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Selected work
These projects stayed occupied during construction. Each one began with a written scope, daylight samples, and a sequence that protected the rest of the house.
The old galley forced two cooks into one lane. We widened the work zone with an island that holds prep on one side and homework on the other, moved the dishwasher beside the sink, and layered light so evening cooking does not glare. Maple cabinets were finished a shade warmer than the floor so the room does not go flat. The household cooked in a temporary station for four days and had the sink back before the weekend.
This kitchen did not need a new footprint. It needed drawers instead of deep shelves, a counter that could take a hot pan, and a backsplash that would not show every splash. We refaced the boxes that were sound, replaced the doors, and ran a continuous task light under the uppers. The result reads as a full remodel because the hardware, the paint, and the counters were chosen as one set.
A cramped tub alcove became a single wet room with a linear drain and a curb low enough to step over calmly. Ventilation was rebuilt so the mirror clears. Large tile on the walls reduced grout, and a smaller textured tile on the floor kept footing sure. Niches were placed at the heights the household actually reaches, not at a catalog height.
The vanity was the problem: one sink, no drawer, and a light above the mirror that shadowed the face. We built a two-person vanity only where the wall allowed it, put drawers beside each basin, and set lights on both sides of the mirror. Paint moved from a cool gray to a warm linen so the stone did not look blue at night.
The room had one overhead light and a floor that stopped awkwardly at the hall. We continued the wood, added a dimmed perimeter wash, and painted the trim the same quiet value as the walls so the windows could be the bright thing. Built-in storage took the place of a cluttered sideboard. The household stayed in the room the entire time; we worked in halves.
An unused formal room became the place the family actually sits. We repaired plaster, rebuilt the mantel surround, and ran flooring through the opening that used to feel like a threshold. Lighting is now a mix of a low lamp circuit and a reading light, so the television is not the only glow in the evening.
The brief was rest. We corrected a sloping closet, added blackout-friendly drapery hardware, and painted a color that stays soft after sunset. A small reading light was wired on each side of the bed so cords no longer cross the nightstand. The adjoining hall was painted in the same family so the suite does not stop at the door.
The approach to the house felt unfinished: a tired step, a dark landing, and a door that did not match the new interior. We rebuilt the landing with a surface that drains, added a light at the right height for keys, and stained the entry details to echo the interior wood. The work took the weather into account, with joints that can move and a finish specified for sun.
This porch was wide enough to use and too dim to enjoy. We repaired the decking, set a simple railing, and placed warm lights that do not glare into the neighbor’s windows. A storage bench hides the things that used to live beside the door. From the sidewalk, the house now looks as considered as the rooms inside.