situation today is more difficult than ever. And families want to help each other! Some of these young families feel there may be no recourse except to move to a state with a lower cost of living – but that means putting major distance between themselves and loving parents/grandparents.

Our homeowner clients are loving people who want to do everything in their power to ease the burden for their children. If the homeowners can come to the rescue with not only a more spacious place for the family to grow, but also provide extra care for the grandchildren and watch them grow up, the renovation project starts with a large helping of gratitude all around!

The generation below

We Don’t Tip-Toe Around the Challenges

We’re not here to paint a rosy picture; we assure you that we deeply understand all the challenges and obstacles that often “move in” with the families!

There Goes Our Privacy

Top of the list is the fear of diminished privacy or autonomy. It’s natural for family members to have disagreements from time to time, and the worry is that: “everyone will hear our business”.

We keep your privacy top of mind in our design, ensuring the home dwellers that they will have their own spaces for relaxing and enjoyment, as well as confidential discussions.

The positioning of personal spaces like the bedrooms and bathrooms becomes a key factor, ensuring they are placed in different sections of the home for privacy whenever possible. We can design “suites” for each family, consisting of bedrooms, bathrooms, walk in closets and possibly private living areas.

Another common concern we hear is that with less space “we’ll be bumping into each other”. Giving each family unit their own set of private spaces is key to a harmonious home, and we are mindful of designing for privacy, comfort and spaciousness.

On another note, the families may appreciate connecting and congregating in the kitchen, dining area and/or a great room.

Giving each family unit their own space

Our Job Is To Listen - and Discuss

Our Design Consultation is only the first of many conversations we’ll have around your goals and challenges. In addition to listening to your concerns and answering your questions, we always have plenty more of our own questions so we can uncover all the details to consider in our design.

Your multigenerational home needs to have space to accommodate everyone, while providing the necessary amount of both private and shared spaces to create a happy and healthy environment for the whole family.

designed to accommodate everyone

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 : Mulit-generation, Renovations, Residential Design, Working with Zimmerman Architects

An Interior Renovation to Keep Up With Your Lifestyle

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 June 7, 2024

Building With Hope and Faith

An Interior Renovation

View of the original kitchen layout

Not all major renovations require “building out or building up”. Plenty of improvements can be made to your home without a change in the home’s footprint. This month we show you an interior renovation that was a “reconfiguring” rather than an “enlarging”.

We start each project listening to the homeowners’ challenges and concerns. They love to entertain and had a great backyard setup complete with pool that was great for this. The house – not so much.

The existing living room, dining room and kitchen felt “choppy and closed off” from each other. (see 3 photos below.) This is quite common in older homes where the layout typically consisted of small independent rooms often only connected to each other through a door or relatively small opening.

Although common and popular then, our homes have evolved to be more open spaces that allow us to interact with those in the adjacent spaces.

choppy, closed-off living room, dining room and kitchen
choppy, closed-off living room, dining room and kitchen
choppy, closed-off living room, dining room and kitchen

For this project, we opened up the living room, dining room and kitchen areas by removing walls. And bonus! There was an underused room in the back of the house by the kitchen, so we took advantage of that space as well.

Originally a dining room, years ago it had become an underutilized rear entry and pass-through to the main part of the house, when a living room was added at the front of the house.

In our renovation, the original living room became the new dining room. And all the spaces are now open to each other. The new kitchen is now more open and larger, highlighted by a new large island with seating which allows and encourages socializing and entertaining. (see our key photo, top)

Below you can see the view from the dining room before (left) and the same view after (right).

View from dining room before renovation
view from dining room after renovation

A New Bathroom, Ready for Guests

Before our project, there was a full bathroom that everyone had access to. The master bedroom lacked a private en-suite bathroom.

As we opened up the area, we were able to carve out sufficient space for a half bathroom that is now the “public” restroom.

That allowed the existing full bath to become a private space for the adjacent master bedroom, creating a true master suite.

Can We Move the Stairs? Of Course!

The former kitchen had an awkward layout due to a set of stairs leading to the basement. It prevented the owners from taking advantage of that whole area.

Our design reconfigured the stairs and moved the entrance to the basement outside of the kitchen. What did this mean for the kitchen? Now the whole corner of the kitchen could be more efficiently used and the cabinets could continue, gaining more counter and more storage space for the homeowners.

kitchen before the stairs were moved

Opening these new stairs with beautiful new railings instead of enclosing walls allows the kitchen to be more open to the adjacent dining room and to have a view all the way through to the front door.

We didn’t stop there – halfway down the stairs there was a partial landing that had originally been a side entrance. Years prior, it had been converted to an awkward, inefficient pantry-like space. Out of that dead space, we created a new walk-in open pantry just a few steps down from the kitchen (below, right).

Original stairway
new open pantry area on stairway landing

The Kitchen They Dreamed Of

When you want to have an entertaining-ready kitchen, you may want what our homeowners asked for: it now has an oversized refrigerator (4 feet wide) an oversized stove (4 feet wide) which features a large 8-burner cooktop and 2 ovens and also has a convenient wall mounted pot-filler faucet. The new kitchen is now large enough to host lots of friends but also is comfortable for just the family or a small cozy gathering. And what would an entertainment-ready kitchen be without a bar area dressed with gorgeous glass-front cabinets and wine fridge below?

the new kitchen they dreamed of

It’s important to mention here that as an older house with plenty of character, it was essential to achieve the balance of a modern kitchen fitting well with the older house. When removing some walls, and installing beams, the deliberate choice was made to use old timber beams – distressed, repurposed wood.

There are timber beams on either side of the chimney that retain the character and feel of an old house.

So if you’re wondering how you can ever modernize your kitchen and entertaining area in an older home without it losing its character, this is the type of project we take on with great respect for your home’s history as well as your needs and dreams for today.

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

The Story of the Cabin that Grew up on a Hill – Interior Edition

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 May 8, 2024

Building With Hope and Faith

The Little Cabin That Grew Up
Interior Edition!

Original Stone Fireplace

Last time we revealed our exterior transformation of the Cabin That Grew Up On a Hill. There was so much detail to this project that we saved our coverage of the interior for this edition of our newsletter! Can’t wait to see inside? Here we go.

Original fireplace that owners wanted to keep

The homeowners wanted to keep the stone fireplace of the original home. A unique feature of the house is that the stone walls of the exterior of the house are visible on the interior as well. This area, with a band of windows above the stone walls, used to be an enclosed porch.

New live-edge windowsill in hallway

The existing windowsill was in poor condition so a new live edge sill was added.

This is wood that still has bark along the edge. The rustic look really compliments the old stone walls.

The house has 3 distinct sections. How cool is it that you can see parts of the outside of the house from different vantage points when you’re standing inside?

mail room of new house with stone wall

New Design of the Main House

new glass doors separating the dining room from the kitchen

After construction, the main part of the house now features 10 ft ceilings and an open floor plan. The original enclosed porch has now become part of the living room, which naturally enlarged the living space. A stunning collection of windows contributes lots of natural light.

There are new glass doors separating the dining room from the kitchen. This way the home chef can see what’s going on in the dining room while containing cooking smells in the kitchen.

Before the renovation, the 2nd floor of the house was a modest loft that overlooked the living room with 2 small bedrooms and a bathroom; and there wasn’t a lot of head space.

Now the second floor is a full-sized space containing 3 bedrooms, with 2 in the back, and the master suite at the front of the house taking advantage of the beautiful view. 

new secons-floor height
vaulted ceiling over stairway to "attic"
second floor is a spacious walk-up “attic” with large windows and a skylight

Above the second floor is a spacious walk-up “attic” with large windows and a skylight, making it light and bright. It’s so beautiful, we hate to call it an attic – It’s a beautiful finished space, not a dark unpleasant area filled with boxes of stuff.

In addition to the finished walk-up attic there is now a full height basement. This is also partially finished and has a full bathroom and a door to outside. 

The Connector

The first floor also acts as the indoor connector to the in-law suite, via a set of stairs. The garage and connector piece were both new footprint to the house.

From the 1st floor level of the main house, you enter the enclosed and heated breezeway, a wide hallway with windows on both sides. This leads to a set of stairs that takes you down to the in-law suite. 

stairway down to in-law suite
in-law-suite-kitchen2

The New In-Law Suite

Located above the new 2-car garage, this is a perfect space designed for the homeowners’ aging parents. It features cathedral ceilings and a large custom arched window that serves as a focal point and provides sweeping views of the valley. The suite is a comfortable sized apartment, with bedroom, study, living room and kitchenette, (mini kitchen).

new in-law suite over garage

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, Mulit-generation, New Construction, Residential Design, Working with Zimmerman Architects

The Story of the Cabin that Grew up on a Hill

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 February 29, 2024

Building With Hope and Faith

The Story of the Cabin that Grew up on a Hill

The cabin on a hill expansion

Did you ever spot a home situated in an unusual location and wonder, “how did they do that?” This is the story of a former small hunting cabin in the woods that grew up one day to be a spacious multi-structure home for an extended family. It retained all of its personality and charm, but it is now a modern, comfortable, lovely and spacious residence for a family with kids and a separate space for the grandparents.

We were honored and excited to work on this house situated on the side of a mountain. The family had actually owned the house for years without ever moving in. It had been rented out for a few years but then remained empty. Their goal was to “fix it up” enough to comfortably live there, to be able to enjoy the stunning views of the valley.

When they contacted us, their initial goal was to make the house more spacious without actually expanding the footprint. Their idea was to demolish and rebuild parts of the house, without taking up more ground space with an addition. They feared that needing a variance for an addition would make the project too complicated.

The view from the street
The View from the Street
The view from the rear
View from the Rear

From the exterior, it had some beautiful features; it was an old house with a well-crafted stone foundation on the front that wrapped around the side of the house, and a wonderful stone fireplace and chimney. The homeowners were intent on keeping the original stonework but knew that functionally, the rest of the house was in bad shape: the roof leaked for years and the basement was a simple space with a dirt floor.

Well, no one living in that home would ever need a gym membership, because the driveway came up to a flat part of the hill and then required a climb of 40 steps up the exterior staircase. There was no garage, just the little house and a driveway.

Is this an impossible project? Not for us! We’ll let you in on what we accomplished for the exterior of this unusual property now, and let you peek inside in our next issue.

The Old Cabin
The Old Cabin
The New Second Floor
The New Second Floor

What Happens When You Change Your Plans Mid-way?

As you can imagine, once you get going on a project, you sometimes have a change of mind. In this case, the owners decided they would also build an addition for his in-laws. This shift of direction occurred while the construction was already underway, but our goal is always to make our clients’ dreams happen, so we worked with them on their revised plan. Looking back, we knew he was making the right call in creating the addition and we were happy to make it a reality. 

The dig for the garage
The Dig for the Garage
The garage under construction
The Garage Under Construction

So How Would You Build an Addition on a Side of a Mountain?

You build it in sections that step down the mountain. We designed a 2-car garage down at the driveway level. And we topped off that garage with a beautiful full-sized apartment. Then there’s the piece that connects the garage/in-law suite to the original main house. Each of these three parts of the house are distinct sections that step up from the driveway. When one generation wants to visit the other, they don’t have to climb 40 stairs outside. We’ll share interior photos next time!

The in-law suite
The In-law Suite
The Three Sections
The Three Sections

For the main house, the home owner wanted to keep the rustic look and feel of “a cabin in the woods”, so we kept the original stone and added a 2nd floor with a cantilever over the first floor. This means that level juts out a bit over the lower floor. We added large timber brackets under the cantilever. There are also timber brackets at the new front entry porch. Stone and timber detailing was also used at the garage so it all ties together. 

Of course, they did need to acquire a steep slope variance because the property was too steep. They needed to create switchbacks to allow safe travel on the driveway. This all required a lot of architectural and engineering talent and time to get all the designs approved.

Even with the additional apartment, from the street looking up at the structure, you can’t see the new garage because of the shape of the mountain, so it retains the “small cabin” look from afar. In fact, part of the charm of this home is the fact that the house reveals itself as you approach it.

A new entrance
A New Entrance

What a stunning project, if we do say so ourselves! We love working with our clients no matter where you want to live, even on the side of a mountain.

Inside and out, these updates kept the personality and charm of their preferred style, yet totally transformed the experience of living in the house for the owners.

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

Updating a Historic Home While Keeping its Charm

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 December 21, 2023

Building With Hope and Faith

Updating a Historic Home While Keeping its Charm

a historic house can be updated without loosing its charm

Imagine this – when the forecast calls for freezing temperatures, that means you run downstairs and shut off your water so that the pipes in the kitchen don’t freeze.

Are we describing a living situation decades ago? Actually, a client we just worked with had been dealing with this very challenge. As you can imagine, they were more than ready for a renovation!

They were also more than ready for us to end another (slightly less dire) predicament. In their lovely and charming craftsman style cape cod home, there was only one bathroom. It was on the main floor; and the master bedroom was upstairs. Imagine navigating a dark, enclosed staircase in the middle of the night to use the facilities!

Fortunately for them, we were able to make both those issues disappear – and give them even more reasons to love their home.

The homeowners loved the character of their cape cod home and its craftsman style architecture. They were ready for “modern conveniences” but didn’t want to give up the personality and artful design of the home. It became our mission to honor the history and style while upgrading with modern conveniences where possible.

What Is the Craftsman Style All About?

Craftsman style homes are an American architectural tradition that emerged and spread between 1900 and 1929. It railed against the mass-produced, Industrial Revolution-fueled Victorian architecture boom that celebrated manmade materials. Craftsman architecture was an ode to the beauty of natural materials and forms, and the marvels of what humans can make with their own hands. 

A Kitchen Makeover That Kept the Original Charm

The house had a small previous addition to the kitchen that was built on concrete piers rather than a standard foundation, so it was open underneath. In freezing temperatures, the kitchen sink froze, so the homeowners had a regular routine of shutting off the water to prevent the pipes from freezing, which naturally meant they had no running water in the kitchen during this time.

While the homeowners loved the beautiful woodwork in the home, plus its personality and charm, their kitchen was comprised of three small choppy spaces: there was a little porch, a small addition tacked onto the back of the house, and the original kitchen.

The kitchen before

The kitchen before the renovation
another view of the kitchen before the reno

In our design, the porch and tiny addition were removed. We designed a new addition and an entire kitchen renovation. While it used to be dark, the kitchen is now light, bright and airy, featuring craftsman details to match the rest of the house. How do you bring some craftsman detailing to your interior? The craftsman styled cabinet doors complement the existing house and the painted wood trim on the windows and doors match the stained trim found elsewhere. The stained-glass light fixtures as well as the period switch plate covers enhance the look.

Initially, the homeowners were concerned that they would end up with a standard modern, cookie cutter kitchen. Instead, they were delighted that the new design was perfectly in line with their style preferences. Oh, and the pipes don’t freeze now.

The kitchen after the renovation

kitchen view after renovation
Kitchen after renovation
a brighter more inviting Kitchen after reno

Opening The Staircase

The staircase to the second floor had been fully enclosed with walls and a door. In our design, we allowed the natural light to flow through the area by opening up the stairwell.

Removing the walls allowed the home to show off the natural beauty of the newly replaced stairs, which with our design, now end in an elegant railing with a craftsman newel post. Because the staircase is situated at the edge of the new kitchen, the whole space feels larger.

closed-in staircase made space feel small
opening the staircase made the area feel larger

How To Create a Bathroom from Existing Space

As mentioned before, the existing house had only one bathroom which was situated on the first floor. The master bedroom on the second floor really needed its own bathroom, for the convenience and safety of the homeowners.

A cape cod home has a steep roof area, so we used some of the unfinished attic space that was on the same level as the bedroom. It already had a high enough head height to be able to carve out a new master bathroom.

a bathroom created from existing space

Fortunately, that part of the attic even had a window to help make the bathroom a light and cheery space. 

Renovating the Exterior While Retaining the Charm

To complete the look, new siding and trim enhanced the curb appeal while keeping to the character of the existing neighborhood, full of older homes. The new siding and trim totally changed what it looked like without sacrificing the character or making it look out of place.

Out went the old concrete patio in the rear of the home, and in its place came a lovely new deck at the kitchen level. Even the detached garage was updated with new siding to complete the picture.

the front of the house before the reno
front of the house after renovation
side of house before renovation
side of house with new door and outside stairs
rear of house before reno
house rear after renovation

Inside and out, these updates kept the personality and charm of their preferred style, yet totally transformed the experience of living in the house for the owners.

What Our Clients Learned

If you like most of your house but there’s a few things that really need to change, you don’t have to find another home and move; you can stay there and renovate the parts that aren’t working for you. Let us help you bring those particular spaces up to the same caliber as the rest of your house and still keep the charm of the original home.

You can upgrade your kitchen or expand other parts of your home to meet your particular needs and lifestyle, while keeping the quaint character of the house.

For some of our clients, their home was built in the 1900’s but they want the conveniences of the 2000’s. How do we make it happen without your home looking disjointed? We know how to keep that look and feel of the original character of your home and design renovations that respect its history.

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, Interior Renovations, Kitchen Renovation, Renovations, Residential Design, Working with Zimmerman Architects

Planning a Renovation? Don’t Stop at What You NEED…

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 December 11, 2023

Building With Hope and Faith

Planning a Renovation?
Don't Stop at What You NEED...

Working with our clients, one of our most important tasks is to LISTEN. But many times, our homeowners tell us all about what needs to be done and stop there. What about what you WANT?

It’s YOUR house and we want you to enjoy it for years to come. So, we’re giving you permission to go further – think about the kind of space and experience that will make you excited!

We help you think more creatively about all the aspects of your space that will make life not just more functional but also joyful!

Not Sure How To Renovate a Historic Home?

If your home was built “way back when” and could use a loving renovation, we can help you improve and modernize your home without losing historic charm and personality.

Start Here

Make sure you subscribe to our 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 : Exterior Improvements, Interior Renovations, Renovations, Residential Design, Working with Zimmerman Architects

How To Modernize Your Home While Retaining Historical Charm

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 December 8, 2023

Building With Hope and Faith

How To Modernize Your Home
While Retaining Historical Charm

The Coccia house before renovation
Before
The Coccia house after renovation
After

Recently, we designed a modern upgrade for a client while being mindful of keeping to the historical personality and style of the original home. They aren’t alone – many homeowners fell in love with their home specifically for the charm of the design era in which it was built. While we live in the 2020’s there’s no reason we can’t honor the style of the 1920’s if that’s when your house was “born”.

Kitchens today are much larger and full of ample counter spaces, cabinets and electrical outlets galore. Yes we CAN design a spacious and convenient kitchen and bathroom and great room for today’s necessities and trends without looking like a clone of every other home.

If an addition or renovation is on your wish list, but you wonder how that can work with your historic home, we hope these ideas will help you get inspired.

The Conklin house before updating
Before
The Conklin house after updating
After

Take a Deep Dive into History

Knowing in what year your home was built may be a first step if you want to research design styles popular at that time. Understanding what was going on in your local area during that time in history can help you define the home’s original personality. Looking at architectural trends of the time may help you decide what to retain and what can be updated.

Take a good look at all the nooks and crannies of your house to identify the key historic features of the home, such as original moldings, trim, doors, staircase, windows, and any unique architectural details. These elements contribute significantly to the home’s character. When adding on a new room or two, we can incorporate those architectural details in our design so that visitors won’t believe your new rooms are modern additions, rather than part of the original house.

Even in the parts of the home where you’re not planning a renovation, it’s a great idea to see what needs to be fixed or restored. Trims, moldings, doors, shelving – all of these can be repaired or replaced in keeping with their original style. No sense in having spectacular new rooms that reflect the history while your original rooms show damaged, faded, warped or missing pieces.

The Loosemore house before renovation
Before
The Lossemore house after renovation
After

Update the Décor In Keeping With the Style of the Time


Here’s where you can ignore the paint colors “on trend” this year. Research what colors, drapery styles and wallpaper designs were prevalent in the era. Paint colors and wallpaper reflecting the style of the home’s decade can be found to refresh the rooms that don’t need a renovation but are looking tired and worn out. Choosing new colors or coverings throughout the whole home can be a great way to make sure that your new additions and original sections flow naturally.

Select fixtures, finishes, hardware, and cabinetry that evoke a historical vibe. Farmhouse sinks, subway tiles, and vintage-inspired faucets are prevalent today.

Keep It Modern and Vintage Above and Below

Today’s light fixtures can improve the lighting in a space, and can be found in styles that reflect historical trends. Look for vintage-style fixtures that blend seamlessly with the existing décor but can support today’s smart lighting choices. Imagine controlling the bulbs on your “vintage” chandelier with your smart phone!

Keep the floors flowing organically from room to room, in the style of your home’s decade. Refinish the hardwood floors in the rooms that remain unrenovated and match the stain, plank size and species of these floors when doing the flooring in your newly added rooms.  

The Roberts house before renovation
Before
The Roberts house after renovation
After

Beautiful and Cohesive on the Outside

Ever see a poorly planned addition where it “sticks out like a sore thumb?” We take great care that the renovation and addition projects we do improve the overall look of the entire house to ensure that the merging of old and new looks organic and cohesive. We especially enjoy maintaining (or even enhancing) the charm of your home while adding more space for you to enjoy. This may be done by incorporating historical detailing or features such as porches, columns, pergolas or other outdoor features.

The key to successfully modernizing a historic home while retaining its charm is balance and attention to detail. Zimmerman Architects specializes in residential renovations and additions that respect and honor the history and character of your home while customizing the new features to fit your family for years to come.

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

Will Your Kitchen Keep Up With You For Years To Come?

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 December 3, 2023

Building With Hope and Faith

Will Your Kitchen Keep Up With You For Years To Come?

if you’re like many homeowners, you have started to realize that there are some features that are not as handy or attractive as they once were

Perhaps at one point in your homeownership, you loved your kitchen! It had certain features that brought a smile to your face every morning. It could be the way you enjoyed the view of your garden from the window above your kitchen sink. It could be that the countertop and cabinets flowed in your favorite soothing neutral shades.

But Is It Standing Up to the Test of Time?

Over the years, your tastes and needs changed. Of course, painting the walls and switching the hardware are easy ways to quickly jazz it up. But if you’re like many homeowners, you have started to realize that there are some features that are not as handy or attractive as they once were.

We All Love a Great Kitchen Island, But…

At first you loved your kitchen island, with the range in the middle. It was so convenient! But with time you realized there’s not a lot of counter space on either side of the range and the oven is across the room – a little dangerous when transporting a hot dish from stove to oven. Is there a way to build a bigger, roomier island with plenty of work and storage space, and move the cooktop close to the oven? Of course there is, but it’s not exactly a weekend do-it-yourself project!

Or you’ve always wanted a kitchen island, but your narrow room precluded the addition of one. Your kitchen island can be a flat all-workspace or it can incorporate a second sink to help with food prep. Wouldn’t it be great if you could move a wall here or there to restructure the layout of your kitchen and fit an island, and whatever else you want, in your kitchen? 

Loving the Idea of a Coffee/Wine Bar

Many of today’s modern kitchens incorporate a separate cabinetry station that stores coffee mugs and wine glasses, has a wine fridge below and a small countertop above to hold the coffee maker. It’s not just cute, it’s super-efficient! Above the counter you can imagine beautiful glass-front cabinets that show off your sparkling wine glasses. Wouldn’t it be great to add this to your kitchen without the room feeling crowded and interrupting the flow?

Below counter spaces can be used for more than drawers - why not add other functionality like a beverage fridge and a microwave?

Making Your Stove Area More Efficient

A pot filler over the stove could be a safety and a convenience feature.
A pot filler over the stove could be a safety and a convenience feature.

For anyone who has filled a large pot with water at the sink and then had to carry those sloshing gallons of water across the room to the stove, you’re probably wishing and hoping to someday incorporate a pot filler faucet. Built into the wall over the stove, the pot filler faucet has an articulated arm that swings out over the stove burners to fill pots with water. You can also extend the arm to reach pots on the counter just beside your range area.

Without taking up any counter space at all, home chefs love pot filler faucets because of the higher water pressure and flow, leading to less time and effort spent filling. It’s a great safety and efficiency feature that many modern home chefs love.

Perhaps you’d prefer to move your microwave away from the stove and over by the wall with the oven. And then you can have room above your stove for a beautiful range hood. Not only venting the food smells and heat, range hoods come in a variety of designs, colors and materials and can add a wow piece to your kitchen. 

Adorn your stove area with a beautiful and functioning range hood with venting and lights.
Adorn your stove area with a beautiful and functioning range hood with venting and lights.

Accommodating Your Family Evolution

Build your microwave into your kitchen island to save space.
Build your microwave into your kitchen island to save space.

Will you be living with other family members in the future? Will someone in the family need special accommodations? Besides simply enlarging the kitchen space, we can also incorporate specific designs such as varying counter heights and a microwave built into the base of an island. We can design the kitchen for a much larger commercial size stove or an expansive island.

Another new trend in floor plans is bridging the space from the back door through the mudroom and/or laundry room to the kitchen. You’ll wonder why all kitchens weren’t designed like this.

add access to outside through the kitchen

Wishing Won’t Make It So

Don’t you wish you could just pick up your kitchen and shake it all out, like a rug, so you could reassemble all the pieces to where they should go?

 It’s one thing to update your cabinetry or counter or backsplash. It’s a whole new ballgame to completely redesign your kitchen’s floor plan to reshape it and reconfigure where all your cabinetry and appliances are located.

 And if you’re like many of our clients, you stare at these four walls, convinced it just can’t happen for you. But when we listen to your needs and wishes as we tour your space with you, we often see possibilities you’ve overlooked.

 Our favorite client expression is, “we never thought we could have exactly what we wanted, but you helped us make that happen!” Our years of experience have given us the ability to match your dreams to your new awesome kitchen.

update your kitchen to match your lifestyle

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 : Kitchen Renovation, Renovations, Residential Design, Working with Zimmerman Architects

Bringing Your Home into the Future

Posted by Faith and Hope on
 November 29, 2023

Building With Hope and Faith

Bringing Your Home into the Future

As we hope and plan to stay in our homes for the long term, we know that our houses should fill our needs 10 and 20 years from now, not just next month. It’s smart to consider features that we’ll appreciate in the coming decades. Your home is your sanctuary, your party hosting domain, and the place you can continue to explore new hobbies, learn new things, and really enjoy your retirement years the way you want to. Let’s look at possibilities that might take your house comfortably into the future.

Easy Access

Consider relocating your master suite to the main floor.

While the homes of the past featured the master suite at the top level, there’s no rule that says your bedroom has to stay up there. It’s becoming popular to relocate your master suite to the main floor. Your guest bedrooms can be upstairs, so when your adult children come to visit, they can “make the hike” to their bedroom.

Bigger Garages For Different Reasons

Consider redesigning your garage to fit your current vehicles

No one envisioned SUV’s back in the 60’s and 70’s. If your house was built prior to the age when everyone in the house had their own car and then some, you’re likely stuck with a 1 car garage, or even a too-narrow 2 car garage. We have redesigned garages that fit your vehicles and your new lifestyle without making it an eyesore from the street.

Beyond Repurposing Bedrooms

An unused bedroom can become a craft room, yoga studio, dressing room, library or art studio of your dreams

While your empty nest may no longer host your teens, and you have your eyes set on transforming their bedrooms into other uses, you may want even more room! The craft room, yoga studio, dressing room (see above), library and art studio of your dreams can be yours even if you believe you don’t have enough rooms available right now. An addition doesn’t have to be massive – just designed correctly to look stunning and give you the space you want.

Kitchens Get Larger and More Functional

It seems that every year, kitchen design trends encourage larger kitchens! We want you to have all the space you want and need. Your kitchen can be open to adjacent spaces so you can interact with family and friends without being “stuck” in the kitchen, feeling isolated while you’re cooking.

With the popularity of home cooking (have you seen all the cooking competitions on TV??) people are not only wanting more room to spread out to roll out pie dough and shape homemade pasta, but also store all these gleaming newfangled kitchen counter appliances.

Let’s create a kitchen for you that has the space, the storage, the counter height, the mobility features that you’ll love for years to come.

Building Spaces Where They Make Sense

Folks are bringing their washer and dryer into spaces adjacent to their expanded kitchens for more efficiency, creating a mudroom by the back door that leads to the laundry room that leads to the kitchen. It’s beautiful and it’s super-efficient, helping you and your family to flow through your day and love your space, too.

Do you have a backyard with a lovely deck, swimming pool, garden and patio – but no bathroom anywhere near the back door? Let’s fix that and give even more enjoyment to the back yard life, while eliminating the extra work created when the back yard gets tracked through the house.

Here’s the deal – your home was designed years ago, in a different time, when people simply lived differently. Back then, they couldn’t envision what life would be like now. So why leave your home in the past? Let’s explore how you want to enjoy your home next month, 10 years from now, and beyond.

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
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