tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39053705273165259722024-03-13T13:02:14.370-05:00*some assembly requiredarchitect Austin Texas. Commercial and residential remodeling, infill, urban condominium projects. Architect Chris Allen
Rosedale neighborhood, central AustinChris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-81057339901762811392021-12-21T11:24:00.000-06:002021-12-21T11:24:04.797-06:00New Year, New Plan<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcoaRDcB-Bmx2Hp9u-pfq_wOHdb3uEYexvje5WUsPSlzZvq-3nfiqXTn3nitfAre8qptr3NWeYkaMySTmmOdneWonMXwG_eW5L75sF-1mIUcIP_WDIhIa7Deiygtyv3PQ0vd3oKeX80FU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcoaRDcB-Bmx2Hp9u-pfq_wOHdb3uEYexvje5WUsPSlzZvq-3nfiqXTn3nitfAre8qptr3NWeYkaMySTmmOdneWonMXwG_eW5L75sF-1mIUcIP_WDIhIa7Deiygtyv3PQ0vd3oKeX80FU/w640-h480/Galveston4-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Over 32 years, we've developed a reputation for delivering a high level of two things that aren't normally associated with design and construction: "Bang for the Buck" and "Fun".<p></p><p>It was a blast while it lasted, but with the arrival of the Pandemic and Austin's astonishing explosion of growth, it's just not possible anymore to build affordably with minimal stress. We're going to take a step back from our normal routine in 2022 and find more fun elsewhere.</p><p>We'll still be working part time, but only for clients we've already broken in, and just one project at a time. If you know us and can wait for it, give us a shout and we can talk about working on your project.</p><p>Here's to a bright and healthy new year for all of us,</p><p>Chris and Gina</p>Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-20305552205909691572019-09-02T13:27:00.002-05:002019-11-22T06:37:20.122-06:00Quickies- August 2019<div style= color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Gina and I did five "Quickie" consultations in August, in neighborhoods all over Austin. Every one of the clients thought they needed to build additions to their homes, but they either didn't have $400k+ to spend, or their lot was too tight, or an addition would have been awkward or too stressful to take on.</div>
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In every single case, we showed them ways to get more out of the space they already have.</div>
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We're so grateful to be at a point in our careers where we can spend a lot of ou<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">r time focused on clients that a more "normal" design practice would ignore. Most of our work these days is put into NOT making houses bigger. We're saving people tons of money and helping them to avoid so much stress that they don't need to add to their busy lives.</span></div>
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The 2 hour sessions don't allow us much time to make attractive sketches, but these gnarly little scribbles we crank out at their kitchen tables are enough to get the process moving in the right direction. Here are a few samples from our August Quickies.</div>
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Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-82896323155401570472019-07-18T13:16:00.001-05:002019-07-22T10:48:15.792-05:00Celebrating 30 Years!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Time flies when you're having fun, right?? These last 3 decades sure have!<br />
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I started this little firm in 1989, at the height of the late-80s economic bust in Austin. Since then, we've had the privilege to work with hundreds of great clients, from tiny residential remodels to whole communities for some of Austin's best developers and office spaces for Fortune 100 companies. Through it all, we've had the same approach: putting the clients' needs first and delivering more "bang for the buck" (beautiful and satisfying spaces that don't break the bank) than anyone around. From the start, we've been keen to take on projects that scare off most architects: projects with limited budgets, limited space, or other challenging constraints.<br />
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There are still lots of houses with problems to solve in Austin and we're just as excited as ever to take 'em on.<br />
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Check out our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/some-assembly-required-248101795190/">Facebook page</a> for more in-depth memories of the early days.<br />
<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-72303211807446639872019-03-25T13:47:00.000-05:002019-03-25T13:47:35.028-05:00Chestnut Commons visit<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4__HkrN4UUW0Ww-rxAbcv_rqt4bsQjPe-aE8WP-zL3kQZgBj99BmBo9LJCe2yVW941a8ZpkiBk7bQwIfRMkj87A2wOCJAvwYx7HzjiCTGxm-135h_ekVzjuvSJlueZBpv18mEZGtuZBa/s1600/MVIMG_20190321_104754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4__HkrN4UUW0Ww-rxAbcv_rqt4bsQjPe-aE8WP-zL3kQZgBj99BmBo9LJCe2yVW941a8ZpkiBk7bQwIfRMkj87A2wOCJAvwYx7HzjiCTGxm-135h_ekVzjuvSJlueZBpv18mEZGtuZBa/s640/MVIMG_20190321_104754.jpg" width="480" /></a>I stopped by Chestnut Commons this week on my way back from a meeting. We designed these houses for one of our favorite clients- Momark Development back in 2007. Years later, the little Urban Cottage neighborhood looks great, with trees shading the sidewalks. These houses were all very compact, but we filled them with daylight and well designed layouts to maximize their livability.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwEEIqQ6C7bNcaXJb5-NzpP13P44Rs8vncxpD-Um0yXeoUOT4XI4SCYwRj-hGcN50za-Eik-aJQs5eY0wOvhcOb9iDKH5LyVJGwMqjHre6Mg_RYFYQpWClpDXWYkb6MbIm8s42-9dWj9Y/s1600/MVIMG_20190321_105033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwEEIqQ6C7bNcaXJb5-NzpP13P44Rs8vncxpD-Um0yXeoUOT4XI4SCYwRj-hGcN50za-Eik-aJQs5eY0wOvhcOb9iDKH5LyVJGwMqjHre6Mg_RYFYQpWClpDXWYkb6MbIm8s42-9dWj9Y/s640/MVIMG_20190321_105033.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-53418609481792800632018-08-31T13:09:00.001-05:002018-08-31T13:09:33.087-05:00Cherrywood house tour!I had the opportunity to visit our clients in Cherrywood this morning. We completed their home in 2014, but I hadn't ever seen it with their incredible art and decor. They turned our simple vision of a house into an amazing home!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the front- family room and kitchen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back toward entry. The laundry room is wrapped in shiplap that came from the house that originally stood on the site.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJFlREe7S0HE-P_cBHAMSB4mY19p8eVjy29dzKulHp7UE3u8YqgYD_l4rA93uOocTYr3PYbJGR1aHGO1uW7cd6i7GA2Nmn7nfNPLtGSv4qhBIpuWD3JyAxA_Majjw7DHOu3tqueh8kkpT/s1600/MVIMG_20180831_112443.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwC1phmo3eVekyvhWrgi2nMqmaSZqJk02i1eVWu-oIhyphenhyphenTvUY-WRSoJuu5d6-T0JHjRZPfGq3vA1j102nVp_q0lFc6C80h9zgkuJNp7AeqoP7a9rwIIRZFVkaOhi-WfsoDijZ7aBPKsnq5X/s1600/MVIMG_20180831_112715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwC1phmo3eVekyvhWrgi2nMqmaSZqJk02i1eVWu-oIhyphenhyphenTvUY-WRSoJuu5d6-T0JHjRZPfGq3vA1j102nVp_q0lFc6C80h9zgkuJNp7AeqoP7a9rwIIRZFVkaOhi-WfsoDijZ7aBPKsnq5X/s640/MVIMG_20180831_112715.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining spot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvaxG9mkjiW9U1FDm5GzBqyEjLarRU7236l1DNuvXHFXbBB8vhCSqqFjItQTZ1RTCegdqBeXGW5Y3JX80-da7kp0eptdfFati7GhBxCYGZ_zxJYSRg3jtW8dvEEaWy7LdOj5_WAUN2vAl/s1600/Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvaxG9mkjiW9U1FDm5GzBqyEjLarRU7236l1DNuvXHFXbBB8vhCSqqFjItQTZ1RTCegdqBeXGW5Y3JX80-da7kp0eptdfFati7GhBxCYGZ_zxJYSRg3jtW8dvEEaWy7LdOj5_WAUN2vAl/s640/Front.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02YSu5AVyYmhJpjmSLONVDRgBe3Q9fE2brUMX6Z8PYmUiZT0zIMpIp4y-_WXRKwjmtQaIwhrp1OfiQ5QK527GOLkEKAb_0Igpm3aCZOjiFPgJhw4EXN2NpPT3A8bq_VNXwkJmA1dDHbyL/s1600/Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02YSu5AVyYmhJpjmSLONVDRgBe3Q9fE2brUMX6Z8PYmUiZT0zIMpIp4y-_WXRKwjmtQaIwhrp1OfiQ5QK527GOLkEKAb_0Igpm3aCZOjiFPgJhw4EXN2NpPT3A8bq_VNXwkJmA1dDHbyL/s640/Island.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen island- fabricated from found items by our clients' son.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwez6VbA_8RFy0z8amcB2XNkHiGjEXbGcgynVWoH4DK4J4M5dyHbvfWrmc_bXXyxeG5MIAbC9bc19LsfNLsM4zn9i0tA_rvrll_-Dyc983OCW1L41QPWA4B5rLRsPxNNGeLKu1BME2OGa/s1600/Porch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwez6VbA_8RFy0z8amcB2XNkHiGjEXbGcgynVWoH4DK4J4M5dyHbvfWrmc_bXXyxeG5MIAbC9bc19LsfNLsM4zn9i0tA_rvrll_-Dyc983OCW1L41QPWA4B5rLRsPxNNGeLKu1BME2OGa/s640/Porch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screened porch</td></tr>
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-6439063215745311522018-01-28T10:59:00.000-06:002018-01-28T10:59:12.013-06:00Visit us on FacebookCheck us out on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/some-assembly-required-248101795190/">Facebook</a> to see more up-to-date images and projects. Be sure to "like" us while you're there!!<div>
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Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-25539609623913855982017-07-05T15:27:00.001-05:002017-07-05T15:27:34.721-05:00Another Quickie, another garage bites the dust!<br />
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We did a Quickie Consultation with Oscar and Jenna in Wooten on Saturday. Like many of our clients, they bought a small-ish home in a great Central Austin neighborhood and they'd like to have a bit more space for their family.</div>
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Fortunately, their house has a large one-car garage that was built within the envelope of their existing roof and foundation. It's ready-made for re-purposing- in this case for a new bedroom, bath and laundry room that creates a great new suite for the house at a minimal cost and minimal trauma during construction.</div>
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Some of our Quickies are simple enough to enable us to do some "quick and dirty" sketching. In this case, we cranked out a very quick floor plan (below) that shows how the garage space (lower right) can be leveraged to make the whole house work better. We'll be available to work with the homeowners as they go forward to refine this plan and create permit plans, or they can work with a building designer to generate plans.</div>
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Our clients are always shocked to see how big their garages are in comparison to the rooms in their existing house. It's amazing to show them how much better their home can be with the garage dedicated to FAMILY space, rather than lawnmowers, bikes, and old cans of paint.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLlPTUn_CQDb86Ct_tuVEAeM3UG4ciDbjkXG4e_bPGuBF3R4lWf0CP_FAys73fUqC0F9zW-Q1_bQEIE3xJ0jFRyy6aJj-GGTfj36UYn5TkWdBTZOgAYg9Jq7nXQAnyQ-m338T7fH6EJAm/s1600/20170701_115929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1235" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLlPTUn_CQDb86Ct_tuVEAeM3UG4ciDbjkXG4e_bPGuBF3R4lWf0CP_FAys73fUqC0F9zW-Q1_bQEIE3xJ0jFRyy6aJj-GGTfj36UYn5TkWdBTZOgAYg9Jq7nXQAnyQ-m338T7fH6EJAm/s640/20170701_115929.jpg" width="492" /></a></div>
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-64597454595581772272017-02-02T10:53:00.001-06:002017-02-02T10:53:21.185-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfO8ocFNDDqYlYcj9n0ffZEBDCx1w8QvLsRu2cYAuD-edVLvxJaeF36o3hpT1LuUJx-2M02f2t3JWuafk8kdhxtf37zwg0gIcVd97lwdHGz7UJWa7bk7gNgrR6GvXpgVLUMPcUEf4w6un/s1600/20170201_091321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfO8ocFNDDqYlYcj9n0ffZEBDCx1w8QvLsRu2cYAuD-edVLvxJaeF36o3hpT1LuUJx-2M02f2t3JWuafk8kdhxtf37zwg0gIcVd97lwdHGz7UJWa7bk7gNgrR6GvXpgVLUMPcUEf4w6un/s320/20170201_091321.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
I snapped this photo yesterday at a "Quickie" client's home; it pretty much sums up what we're all about. It's really fun to help people to live BIG in their smaller central Austin homes!! This client was sure she needed put an addition on the house, but we showed her a bunch of ways to make her 1,150 s.f. cottage work much better without spending a fortune or living in a Construction Zone for more than a year. Too cool!<br />
<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-45770901167123386352015-12-28T17:40:00.003-06:002015-12-28T17:40:35.482-06:00In the mood for a Quickie?<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjwBTbowrjDrYpjHOZRKfkWZmToyRdBKWiM1eRhgeXaWyLuRRiCvS9dqbi9eIxYM9eVFqrKu0i6w-VrQY7GbF0SysCRaqVeYMaNDH11tMaBBDRss0qsqrnqDaQ0_Fyz0kmAtlGr0X912e/s1600/20151228_171810.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjwBTbowrjDrYpjHOZRKfkWZmToyRdBKWiM1eRhgeXaWyLuRRiCvS9dqbi9eIxYM9eVFqrKu0i6w-VrQY7GbF0SysCRaqVeYMaNDH11tMaBBDRss0qsqrnqDaQ0_Fyz0kmAtlGr0X912e/s640/20151228_171810.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">With construction costs and schedules going wild in Austin, we're not going to take on many full-service remodeling projects in 2016, but that leaves time for us to do more of our famous "Quickie" consultations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">What's a Quickie? A two hour consultation with Chris and Gina at your place. We can have a Quickie in your kitchen, your bath, your yard or on your porch! They're easy to arrange, casual, and come with no commitment; it's like the 60's all over again! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">You're a great candidate for a Quickie if:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">You can't decide whether to "love it or leave it".</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">You're thinking about buying an old house and wonder what your getting into.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">You need more space but just don't have the money to make that happen.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">You want a new kitchen, but don't want the dust, downtime, or expense.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">You're just dying to know how cool your house could be...</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">Call us. We can pop in to do an affordable 2 hour consultation that will be surprisingly productive and fun!!</span></div>
Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-9207360255776127522014-06-27T16:29:00.002-05:002014-06-27T16:29:42.589-05:00Another cool Rosedale kitchen Before and AfterThe before and after shots tell the whole story of the kitchen transformation. Contractor/craftsman Dan Summerlin did an amazing job with the Ikea cabinets and finishes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6WJT16H7XBHZ3ac9qaBM1Ru3OUlXCWOufMdBzoX1fGBjEJH6AcxsigO73XRixw-KKZ2soYoT5FDzkMT6y65z9uWwXs0S8I0_JYbKFohNVoU4-ZfcHk0lyU_pdRyQeFdjGKuRzts-Jrq7/s1600/DiningB4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6WJT16H7XBHZ3ac9qaBM1Ru3OUlXCWOufMdBzoX1fGBjEJH6AcxsigO73XRixw-KKZ2soYoT5FDzkMT6y65z9uWwXs0S8I0_JYbKFohNVoU4-ZfcHk0lyU_pdRyQeFdjGKuRzts-Jrq7/s1600/DiningB4.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before- from the dining room</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVY1TJV_6TdSyURJZo_JNHp4zimVCHJGptdylRjcfLT6DQ_bTV3V2-4_fM2LO0SnHuSyAxDO1UoFgT4TDaXwVi-XC2Js1AELl3QRqtfeLRhSdggj2DUjags-xtjfFfenKxzpftbE1h3edh/s1600/IMG_0811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVY1TJV_6TdSyURJZo_JNHp4zimVCHJGptdylRjcfLT6DQ_bTV3V2-4_fM2LO0SnHuSyAxDO1UoFgT4TDaXwVi-XC2Js1AELl3QRqtfeLRhSdggj2DUjags-xtjfFfenKxzpftbE1h3edh/s1600/IMG_0811.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After- with a fantastic light fixture created by our client's dad!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikd_rL25Ns1iEgectdOQhRAbbO8sajrLSRBBluUEOQMU9Yh4duGJn416kko2a6CZQb6rFQ8LCTMTdyUsyygTf84F-z8B3c0IUCqrfnW5t0LzbkEOROOb7qUMk76mESfygVlPkHZN-8g6CX/s1600/kitchenB4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikd_rL25Ns1iEgectdOQhRAbbO8sajrLSRBBluUEOQMU9Yh4duGJn416kko2a6CZQb6rFQ8LCTMTdyUsyygTf84F-z8B3c0IUCqrfnW5t0LzbkEOROOb7qUMk76mESfygVlPkHZN-8g6CX/s1600/kitchenB4.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before- not so pretty, not so functional</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2f_Wt-Fp5zB1Wnf8CkH3O5wG89mFLwYDXg4rxNuRgCfC-UPu3hlxMwauUKZ9_vvrHRKqR3AQCI_ov00Cd1hId3YjIWe95J5IA-xDmEp5ye-pdjQtZryooPipto50KEHUfl1OCDTadpsG/s1600/IMG_0814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2f_Wt-Fp5zB1Wnf8CkH3O5wG89mFLwYDXg4rxNuRgCfC-UPu3hlxMwauUKZ9_vvrHRKqR3AQCI_ov00Cd1hId3YjIWe95J5IA-xDmEp5ye-pdjQtZryooPipto50KEHUfl1OCDTadpsG/s1600/IMG_0814.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After- bright, open, and waaaaaay more usable. Yep, they're really Ikea cabinets!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TAoQ_DsWZRkffIOydOofpA8hMAJQE0C-o891yVYmMQfpxl7hbYm5Zpa6ElskmZvM93S6LP8QhAVGhPXp44uJcDrB7pngh0fByeUShumhBIzBa7HnWWvisP006hIEQHTVZY15GDyOhZAP/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TAoQ_DsWZRkffIOydOofpA8hMAJQE0C-o891yVYmMQfpxl7hbYm5Zpa6ElskmZvM93S6LP8QhAVGhPXp44uJcDrB7pngh0fByeUShumhBIzBa7HnWWvisP006hIEQHTVZY15GDyOhZAP/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This incredible light fixture was salvaged from the dining room. The shiplap ceiling had been hidden behind drywall for 70+ years.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-nVz7GV0xSFcDyVGUxLoj9kIKXXRMDD78fY9ztOcc-He7xAXxn82JT1Enl7O0ZY17zOlBDz_zkjzCY0J0CO4C3vBTz1xt0tmkw357SN6VbjCcOJeNVcDuwRHgbWFIf6WQbhENVJwtqSj/s1600/IMG_0825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-nVz7GV0xSFcDyVGUxLoj9kIKXXRMDD78fY9ztOcc-He7xAXxn82JT1Enl7O0ZY17zOlBDz_zkjzCY0J0CO4C3vBTz1xt0tmkw357SN6VbjCcOJeNVcDuwRHgbWFIf6WQbhENVJwtqSj/s1600/IMG_0825.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-45844021719226957462013-09-18T11:46:00.002-05:002013-09-19T15:00:58.834-05:00Talk about a turnaround...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvLq_inFYNMKbfqM-ASs1rdDphJ6d7oixL3X2p6CtjHA6fUM8GaDbpslAIacOqrSHz_CSrNMi0tyXrmvJIz4FjrSNPLduoyZIN_mMF3MAl-9ey9U6cnBux-lpUy3NVQeMt2Ep9OlULPyi/s1600/exterior5-15sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvLq_inFYNMKbfqM-ASs1rdDphJ6d7oixL3X2p6CtjHA6fUM8GaDbpslAIacOqrSHz_CSrNMi0tyXrmvJIz4FjrSNPLduoyZIN_mMF3MAl-9ey9U6cnBux-lpUy3NVQeMt2Ep9OlULPyi/s640/exterior5-15sketch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a cool project we're working on in Barton Hills. The existing house has an attached garage in the back with a massive concrete turnaround area that eats up all of the best parts of the amazing lot. It's pretty awful:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgYAqWo8b0FFvw2tskkqCdyCCv9nb13g6pkcAVD7rSBoGygnGmqPDi3FpavxiwCLnirX4UvDlbZ1CF_VP_3Amd7PG4iOYoaPrOHK-0Ah-jNIaE-R-Zc8qpoGEcKYvCpbfvC-FHlu93ZZV/s1600/IMAG0930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBgYAqWo8b0FFvw2tskkqCdyCCv9nb13g6pkcAVD7rSBoGygnGmqPDi3FpavxiwCLnirX4UvDlbZ1CF_VP_3Amd7PG4iOYoaPrOHK-0Ah-jNIaE-R-Zc8qpoGEcKYvCpbfvC-FHlu93ZZV/s400/IMAG0930.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ewwwwwww!</td></tr>
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Our clients wanted a new kitchen and an upstairs master bedroom, and as we started sketching that out, we proposed a radical change for them: Could we take away your garage so you could have a back yard? They love their garage, but gave it up in an instant when they saw how amazing it would be to create a place for people, not cars, in the back.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmkx202vUyVG4unQkWmYoHDOmgIlN2QnlFJuNa3frY6tb1FuFhagG0D7vChBfj-VL-QEMK4uilTJbvzMlaNY7DXJ1MpEtDW3L1A3yXiRngDAsuYlQzvezbUyoHFTXJZmYPpGX7xoBUNoI/s1600/bedroom9-18a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmkx202vUyVG4unQkWmYoHDOmgIlN2QnlFJuNa3frY6tb1FuFhagG0D7vChBfj-VL-QEMK4uilTJbvzMlaNY7DXJ1MpEtDW3L1A3yXiRngDAsuYlQzvezbUyoHFTXJZmYPpGX7xoBUNoI/s640/bedroom9-18a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They'll have a new bedroom up in the treetops.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1IvRp4RivL-056rOKTRSQd_E2tVpggmkHoY47Yv6udIttkS1HJ_5oPEqi-T68f0ZSo95GBByhReDAN0OtbpduK4PZrjXVzGdNjM49Jh1inBul-_NUGOBgm8ktkAMUfeUfJQYKkUZIytr/s1600/bath9-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1IvRp4RivL-056rOKTRSQd_E2tVpggmkHoY47Yv6udIttkS1HJ_5oPEqi-T68f0ZSo95GBByhReDAN0OtbpduK4PZrjXVzGdNjM49Jh1inBul-_NUGOBgm8ktkAMUfeUfJQYKkUZIytr/s640/bath9-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here's a really early look at the new master bath...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQENmmuKT3ABLBEeS7kq0cBnpiWLOXXJ50Zc_3o3XuWrkjw1WH8TUuKsR4dWvtLTCbNKhy1U9OD6O9wqQujZIvE-XsOCezbztjnfH5RLgCWf8jdKDdJJNSrDd5Vm4DbVdcFheYkSmnmPN6/s1600/doors9-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQENmmuKT3ABLBEeS7kq0cBnpiWLOXXJ50Zc_3o3XuWrkjw1WH8TUuKsR4dWvtLTCbNKhy1U9OD6O9wqQujZIvE-XsOCezbztjnfH5RLgCWf8jdKDdJJNSrDd5Vm4DbVdcFheYkSmnmPN6/s640/doors9-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The former two-car garage will become a family room with a big utility room in the back.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomQ9VexNLRiJxYPp3LG18rwexevWPB5cplcAaFYfdEDw7x20Btz2fzIZdlW7rO8ODrW2qIe8_XHh2R5FuioUdQWWW4eGg17c5mtdyd9QHUZNNmHM9vb5x3WQo-ih931e1KRxfSw7zB6Du/s1600/kitchen9-18a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomQ9VexNLRiJxYPp3LG18rwexevWPB5cplcAaFYfdEDw7x20Btz2fzIZdlW7rO8ODrW2qIe8_XHh2R5FuioUdQWWW4eGg17c5mtdyd9QHUZNNmHM9vb5x3WQo-ih931e1KRxfSw7zB6Du/s640/kitchen9-18a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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While the kitchen gets enlarged and updated (with a touch of the mid-sixties vibe of the original house)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h7GE-a1I06AsyBwte3IlN0ENgmgCB0BM-iriVKhUfbxa1hIfOFU2_25Z0xjxJp9FVDW_bMLUcPHLUb35lXjUzwfSgOi3i7fT8eFTkUCT5QFI0UE0pSewi0xOf5esuARpVU64VZEPdvGS/s1600/stairs5-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h7GE-a1I06AsyBwte3IlN0ENgmgCB0BM-iriVKhUfbxa1hIfOFU2_25Z0xjxJp9FVDW_bMLUcPHLUb35lXjUzwfSgOi3i7fT8eFTkUCT5QFI0UE0pSewi0xOf5esuARpVU64VZEPdvGS/s640/stairs5-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The stairwell will fill the family room with light and features an "away" spot for reading or cat-napping.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeys_uLOJ5QnOIKu81yotXaEzaoJXUnFkaFkTYifsdE6JqoQzuZYPiNxQc68BdkHgDYALRt-wyBP3TwWeM_8sfRwhpyQQvRozrBlv4o2e7SvYU8jg61cgkXgLTBaMvC66WShEG_3RrduGr/s1600/Porch5-16a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeys_uLOJ5QnOIKu81yotXaEzaoJXUnFkaFkTYifsdE6JqoQzuZYPiNxQc68BdkHgDYALRt-wyBP3TwWeM_8sfRwhpyQQvRozrBlv4o2e7SvYU8jg61cgkXgLTBaMvC66WShEG_3RrduGr/s640/Porch5-16a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And a screened porch provides a great transition from the kitchen/dining to the "new" back yard.</div>
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All of this came from re-thinking the way that cars interact with this home. Today, the vehicles are the most important things on the property, but soon people will be what it's all about.</div>
Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-16243554346809711612013-05-16T10:16:00.001-05:002013-06-13T07:52:38.624-05:00New house in CherrywoodWe're designing a new home in Cherrywood right now for an empty-nest couple looking for a home they can live in affordably for the long haul. At roughly 1,300 s.f., it's pretty compact, but it's designed to live large with open spaces and two great porches. Both the main house and the 450 s.f. rental unit in the back yard are being designed for accessibility, which will allow our clients and their tenants flexibility over the years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqD9HlPpUUroiWV7I2dwmL5nIReNUtMLFNOuZNVqzVlnFynFkUOhvllRwBM9hJFl7FfUXhAjzUyKGMhxOeEAJ3vF0v_ZpggKYENSmrDAiIIQFPgGty5OxnPQP8gEU4o5AytZXQ-tXwx-11/s1600/porch5-8sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqD9HlPpUUroiWV7I2dwmL5nIReNUtMLFNOuZNVqzVlnFynFkUOhvllRwBM9hJFl7FfUXhAjzUyKGMhxOeEAJ3vF0v_ZpggKYENSmrDAiIIQFPgGty5OxnPQP8gEU4o5AytZXQ-tXwx-11/s640/porch5-8sketch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front porch adds lots of living/social space to the house and helps it to blend right into the neighborhood.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdEkRpYOTGmgWqouISC9rjviyJF8Aa0hCDGeV-NF3mvOpsqXwkV0ms46KG45qkKgx1tcI8g-xV4oGfF1N6SQEuv05PH2Zpxk2NztyexCllA6QlH05sugdPccfujZJ3eE8z-JumHkrMCIq/s1600/kitchen5-6watercolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdEkRpYOTGmgWqouISC9rjviyJF8Aa0hCDGeV-NF3mvOpsqXwkV0ms46KG45qkKgx1tcI8g-xV4oGfF1N6SQEuv05PH2Zpxk2NztyexCllA6QlH05sugdPccfujZJ3eE8z-JumHkrMCIq/s640/kitchen5-6watercolor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's another kitchen that fits our philosophy of "fitting like a mitten"- it's loose and flexible to accommodate decades of use and change, whether it's for two people or 20 guests. The screened porch on the back adds more flexibility for dining, sitting, and partying.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19vB1mP6rK9Ae86-OZnEJH5_nwR6lByL-yFexQ22dAUdcC73ZMD4ZiTlrewChiwLYGrqt79f___xYAqH1W1_xWGtIzZIV0THWbiONhA6f_fjc7tI6r9DwNAVfin2zzU_b0Z3xRjh5oOdt/s1600/overview5-10sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19vB1mP6rK9Ae86-OZnEJH5_nwR6lByL-yFexQ22dAUdcC73ZMD4ZiTlrewChiwLYGrqt79f___xYAqH1W1_xWGtIzZIV0THWbiONhA6f_fjc7tI6r9DwNAVfin2zzU_b0Z3xRjh5oOdt/s640/overview5-10sketch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the aerial view, you can see the 450 s.f. rental cottage at the back of the lot. It's designed for accessibility, just like the main house. Having an income property will add a lot of options for our clients over the years.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0hdXBt9wLVbK38-sQs_0ufMCyuYUuuwoKg6pn_3FD26w3Eu-GseIAn4lwnifr3w5WuD1_PTfdd_1_WJMhhoXO2-2jnlNy3mdMfdTsaBCuIz5t30kc2_y8GfWvyFEF9urway-iQlFLRcr/s1600/porch6-12b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0hdXBt9wLVbK38-sQs_0ufMCyuYUuuwoKg6pn_3FD26w3Eu-GseIAn4lwnifr3w5WuD1_PTfdd_1_WJMhhoXO2-2jnlNy3mdMfdTsaBCuIz5t30kc2_y8GfWvyFEF9urway-iQlFLRcr/s640/porch6-12b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking onto the back yard, there's a screened porch with a soaring roofline to give the house a great look at the sky and trees and to catch more breeze.</td></tr>
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-7137664948800358322013-04-16T18:34:00.002-05:002013-04-16T18:35:33.758-05:00It's screened porch season!!!Okay, so it's ALWAYS screened porch season in Austin.<br />
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Over the years, we've done a zillion of them, ranging from "fish camp" to "Martha Stewart" (or 78704 to 78703, if you prefer). This one in Allandale is painted, but it's still casual and light.<br />
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(photos courtesy of <a href="http://www.rishermartin.com/">Risher+Martin Fine Homes</a>)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyla_enC4O07N41bAih8d8d7lkfrzjynIt9Y3Cb7jWPswPLiYWEroH2Q-YDmBg5aNFWM5od0-v-OELilFAPgW8nHYET0DRMMaYIor4uBfcd_5_r6SpWK-6SgZ78Z5XnJfqo-okdTf3Eqn/s1600/5801_bull_creek-8612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyla_enC4O07N41bAih8d8d7lkfrzjynIt9Y3Cb7jWPswPLiYWEroH2Q-YDmBg5aNFWM5od0-v-OELilFAPgW8nHYET0DRMMaYIor4uBfcd_5_r6SpWK-6SgZ78Z5XnJfqo-okdTf3Eqn/s640/5801_bull_creek-8612.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breezy and bright, and not a skeeter in sight...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-JEGm4oguIaRlkifOGwbOOScsNp7oX9c__fBeQHiNVmSTCvsRLBOGo4_96miTNYoSpM-WFL14TZ5OJQp35_wkaUbj5qc2tyLttzLokK1r981DvF83hSnJf4NygbZ3z-ej96dO81t0_zD/s1600/5801_bull_creek-8658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-JEGm4oguIaRlkifOGwbOOScsNp7oX9c__fBeQHiNVmSTCvsRLBOGo4_96miTNYoSpM-WFL14TZ5OJQp35_wkaUbj5qc2tyLttzLokK1r981DvF83hSnJf4NygbZ3z-ej96dO81t0_zD/s640/5801_bull_creek-8658.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did lots of work inside the house to create a bigger family room and a new office/guest suite too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9f2FXfHigoGO3kxPxlVox7V7ybo3cE0IIxGtFv0NqLFuyGUtGEY3c4u6B8L72WDd7fNzL6ZW_AFiHGwGtySiwevaSy5OBtNC40grduI-lovbX6DFV71IHjtevu_yRZKSoFnEC1qLollIp/s1600/5801_bull_creek-8664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9f2FXfHigoGO3kxPxlVox7V7ybo3cE0IIxGtFv0NqLFuyGUtGEY3c4u6B8L72WDd7fNzL6ZW_AFiHGwGtySiwevaSy5OBtNC40grduI-lovbX6DFV71IHjtevu_yRZKSoFnEC1qLollIp/s640/5801_bull_creek-8664.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We helped with landscape design and solved some drainage issues with the lot, too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_unLM80odBBE9oFdJr480k_CvQXUe_EPxZ3fVJE16spwoAXMPLNLH8Gu910Sqiy8gHRDdtE3oyZIMJ6RNvD_yf_mntlYeQWt4uiQC_9Ninw7kDxtFYoBMuo27DUFQsPQfQh0gkeRf73H/s1600/5801_bull_creek-8680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_unLM80odBBE9oFdJr480k_CvQXUe_EPxZ3fVJE16spwoAXMPLNLH8Gu910Sqiy8gHRDdtE3oyZIMJ6RNvD_yf_mntlYeQWt4uiQC_9Ninw7kDxtFYoBMuo27DUFQsPQfQh0gkeRf73H/s640/5801_bull_creek-8680.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note: Garages don't have to be eyesores!</td></tr>
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-51945640410085495112013-03-21T13:08:00.001-05:002013-03-21T13:08:36.637-05:00Rosedale guest suite/craft room/playroomWe had a great time remodeling and selling our project at 7007 Priscilla, and we're looking hard for the next house to re-do, but we're still doing our usual thing, too. Here's a backyard project we'll start construction on in the next few weeks. It's a freestanding building that will serve as a guest suite for visiting relatives, a craft room, bathroom for the hot tub, and party room, while adding some much-needed storage to the small-ish main house.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKMR0-I8QKFtp_IDNRr4tVni8syzJS4S8Dlz3EDReXlxo1ZsVB0m-214-mw_3OXYpgaLdWws7AIFVBQC9Be5IIZaSkcscbFz4Au_iu-X3iCe7XeKGfoS-0wGgwEAXmSCBhyyiRd8E7qXR/s1600/yellow2-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKMR0-I8QKFtp_IDNRr4tVni8syzJS4S8Dlz3EDReXlxo1ZsVB0m-214-mw_3OXYpgaLdWws7AIFVBQC9Be5IIZaSkcscbFz4Au_iu-X3iCe7XeKGfoS-0wGgwEAXmSCBhyyiRd8E7qXR/s640/yellow2-20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMybe2fVvFClTKZ2va6ojkyLn18xZBZvkC7MZhfQRxemEu18hg-vndnvPEQFa8BsX7l2JFls_HJ0w9tnpkWN386tq7kBrGdi1iXVbcnXXYyS9CKhd11W6C4QMpCsuctbHjfyCQGuhqw4E/s1600/mainroom3-15b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMybe2fVvFClTKZ2va6ojkyLn18xZBZvkC7MZhfQRxemEu18hg-vndnvPEQFa8BsX7l2JFls_HJ0w9tnpkWN386tq7kBrGdi1iXVbcnXXYyS9CKhd11W6C4QMpCsuctbHjfyCQGuhqw4E/s640/mainroom3-15b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUZc1XqzLhAD_jfAb44KXzLm6Mup2Q-DKu6op0a_lgToEtdHtmau-A7F3GnRg88kgHnlDferG9oOKJk1Ihcd8YI4iO-3-tzwhUUwI0bhI5UqGXS6S_HSjZUkPkqhg6zmQ33w8_lXDovVJ/s1600/mainroom3-15a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUZc1XqzLhAD_jfAb44KXzLm6Mup2Q-DKu6op0a_lgToEtdHtmau-A7F3GnRg88kgHnlDferG9oOKJk1Ihcd8YI4iO-3-tzwhUUwI0bhI5UqGXS6S_HSjZUkPkqhg6zmQ33w8_lXDovVJ/s640/mainroom3-15a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-76774634490664377192013-01-01T08:24:00.001-06:002013-01-19T10:46:44.556-06:007007 Priscilla is now for sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaGlaNdweZ0DlT2IiK4UOaHtizkceSjqQThpWkcC39TSDbJedHnOvVAybyaIViwJa_r-htk2XLMSzafgW-2ItLzJ91sAm6UV8b1jh7dGf3BTqcO4WxRPBo36-ZYJq7kyx5r-FDSr1Vo0M/s1600/Copy+of+Panorama1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaGlaNdweZ0DlT2IiK4UOaHtizkceSjqQThpWkcC39TSDbJedHnOvVAybyaIViwJa_r-htk2XLMSzafgW-2ItLzJ91sAm6UV8b1jh7dGf3BTqcO4WxRPBo36-ZYJq7kyx5r-FDSr1Vo0M/s640/Copy+of+Panorama1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Our project at </span><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=7007+Priscilla+Dr,+Austin,+TX&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x8644ca3ab88b65ad:0x3c027033051d3c38,7007+Priscilla+Dr,+Austin,+TX+78752&gl=us&ei=3PHiUInMOefI2gWCvIHADQ&ved=0CDIQ8gEwAA" style="text-align: start;">7007 Priscilla Drive</a><span style="text-align: start;"> in Austin is now on the market for sale. We're still working on the last details, but this panoramic photo of the living/dining/kitchen areas shows you how bright and spacious this house is. You can find more info about the house on </span><a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7007-Priscilla-Dr-Austin-TX-78752/29414433_zpid/" style="text-align: start;">Zillow</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiik6fLiViRfhFMmq29Fal6uIaX4PQd96RcnmH1NDio2audqrWoC2i5CYZPZtI6YRqKJcjyXwu_AXQndYUJVdrj16ptZrpduv7bYnr05-FdUfBkLiV0Oe4o8Wt3pfes660P6mu4t8hECkcV/s1600/WP_20130118_008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiik6fLiViRfhFMmq29Fal6uIaX4PQd96RcnmH1NDio2audqrWoC2i5CYZPZtI6YRqKJcjyXwu_AXQndYUJVdrj16ptZrpduv7bYnr05-FdUfBkLiV0Oe4o8Wt3pfes660P6mu4t8hECkcV/s640/WP_20130118_008.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We just finished doing the frosted glass on the front door. Thank you Jonathan from <a href="http://www.sunsationalsolutions.com/">Sunsational Solutions</a>!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOMRwVADPsKD-SUIFIxIluBe5exwf_gZ-MUey-eD4fxn85i7NYDM711crhozqhN9iw0ZNPUH6O6b8iiTf2jGa-wacCbjueZV75EbHXt6xVbFxuCIu_K2ntm0_hzkO9rBnpg4C_v02VNeY/s1600/LivDinKit12-28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOMRwVADPsKD-SUIFIxIluBe5exwf_gZ-MUey-eD4fxn85i7NYDM711crhozqhN9iw0ZNPUH6O6b8iiTf2jGa-wacCbjueZV75EbHXt6xVbFxuCIu_K2ntm0_hzkO9rBnpg4C_v02VNeY/s640/LivDinKit12-28.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the front door, looking through dining room toward kitchen. The back yard is huge!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyJCQMLC6vZsiBxgemPHXSwINACXu8YzXl8qd_5uZ1Za5pLPU8Ao8Fc5KLZjyBuKsKyUqck76XmIfwIwdqenqxFNjHjyk_HYDkLT6qoODpvxlKmbGs4xo0hVs9gmUFshpv5sCjwhCase8/s1600/kitchen12-28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyJCQMLC6vZsiBxgemPHXSwINACXu8YzXl8qd_5uZ1Za5pLPU8Ao8Fc5KLZjyBuKsKyUqck76XmIfwIwdqenqxFNjHjyk_HYDkLT6qoODpvxlKmbGs4xo0hVs9gmUFshpv5sCjwhCase8/s640/kitchen12-28.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brand new island kitchen with lounge. The new hardwood floors go throughout the house.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPPGmf32VTfMASOtRSFlO2jApj-n1XhPdTMZYPk2XGZ80raRT5f49UFE30R2VSyhIFrlff0OWALsOnk04Zzvsggn3_P13_2qQ0diFbAtPD-mAqIPuQvfuVFeYi5hcMsPmNFqcd13KVZw2/s1600/IMG_0710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPPGmf32VTfMASOtRSFlO2jApj-n1XhPdTMZYPk2XGZ80raRT5f49UFE30R2VSyhIFrlff0OWALsOnk04Zzvsggn3_P13_2qQ0diFbAtPD-mAqIPuQvfuVFeYi5hcMsPmNFqcd13KVZw2/s640/IMG_0710.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking out from the kitchen to the huge back yard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpAkYh2U-BJB2VQMOhmfyIW2xOMHZT2ctmN1LQdtnOROyq_s_aTxb1scjbGaZEnJyZxNCAbYs4T7oKXrJ_r7PyVgNiKD1rhFsg4cx3UOapPU44S86HWTfqPBYO4B2fUzXkEp307HG6A9I/s1600/IMG_0740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpAkYh2U-BJB2VQMOhmfyIW2xOMHZT2ctmN1LQdtnOROyq_s_aTxb1scjbGaZEnJyZxNCAbYs4T7oKXrJ_r7PyVgNiKD1rhFsg4cx3UOapPU44S86HWTfqPBYO4B2fUzXkEp307HG6A9I/s640/IMG_0740.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the front of the house, nearing completion...</td></tr>
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-16569112950700828662012-12-06T19:11:00.000-06:002012-12-06T19:11:00.247-06:00Nearing completion at 7007 Priscilla We're dangerously close to finishing up at 7007 Priscilla Drive in Austin. These terrible photos from my phone were taken today as we wrapped up the tile work in bathrooms and kitchen. From here, we'll finish up lighting and set out plumbing fixtures, then put down the wood floors. We'll have the house on the market in the next few days as we finish up. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9_sUyPhYXJyoIembZrLJJ8rN3YQl2yVhWZPcf_wa55xWhod-yWc2qyqYfzESlS6CHmmUgXI-M5bpDpBOmSgPxloFafXj5SXOLjLR_t3D1YPBRkSo7wwocjT20d0QKsQWX6SQoIXixge-/s1600/IMAG0591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg9_sUyPhYXJyoIembZrLJJ8rN3YQl2yVhWZPcf_wa55xWhod-yWc2qyqYfzESlS6CHmmUgXI-M5bpDpBOmSgPxloFafXj5SXOLjLR_t3D1YPBRkSo7wwocjT20d0QKsQWX6SQoIXixge-/s640/IMAG0591.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the front door. Compare it to the rendering in the previous post. We're getting close!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWWRLHw-eW7lJstZONrBqC5p1-sybpKDw4rlPhBFVp1chH3lbyRFS0p2jpLA2anJCbLXr3T443Fs9AkjsHgjfdrBs4E7eh7b72yu9gSjv6MWpxaGqwor2Xiy5R4KFW68NLEuGlwI4OYA_/s1600/IMAG0587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWWRLHw-eW7lJstZONrBqC5p1-sybpKDw4rlPhBFVp1chH3lbyRFS0p2jpLA2anJCbLXr3T443Fs9AkjsHgjfdrBs4E7eh7b72yu9gSjv6MWpxaGqwor2Xiy5R4KFW68NLEuGlwI4OYA_/s640/IMAG0587.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabinets are nearly complete, and the oak countertops are in. The glass tile backsplash was completed today. We need to add some cabinet doors, install the appliances and cabinet hardware, then install the kickboards and wood flooring and it'll be ready for some new owners!<br /><br /></td></tr>
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Stay tuned for more photos as we wrap this one up. We've had so much fun doing this one, we're already looking for our next project!<br />
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-80103689982362130002012-11-19T07:56:00.001-06:002012-11-19T07:56:12.347-06:00Thrilla on Priscilla!We've been talking about it for decades, and it's finally happening.- this project will come fully assembled!! We purchased a great little mid-60s house at 7007 Priscilla Drive (near Highland Mall). It's a solid house, but needed a lot of TLC and a whole new design for the kitchen and baths. When we're finished, it will be a small house that lives big, and it will be fresh and new throughout.<br />
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It's still a bit too soon for photos, so here are a couple of the renderings to give you an idea of what the house will look like:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImrZLJLM1KrhFaUdJJXwWL92F1ojU6altoE91-lTMzgybaOsRtDapm06Qm43wg7YhXHnsTGgVECQRhSiOxmuPKD0CA0JCgZNTefRVEVYVHOPojAoZmLWsmVytRcl11rZvQKhX2rWyxlrh/s1600/frontdoor11-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImrZLJLM1KrhFaUdJJXwWL92F1ojU6altoE91-lTMzgybaOsRtDapm06Qm43wg7YhXHnsTGgVECQRhSiOxmuPKD0CA0JCgZNTefRVEVYVHOPojAoZmLWsmVytRcl11rZvQKhX2rWyxlrh/s640/frontdoor11-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the front door toward dining and kitchen. The house is compact, but will feel big for living and entertaining.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifG74oBzg9hFeGvfXYa2BAqpr7iLz3Vnzsqp5U1Mk_HwOiSqLh0wHT4kvYANrZjnYYBl_AiVQgxhNq3fmIaWp1IfjqFCNYWtPYE8e2hM_a3tB1vlTQoZ2y23LZ32aFvfeCki04_jVraYYz/s1600/kitchen11-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifG74oBzg9hFeGvfXYa2BAqpr7iLz3Vnzsqp5U1Mk_HwOiSqLh0wHT4kvYANrZjnYYBl_AiVQgxhNq3fmIaWp1IfjqFCNYWtPYE8e2hM_a3tB1vlTQoZ2y23LZ32aFvfeCki04_jVraYYz/s640/kitchen11-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New kitchen as viewed from dining room. Big and bright!!</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;"> The house has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths in a very compact and efficient footprint, with a huge lot. It's going to be a great new home for someone soon.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3LohYMMBVuNEp1_ExAZWO7SYG6JhmsA96-m_RyGI0_NxaTPn0DboIF8tSzdSB1521Hh2ZOG7W6w1_zCDCSWtZ3Pa3np5SdpLSRBY6FWmltnbJL6hWURwPajbPf70UaOJwSqlWL-ihcyp/s1600/living2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3LohYMMBVuNEp1_ExAZWO7SYG6JhmsA96-m_RyGI0_NxaTPn0DboIF8tSzdSB1521Hh2ZOG7W6w1_zCDCSWtZ3Pa3np5SdpLSRBY6FWmltnbJL6hWURwPajbPf70UaOJwSqlWL-ihcyp/s400/living2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not very bright and pretty, but we could see the potential.</td></tr>
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Here are some of the "before" shots, from similar vantage points.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-zRVMJ3TzkkVdl8Lc74ctN_flTSsJheiFrSgA8bTgS5RiDTOTL9xgNJ_YtduHyZQN215gQXluuWmzyRDh505zbrNINVFb4mny7uQa4EwlLSfojkk47UG52Bz-bXbvQrmTzOYnitPXMfI/s1600/dining1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-zRVMJ3TzkkVdl8Lc74ctN_flTSsJheiFrSgA8bTgS5RiDTOTL9xgNJ_YtduHyZQN215gQXluuWmzyRDh505zbrNINVFb4mny7uQa4EwlLSfojkk47UG52Bz-bXbvQrmTzOYnitPXMfI/s400/dining1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kitchen was a tiny, apartment-sized galley, but that's a distant memory now!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1w4TuvbLs1g4OiuiLp09W36qGTJPIeS8ae_mE7Cm9AkdOimNiNo4zzQ9aE4xXnGljKUNqWSJs1lok7ji6_0OZ3vC_u5UqUDS31kDV55HVf5sF3LewwKlMRohtVUToJ-z-1Tztb0dllwWs/s1600/front2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1w4TuvbLs1g4OiuiLp09W36qGTJPIeS8ae_mE7Cm9AkdOimNiNo4zzQ9aE4xXnGljKUNqWSJs1lok7ji6_0OZ3vC_u5UqUDS31kDV55HVf5sF3LewwKlMRohtVUToJ-z-1Tztb0dllwWs/s640/front2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Think it needs some curb appeal?? We're painting and starting the landscaping right now, so if you come by, you can see some progress already.<br />
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We'll be back with updated photos soon!! We expect the house to hit the market in mid-December or early January.<br />
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Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-7749903428643591832012-04-07T18:20:00.001-05:002012-04-28T10:27:04.597-05:00New project in Zilker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uKfsYTplMa96onOMGfJxCgjGJV7XKko6uJ_zSFa0HjH8z6VKuSP4Q9LfesnqI3Ro9BivGOWezhjiMQglVxWMnWUR7AYwN2m777pzfzzXVFWTv9LdA8Kw3PjBrmWXy18GUCP0VrqMLSGR/s1600/back4-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uKfsYTplMa96onOMGfJxCgjGJV7XKko6uJ_zSFa0HjH8z6VKuSP4Q9LfesnqI3Ro9BivGOWezhjiMQglVxWMnWUR7AYwN2m777pzfzzXVFWTv9LdA8Kw3PjBrmWXy18GUCP0VrqMLSGR/s640/back4-19.jpg" width="640" /></a>Here's a cool new project we're just starting in the Zilker neighborhood. We're rearranging the existing first floor to get the kitchen out of the middle of the house and connect it to the back yard, then adding a second floor master suite plus two bedrooms and a bath. We're giving up some of the conditioned area on the first floor to create a screened porch that will make the house live bigger and really connects the living spaces to the great backyard.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Before"- the 70's addition that cut the house off from the back yard</td></tr>
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The feature that adds the most bang for the buck might be the the new stairwell, which creates not one, but TWO new spaces that will help the house live large for a young family. At the bottom of the stairs, there's a great little nook for an office, and at the landing, a beautiful window seat for reading, napping, or even a spot for that extra overnight guest during SXSW.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherjy1ZMCmrXOztng8MM7vwygrFWVeC10PD9OemUv49TWy1ISjqQj8hUiqPs3Y-dG2dxcME-wU1Qci1dXC4J4Kq8xP4uR19rLf0-ERQulMjARinKDBBreDz2ZUYuQ3BJ5KUgRb5hptykBB/s1600/stairs4-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherjy1ZMCmrXOztng8MM7vwygrFWVeC10PD9OemUv49TWy1ISjqQj8hUiqPs3Y-dG2dxcME-wU1Qci1dXC4J4Kq8xP4uR19rLf0-ERQulMjARinKDBBreDz2ZUYuQ3BJ5KUgRb5hptykBB/s640/stairs4-28.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The kitchen is pretty cool, too. The existing kitchen got buried by an addition in the 70's. We're moving the kitchen to the back of the house to re-connect to the yard.<br />
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There are a zillion old homes in Austin that got "remuddled" like
this, and we're putting them back to right, one house at a time.<br />
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-27178732224355996202012-02-14T14:00:00.000-06:002012-02-14T14:00:06.320-06:00Virtual... Reality!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-0IzTxFPwZ-xrnFnLzB2Bquh2Ex3C7WXKGc7D8weUVa7DDUJfCy85a9GATXsOeveD2uDBxHoo9RnKUgFEQKou3GtzdvbgBM9gZpwIFgbAmZ3ppdlxzj5fCzILAnK96R6DzzSgsfCnVhX/s1600/frontrender8-8.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-0IzTxFPwZ-xrnFnLzB2Bquh2Ex3C7WXKGc7D8weUVa7DDUJfCy85a9GATXsOeveD2uDBxHoo9RnKUgFEQKou3GtzdvbgBM9gZpwIFgbAmZ3ppdlxzj5fCzILAnK96R6DzzSgsfCnVhX/s640/frontrender8-8.bmp" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rendering...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNAvOC0fvPHUwqUVTaU1w-81xQWcXgtJpNQgzaCzTAPJxcaphYps_-pJONSlbUB-XHU0NO2OJ4mKg5_qbGvvT2EeADhXdUrPnfjMg_f4y2c4TA8p9EfJGj6XYry14K70c8eCU5GE6I3Xx/s1600/IMG_0590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNAvOC0fvPHUwqUVTaU1w-81xQWcXgtJpNQgzaCzTAPJxcaphYps_-pJONSlbUB-XHU0NO2OJ4mKg5_qbGvvT2EeADhXdUrPnfjMg_f4y2c4TA8p9EfJGj6XYry14K70c8eCU5GE6I3Xx/s640/IMG_0590.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished!!- just waiting for some rain to perk up the landscaping</td></tr>
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We put lots of energy into modeling every detail of our projects so we don't run into surprises during construction. The final result on Sinclair Avenue in Rosedale looks pretty darned close to our pre-construction design model. We owe a lof of the credit to builder <a href="http://www.greenbilt.com/">Warren Spain</a> for turning our concept into a reality.<br />
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Check out Warren's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.452730157079.253039.128527617079&type=1">Facebook photo album</a> of photos taken during construction of this project for more of the story, including the amazing concrete and steel foundation designed by Jerry Garcia of <a href="http://www.structurestx.com/">Structures</a>.<br />
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-12935398246442434462011-12-28T14:38:00.000-06:002011-12-28T14:38:32.431-06:00Apparently, the City of Austin thinks our work is iconicWe were watching the news the other night and saw a story about the launch of the brand-new website for the <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/">City of Austin</a>. To our surprise and delight, when the website appeared on the TV screen, our Chestnut Commons project was front and center! The image is one of three images of Austin that you see when you first arrive at austintexas.gov . Here's a snip from the site:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ0H4fPgFEA/Tvt6csGQv0I/AAAAAAAAB6s/zmRheadOowM/s1600/cityofaustin.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQ0H4fPgFEA/Tvt6csGQv0I/AAAAAAAAB6s/zmRheadOowM/s640/cityofaustin.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City of Austin's new website, featuring a nice photo of Chestnut Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's a nice little shout-out to us and our visionary clients at <a href="http://momarkdevelopment.com/">Momark Development</a> and a good way to end a wonderful 2011. Happy New Year, y'all.<br />
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-21836407005423584092011-12-01T20:12:00.001-06:002011-12-01T20:23:09.224-06:00South Third St. project nearly ready!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6i4avU1PmtzSIhA20Nhu2OpND22QokIqoH8RJ_PGGIBSJBE9ap4KxE3_WdJ1XLGa_U1AKPrNaT1U5uUlxSVbRE84jst5jgC1FJl1WwgBwKD5se8dgJJzExtqVkWhZK7v2R_M6g_Ogkui/s1600/IMAG0727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6i4avU1PmtzSIhA20Nhu2OpND22QokIqoH8RJ_PGGIBSJBE9ap4KxE3_WdJ1XLGa_U1AKPrNaT1U5uUlxSVbRE84jst5jgC1FJl1WwgBwKD5se8dgJJzExtqVkWhZK7v2R_M6g_Ogkui/s640/IMAG0727.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Took this snapshot today with my phone (carefully cropping out the bare dirt, port-a-potty, lumber, etc.) to give you a peek at our S. 3rd St. project as it nears completion. Below you can see our design model, which is remarkably close to the real deal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2H1dg1T8i0lBss98IdgjtbUkmdr0Dp3OmsvmXEpqpZJkTpCH2SA_xeWaaN-JX5sxdubIbK8r4XlXJg6QFVQzd-jurnU_zprOxHv92izPBLJdsVBn5LfWcftBnkjdxIPHrD1aPcrTvRh3f/s1600/S3rdrevisedSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2H1dg1T8i0lBss98IdgjtbUkmdr0Dp3OmsvmXEpqpZJkTpCH2SA_xeWaaN-JX5sxdubIbK8r4XlXJg6QFVQzd-jurnU_zprOxHv92izPBLJdsVBn5LfWcftBnkjdxIPHrD1aPcrTvRh3f/s640/S3rdrevisedSmall.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Here's the "before" photo...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuELTrKlT5IPDe6NUpeEE0H1uzpc6gcgLc9YaXYPPlsCw3To1z6TPzLfkjlVrQI33FhtAXUEaCltEG9y6heTPvfnNvJxPCNTECqfVGGkWa5DEOr7vVYv4UKqj8x8ZwVRYtYC9tSuLRFqY/s1600/IMG_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuELTrKlT5IPDe6NUpeEE0H1uzpc6gcgLc9YaXYPPlsCw3To1z6TPzLfkjlVrQI33FhtAXUEaCltEG9y6heTPvfnNvJxPCNTECqfVGGkWa5DEOr7vVYv4UKqj8x8ZwVRYtYC9tSuLRFqY/s640/IMG_1592.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Our clients will move back into the house in a couple of weeks, so we'll have more photos soon!Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-17771171131243101672011-08-24T19:54:00.000-05:002011-08-24T19:54:49.775-05:00Do over!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX55gXgm5t_WK720bvUPw83BkOjii7V7SOy4GHLpqKeTJgnHcBnMOeUXSd1lHOdI6fjHizgYIgCyk05_O91fJPybJrWvQQuMUyJ7hokraK3gAOadg9pFIO3axEwfM7xdU0GyDIIy4bvfe3/s1600/rt7-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX55gXgm5t_WK720bvUPw83BkOjii7V7SOy4GHLpqKeTJgnHcBnMOeUXSd1lHOdI6fjHizgYIgCyk05_O91fJPybJrWvQQuMUyJ7hokraK3gAOadg9pFIO3axEwfM7xdU0GyDIIy4bvfe3/s640/rt7-22.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proposed kitchen viewed from the back door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2Nwuqa04MPC7HrqteKldq-Sj2O2Zbbrpm64Fn6Nr4ygjzCiqvYi5WczXmpMBboW41hJosgxr5UoP2Zqyj8Vfl6n9fxvBfGqb7OVLBI8FNjHLyqz0J3w58j8rJME2VNoD__2YHXOq6Mbm/s1600/rt7-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2Nwuqa04MPC7HrqteKldq-Sj2O2Zbbrpm64Fn6Nr4ygjzCiqvYi5WczXmpMBboW41hJosgxr5UoP2Zqyj8Vfl6n9fxvBfGqb7OVLBI8FNjHLyqz0J3w58j8rJME2VNoD__2YHXOq6Mbm/s640/rt7-23.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the entry to the kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />We see it all the time: additions to Central Austin homes that ended
up more of a liability than an asset. This house in Rosedale was a
perfect example. A previous owner of this wonderful little stone
cottage had tacked on a "master suite" to the back of the house that
robbed the home of its connection to the amazing back yard. The result
was a room that never really worked as a bedroom or anything else useful
(it ended up being used more as a mudroom/study/storage space). This
is one of the most common problems we encounter, as so many additions go
on the back of houses, creating a "buried" kitchen and stealing the
daylight and access to the back yard that's so vital to a home.<br />
<br />
There's
a different solution every time, but in this case we opted for a really
dramatic change. We're converting the unusable master bedroom into a
cool new kitchen and splitting the former kitchen area into dining and
bedroom areas to make it all right again.<br />
<br />
In the
renderings above, you can see the proposed kitchen. It's loose and
airy, really functional AND very inexpensive to build. It's set up to
allow the base cabinets to be anything from "freecycled" Craigslist
finds to Home Depot utility cabinets. We're also ripping out a storage
loft that blocks the view to the wall of windows along the back wall of
the house (yes, they're all existing) and opening up the vaulted ceiling
to add light and space to the room. We'll also expose the
original stone wall between the house and addition. Because the kitchen
is so loose and simple, the materials, colors, surfaces can go in any
direction our clients choose. It's a great example of a kitchen that "fits like a
mitten"- it will look like it's been there a while right from the
start, and it can evolve as time goes on.<br />
<br />
It's going to
be a great kitchen on its own, but the solution it offers to the rest
of the house will be truly life-changing for our clients.<br />
<br />
Wait till you see what we're going to do with their old garage!! Stay tuned... <br />
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<br />Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-44257731778416344652011-05-19T12:48:00.000-05:002011-05-19T12:48:24.068-05:00Whole-house remodel in Allandale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2Zf2X98vcin1fNw9ePriIR4Wk2-MSpTjUtpkc51qZPBXP5xASIDcQJ_72uN_0GQyWBpLgqCyi6OvPcn4EetuKXnpg4XL-xeXpEEn8CuqclwJzjHuGO-H5D9Vc2uxNYoJWEZRnXzf98YM/s1600/shingleRenderSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2Zf2X98vcin1fNw9ePriIR4Wk2-MSpTjUtpkc51qZPBXP5xASIDcQJ_72uN_0GQyWBpLgqCyi6OvPcn4EetuKXnpg4XL-xeXpEEn8CuqclwJzjHuGO-H5D9Vc2uxNYoJWEZRnXzf98YM/s640/shingleRenderSmall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container"><tbody>
<tr></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Coming soon! The house stays true to its roots, but gets an update for a 21st century family.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2A4MUvMXiMrQSEDqUbcQAFrkCzEpaqFJUrCJQ-PQMi6Qg5FeedOWEYxNENBuWvVgQfUw1W42MSI-tlXKhHd8ssCgKclEaRlyEymeWyZS1c6LVlKgR0TvBgndiaj7LfK3g5XIB9BnTkEW/s1600/IMG_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2A4MUvMXiMrQSEDqUbcQAFrkCzEpaqFJUrCJQ-PQMi6Qg5FeedOWEYxNENBuWvVgQfUw1W42MSI-tlXKhHd8ssCgKclEaRlyEymeWyZS1c6LVlKgR0TvBgndiaj7LfK3g5XIB9BnTkEW/s640/IMG_0144.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Before"- your basic early '60s Allandale house</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_XBHgM2ndbAJhPi0wIoblcX1886raZotX0DzrKsssMwyDqmuQv0jqXdhoA2glnJRAVq97qPXm0YyIoOqkdJPlsuJQ9-_BVgqP7XRe9F2rw8oLn_UQG-0QE0BxhHPo7W4Om1uIz-1WZzA/s1600/siteshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_XBHgM2ndbAJhPi0wIoblcX1886raZotX0DzrKsssMwyDqmuQv0jqXdhoA2glnJRAVq97qPXm0YyIoOqkdJPlsuJQ9-_BVgqP7XRe9F2rw8oLn_UQG-0QE0BxhHPo7W4Om1uIz-1WZzA/s640/siteshot.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's no need to call FEMA, it just <i>looks</i> like it's been hit by a tornado...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This tired old house on West Terrace in Allandale was <u>really</u> overdue for a makeover to get it ready for its next 50 years. Over the next few months, builder <a href="http://www.greenbilt.com/">Warren Spain</a> will transform the house to match the rendering above.<br />
<br />
Inside, we're rearranging a huge percentage of the interior walls to make the living spaces bigger and brighter. The master suite will move from the second floor to the first, the kitchen will be re-built from scratch, and we'll add a new screened porch to the back. On the second floor, we're turning what used to be a rental apartment into 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and a play room for the kids. We're adding only a few square feet to the conditioned area of the house (the family room will steal some space from the garage), but the whole house is going to feel much larger and less "chopped up".<br />
<br />
Out front, we're getting rid of the cheesy gambrel roof over the garage and adding a nice new porch. The whole idea is to respect the context and create an updated home that will look and feel like it's always been there.Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-41434980561878004022011-04-17T20:38:00.001-05:002011-04-26T07:34:05.061-05:00Tree-mendous!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyh38IrVgJFhUDRGaRL9IIOBrhwmnCaJb_5gsj2sbTH2VrOcfH9cw8s9OVEMN9zUyww_252XaQehNV0AnbtpLd62IRQliuXyLhodxbKDKlv7IZZEVj4pU_AmNg_FNnpdlKci0XIcJn3td/s1600/S3rdrevisedSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyh38IrVgJFhUDRGaRL9IIOBrhwmnCaJb_5gsj2sbTH2VrOcfH9cw8s9OVEMN9zUyww_252XaQehNV0AnbtpLd62IRQliuXyLhodxbKDKlv7IZZEVj4pU_AmNg_FNnpdlKci0XIcJn3td/s640/S3rdrevisedSmall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rendered view from street showing new front porch and new upstairs master suite</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJLIUCTHt9DLo5wDLDwkAwNkxHeQQ9xCu3yfUO1h6okbKgoLmqMFD47RHX8dbJgnAnb8oKxmkrzJVM9F7Runhk92nSWF1YLgIfBxjszOeLgA1ykiHAxN7ImgyWFjMCrDTjIXmqA7464ju/s1600/StreetView.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJLIUCTHt9DLo5wDLDwkAwNkxHeQQ9xCu3yfUO1h6okbKgoLmqMFD47RHX8dbJgnAnb8oKxmkrzJVM9F7Runhk92nSWF1YLgIfBxjszOeLgA1ykiHAxN7ImgyWFjMCrDTjIXmqA7464ju/s640/StreetView.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Existing house, from street (photo courtesy of Google StreetView).</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
We're just a few days from starting construction on this fun remodel/addition project on South Third Street. It's on a lot that's covered with beautiful oak trees, so we opted to go <u>up</u> with the new master suite to avoid having to cut any trees down or expand the home's footprint onto the the trees' critical root zones.<br />
<br />
The resulting second floor addition not only made the the trees happy, it gave us access to treetop views, breezes and daylight all around. The new master suite will feel like a treehouse.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"></div><br />
Downstairs, we're tearing out a hallway to open up the family room and adding a nice new porch to the front. We're looking forward to a cold beer on that porch in just a few months!<br />
<br />
Did we mention that we're doing all this fun stuff without spending a fortune? Youbetcha.Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3905370527316525972.post-49422717945059660412010-10-22T20:53:00.000-05:002010-10-22T20:53:15.235-05:00Something old, something new...Our clients on Ramsey Ave. are celebrating in a very big way this weekend: moving back into their newly remodeled/expanded home <u>and</u> getting hitched. In the middle of all that, they were kind enough to give us a peek at the house tonight, and it's awesome.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxnl6x9ljPcPY2VX8RDTAUhC9hpuA8DQ8Bx2KlakrZYgJq2XxnpuIW4K2Et7bHfEkfW1rDp7Tivb_oAtQ2f4Wxv-aDLBLDAZYWcxGUXJa8HUJebV_OxS0yEZZmAiLj6xS9SOFwjzoZTxK/s1600/roseExis+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxnl6x9ljPcPY2VX8RDTAUhC9hpuA8DQ8Bx2KlakrZYgJq2XxnpuIW4K2Et7bHfEkfW1rDp7Tivb_oAtQ2f4Wxv-aDLBLDAZYWcxGUXJa8HUJebV_OxS0yEZZmAiLj6xS9SOFwjzoZTxK/s640/roseExis+024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5Wd18U3CT0_vugoDhyphenhyphenAYxb1UL07rzLw3lJ0RerKZRI8xJQv0gGd7MHKjZoCZIaDBdA44hKeB-Ve377cfNvAqYrKICWO12qwFTB4-DZFwfSB-sazjYD74wWkEACt1Xt6u7b0hLMgeeHlT/s1600/IMG_0457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5Wd18U3CT0_vugoDhyphenhyphenAYxb1UL07rzLw3lJ0RerKZRI8xJQv0gGd7MHKjZoCZIaDBdA44hKeB-Ve377cfNvAqYrKICWO12qwFTB4-DZFwfSB-sazjYD74wWkEACt1Xt6u7b0hLMgeeHlT/s640/IMG_0457.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>We'll have more photos in a few weeks, but for now, here's a sneak preview of the nearly-finished kitchen (a work table island is on the way, and a the microwave hasn't been installed in the tall cabinet on the left yet).<br />
<br />
Builder <a href="http://smithbuildersaustin.com/">Trey Smith</a> did a fantastic job with the project <i>and</i> managed to finish up before the wedding deadline. We're looking forward to working with him again soon.<br />
<br />
The beautiful shiplap pine ceiling in the kitchen is a remnant from the original 1940 house that had been buried under drywall for decades. If you look for it, you can find the "shadow" of the old kitchen wall in the ceiling.<br />
<br />
The project also includes a beautiful new master bedroom suite upstairs, a new utility room, study, and a big back porch. As soon as the happy couple is settled in, we'll have some more photos for you to enjoy. <br />
<br />
Here's to many happy years in your new home, guys!Chris Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09214417089030533653noreply@blogger.com