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Enhance home with new garage
Read More: Enhance home with new garageBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Garages are a typical problem in older Salt Lake neighborhoods. You’ll find garages too small for modern vehicles; garages built for one car when the family has two; garages with ceilings too low for today’s cars; garages that are structurally unsound and deteriorating; and garages placed too close to…
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Help garage fulfill its potential
Read More: Help garage fulfill its potentialBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon With a narrow driveway, a one-car carport and no parking on the street, parking was always an issue for the Smith family. For some, garages are among the least exciting home renovation projects. But for others, the garage is the only exciting home renovation project. The truth is, because…
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Storage needs vary for each family
Read More: Storage needs vary for each familyBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Food is a major category of storage. Shelving that takes advantage of space all the way to the ceiling, plastic storage bins and good organization are keys to storing food or a variety of other household items. There is an old adage that says “A place for everything, and…
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Bathrooms can make big splash
Read More: Bathrooms can make big splashBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon A well-designed family bath goes a long way toward helping your home function better for your family. Nice finishes and fixtures can add an extra splash to a very practical room. Many feature two sinks. If you are honest, you would probably rather die than allow a guest to…
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Kitchen Design: Blending function & aesthetics to design kitchen remodeling project
Read More: Kitchen Design: Blending function & aesthetics to design kitchen remodeling projectBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Well, how did it go? Was the meal fabulous, the company charming, and your home the perfect setting for a family gathering? Did your kitchen handle the four extra cooks as well as the turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes, and yams? As long as we’re dreaming, were the children on…
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Master Bathrooms: Master bedroom designs, a luxurious getaway
Read More: Master Bathrooms: Master bedroom designs, a luxurious getawayBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Besides the bedroom, a private bathroom is an essential part of a master suite. The use of luxurious finishes adds to the sense of escape from the pressures of daily life — a sanctum where adults can relax. (See Pictures of this Master Bedroom Remodel) One of the most…
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Ceilings: the lowdown on what’s up
Read More: Ceilings: the lowdown on what’s upBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you’ve read our columns, you might be getting the picture that we believe in defining the spaces of a home — from public and private spaces to circulating paths to gathering space. Defining spaces in usable and beautiful ways is the heart of architectural design. Last week we…
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Great rooms are gathering places
Read More: Great rooms are gathering placesBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon The addition of a great room off the kitchen (Image 1 & 2) created the ideal gathering space for the family of seven living in this 1940s home. Every home needs space for gathering. It’s fall and just think of all the gatherings: college football in front of the…
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Rearrange a home’s rooms for better use of its space
Read More: Rearrange a home’s rooms for better use of its spaceBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon In the past few weeks we have looked at defining your public and private space and improving the overall flow of your home. These are fundamental design principles for any home, whether it’s new construction or a complete remodel. This floor plan shows circulation shortcomings: ineffective flow, misuse of…
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Customize House Plans: Plan pathways to create flow in home
Read More: Customize House Plans: Plan pathways to create flow in homeBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you own a home, you own space. The question is, how does that space flow? Replacing the solid wall of the hallway with a series of columns and beams preserves logical flow and opens and brightens the entire home. A clear flow of movement from room to room…
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Home’s entry should be warm and welcoming
Read More: Home’s entry should be warm and welcomingBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon When was the last time you washed your doorbell? You probably didn’t think to put it on your fall cleanup list, but hopefully your front entry does receive attention. In fact, we know your entry receives attention — very close, detailed attention from everyone who passes through. They notice…
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Customize House Plans: Considering public & private space is key to floor plan design
Read More: Customize House Plans: Considering public & private space is key to floor plan designBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you stop to think about it, it really makes sense: There are places in your house meant to be public and there are places meant to be private. When thinking architecturally, there are actually three levels of interaction in your home, and they need to be identified and…
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House Style Remodel: Ranch (Rambler) home is American original
Read More: House Style Remodel: Ranch (Rambler) home is American originalBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Rounding out our tour of popular 20th-century home styles, we make a stop on the West Coast where one of the first truly American housing styles was born — the California Ranch (also referred to as American ranch, rambler, or rancher). Ranch home remodel: The classic Ranch home is…
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Cape Cod is an American classic
Read More: Cape Cod is an American classicBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you’ve followed our columns for the past few weeks, you’ll know we have been taking you on a tour of some popular homes styles of the past century to help you identify (or create) your own home’s style. This week we look at the Cape Cod style. Cape…
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Craftsman bungalows are simply beautiful
Read More: Craftsman bungalows are simply beautifulBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Last week we began a monthlong series to help you discover the style of your home. Many homes were built true to the popular style of their day and some were built with a blend of styles or even no style. Understanding some of the popular styles of the…
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Charming historic districts bear responsibility
Read More: Charming historic districts bear responsibilityBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon One of our clients, Noreen Heid, purchased a home near downtown Salt Lake City in 1991. She loved the charm of the neighborhood and the quaintness of her 1930s house, but the house had been through updates over the years that included adding aluminum siding, a big concrete porch…
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Home Renovation: Before home renovation, know home’s style
Read More: Home Renovation: Before home renovation, know home’s styleBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Several predominant home styles have evolved over the past century in the United States. You’ve seen them as you’ve driven the streets of Salt Lake City: the fairy-tale Tudor Revival, classic Craftsman bungalow, charming Cape Cod and California ranch. With careful planning, the addition to this classic Tudor Revival…
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Master plans save time, money, sanity
Read More: Master plans save time, money, sanityBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We had a client who struggled for years to come up with a design to unify a duplex into a single-family home. This family completed several small remodel projects, only to rip out some of the new construction when the next round of remodeling came along. They felt as…
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Allow plenty of lead time for that remodeling project
Read More: Allow plenty of lead time for that remodeling projectBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Believe it or not, if you want to remodel next summer, you better start planning today. We can’t tell you how many people call us each spring hoping to begin (and complete!) construction in the summer. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Planning well in advance and employing the…
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Ideas for an exterior nip and tuck
Read More: Ideas for an exterior nip and tuckBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon So you think your house could use a face lift — the weathered siding, the boxy front, the white painted brick. If it’s time for an exterior nip and tuck, then look to your windows, walls, and roof for the most dramatic impact. The worn-out brick and wood shown…
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Give ‘vanilla’ exterior a timeless, attractive style
Read More: Give ‘vanilla’ exterior a timeless, attractive styleBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Houses are like clothing. There are classic forms that never go out of vogue, while other structures have no particular style or character and quickly look unattractive. A Sandy couple wanting to give character to the exterior of their monotone, stucco house, above, added a classic Cape-style exterior. If…
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Home Additions: Small home addition can make a remarkable difference
Read More: Home Additions: Small home addition can make a remarkable differenceIn last week’s column we explained that when it comes to home additions, bigger is not always better. We presented some less-expensive yet effective alternatives to large room additions. The simple addition of a second-story bay window above one that already existed on the main floor created a perfect spot in the master bath for…
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In architecture, bigger not always better
Read More: In architecture, bigger not always betterBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Existing floor plan of house where clients wanted to add an addition to their family room. Recently a couple in Murray asked us for help in designing an addition to their house. This couple likes to entertain and their small kitchen/family room combination is not large enough to accommodate…
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Capitalize on views and natural light
Read More: Capitalize on views and natural lightEveryone knows that curb appeal, or what you experience as you look at a house from the outside, is an important aspect of a home’s architecture. But did you know that what you experience from the inside of your house looking out is even more important? This dining room received little natural light and did…
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Capitalize on views and natural light
Read More: Capitalize on views and natural lightBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Everyone knows that curb appeal, or what you experience as you look at a house from the outside, is an important aspect of a home’s architecture. But did you know that what you experience from the inside of your house looking out is even more important? This dining room…
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Add on by excavating basement: Digging out.
Read More: Add on by excavating basement: Digging out.By Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Greg and Nadia Letey bought their Sugar House home for sentimental reasons. “Nadia’s grandparents were the first owners of the home and raised Nadia’s mother here,” explains Greg. The Leteys also loved the location and appearance of the 1930s Tudor. The Letey family made their shallow basement usable by…
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Redo that dark, scary basement: Basement Remodeling
Read More: Redo that dark, scary basement: Basement RemodelingBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon “We need more space!” is one of the main things we hear from clients who come to us for help with basement remodeling design. A basement remodel can turn unused space, above, into a warm and welcoming place. (See this basement remodel) The good news is that most Utah…
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Dog Shower makes life easy for pet, owner
Read More: Dog Shower makes life easy for pet, ownerBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon The thousands of dog owners and their pooches on parade at last month’s “Strut Your Mutt” event in Sugarhouse Park demonstrated one thing: Utahns love to pamper their pets. Pet lovers pamper their dogs with designer dog beds, designer dog clothes, designer dog carriers and designer dogs. If you’re…
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Plan now for a fireplace remodel
Read More: Plan now for a fireplace remodelBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We know what you’re thinking. It’s the beginning of summer; why are these architects writing about fireplace remodels? Well, besides the fact that with this year’s crazy weather you might actually still be using your fireplace, we want to give you a heads-up. If you want a remodeled fireplace…
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Home Remodeling Costs, Options vs. Move: Architect can help
Read More: Home Remodeling Costs, Options vs. Move: Architect can helpBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon We see it all the time. Homeowners come to us needing more space for a growing family or desiring home features that their current home just doesn’t have. The tough question they face is: Should I move to a new home or remodel the one I have? The Bates…
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Tap unused space in house, garage for extra storage
Read More: Tap unused space in house, garage for extra storageBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Something about spring invokes the urge to get rid of winter clutter and tidy up the home. If you’ve “de-junked” your home but still feel like you don’t have enough room to hold everything, it’s probably time to create more effective storage space. Well-designed storage spaces not only make…
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Attic Remodeling: Attic renovations add usable space to a home
Read More: Attic Remodeling: Attic renovations add usable space to a homeBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Space is like the wind: You can’t see it, but you can feel it. People tend to look at the space in a home in terms of quantity — either there is too much space or, more likely, too little. Architects, on the other hand, see space as a…
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Well-designed porch looks good and welcomes visitors
Read More: Well-designed porch looks good and welcomes visitorsWe have all had the unwelcoming experience of approaching a home without a porch. It’s raining and you hug as close as possible to the door to avoid the dripping rain from the eave. Balancing with one foot on the step and the other on the pathway, you hope someone heard your knock and comes…
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Mudroom design helps keep the house organized
Read More: Mudroom design helps keep the house organizedBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon If you have children living in your home, you can probably attest that you don’t have to hear kids come in to know they’re home from school — the telltale trail of coats, backpacks, books, and footprints of mud across the floor gives it away. If the mud room…
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Good laundry room design can ease laundry task
Read More: Good laundry room design can ease laundry taskBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon This remodeled laundry room design includes plenty of floor and counter space, a built-in ironing board, bins for each family member’s laundry, and a clothes steamer closet. Does it seem like your laundry piles are usually more like mountains than molehills? Is getting family members to pitch in and…
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Home renovations should keep to original style to retain value
Read More: Home renovations should keep to original style to retain valueBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon News reports have highlighted controversial home renovations in some of Salt Lake City’s classic neighborhoods. Understanding the history, style, and architecture of your home — and the other homes in your neighborhood — is crucial in designing an addition or renovation. Ignore this principle, and you’ll end up spending…
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Connect inside of your house with the beauty outdoors
Read More: Connect inside of your house with the beauty outdoorsBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon With the advent of spring after a particularly foggy winter, you may already be connecting more with the outdoors through hiking, biking, golf or puttering around in the garden. But have you ever considered how well your home connects with the outdoors? A Liberty Park-area home has small windows…
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Architects’ focus is remodeling jobs
Read More: Architects’ focus is remodeling jobsAfter designing a handful of high schools in the region, commercial buildings with little local character, and high-end homes with sky-high budgets, Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon decided it was time to come back to earth. The two architects were tired of turning away inquiries about remodeling because their firm said there wasn’t enough money…
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Give the gift of architecture for Christmas
Read More: Give the gift of architecture for ChristmasBy Ann Robinson and Annie Vernon Whether someone on your list simply appreciates good architecture or is gearing up for a major home remodel next year, books, below left, magazine subscriptions, above, and even gift certificates for future services are great ways to give the g You have 23 shopping days left until Christmas, and…