St. Louis Park - Remodeling Case Studies

Updated 50s Ranch House

We brought this untouched gem of a 1950’s California ranch rambler into the 21st century while still keeping true to the style of the home. As per the homeowner's wishes, we brought in natural elements to reinforce the connection to the outdoors and extensively remodeled the kitchen to greatly improve efficiency. 

Photography by Mark Ehlen, Ehlen Creative

Interior Remodeling

Whole House

Carpentry, Demolition, Designing, Doors, Electrical, Flooring, HVAC, Installation, Lighting, Painting, Plumbing, Sheet Rock, Windows

Our clients were empty-nesters and also newlyweds, and they needed our system of design-build to create a plan that would meld both of their styles and needs and then bring the design to life in the construction phase. The house was a 50's time capsule and needed an appreciative viewpoint as well as a judicious eye.                                                                                  Here are images of the existing home before we started our work:  

Many features of the design of this project make it a most livable home for this couple.  We closed off the pocket door from the foyer to the kitchen which gave the kitchen more working space. We opened up the wall between the kitchen and living room and added a raised countertop area for serving beverages and appetizers when entertaining. We added a wall in the breezeway which created a back entry from the garage and helped to better define the sunroom. We removed the exterior service door and sidelight in the breezeway and added a transom window which provided better privacy and gave the new back entry more wall space. We used birdseye maple cabinetry and cork flooring to bring in the natural elements and to give a contemporary 50’s feel to the home. We kept the original cedar ceiling which helped balance the darker cork floor and stayed true to the period of the home. We modernized the fireplace by sheet rocking over the wood front but keeping the original brick and low horizontal design to accentuate the California ranch theme. We added in-floor heat to the back entry and sunroom to help keep heating costs down and to allow them to enjoy the sunroom in the colder weather months. And we added a large deck off the sunroom for outdoor entertaining.

Our clients are appreciative of how we facilitated the combination of their two lifestyles into one household. They both enjoy their new lives in their remodeled home, which keeps a foot in the 50s while embracing the present day. This project was featured on the BATC Remodelers Showcase.

Golden Valley

MN

We designed and produced this remodeling project in-house, with our designers, production manager, office professional, and carpenters working as a team, along with subcontracted trade professionals.