Recognized as a National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Contractor of the Year (CotY) award-winner.

Our clients, Dan and Jane, met us at a NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) remodeling expo. They were looking to remodel their home so that it had a main-level master bedroom suite and a new addition off the back of the house. The addition was needed to extend the living space and take advantage of the beautiful backyard view. Lastly, they sought to remodel the exterior of the home. Having renovated before in other cities, they thoroughly interviewed several companies to determine who was going to be a trustworthy match and who would get their sense of style. We made the grade because we had creativity thinking outside of the box in terms of what their ugly duckling home could be. A quick analysis of structural constraints gave reassurance that the ideas we had were feasible; they readily jumped into our process.

Click on the images below to view them full screen.

Contemporary Home Design Madison, Wisconsin. The front porch is covered by the sculptural roof.

A combination of color, texture, pattern and material creates a sculptural exterior design.

A “V” Shaped Addition With 45 Degree Patio Doors.

This Home’s Design-Build Process

The clients came to us with the desire for a design that was specific to them. Their energy and lust for life made those visions very clear from the moment they entered our office. Jane is an artist who needed a home that reflected her vision of nature. Dan, who works at home, was in need of a tranquil space that he can walk through on a daily basis and conduct business. They both had a desire to connect the natural beauty of their surroundings with the interior of their home.

The owners stated that during gatherings, most guests would congregate in the kitchen, which is not uncommon. The solution was simple, make the Kitchen blend with the Living Room. To accomplish this, a substantial square column was removed near the Dining Room, which opened up the view from the front door through the Living Room. The entire back wall of the house was removed and replaced with an angled wall of glass. This commanding view of the backyard draws guests immediately to the living room bypassing the kitchen altogether.

An addition with huge patio doors and a small deck extension was added to the back of the house.

Mid-Century Modern Home Remodeling

Dan and Jane have an extensive collection of mid-century modern, Scandinavian furniture. Much of it is original and authentic, such as a wall-hung furniture system for the great room. There is also a buffet and hutch, a fantastic piece made to be viewed from all four sides, not just placed against the wall. The dining table and bedroom set tie in as well. These pieces provided much of the inspiration for the design. Senior Designer Dave Duewel envisioned several different solutions, each at various price points for each part of the project. Our clients found their favorite, and after a bit of budget and product selection tweaking, we were ready for construction.

The first thing on our list was fixing existing remodeling mistakes found in the home's interior. As an example, there were inconsistent openings, one where a dropped header existed and one without in an adjacent opening. It didn't make sense, so we made them symmetrical. An abandoned chimney still had a column and a header leading over to it. We removed both the column and header, which open up the space and allow view and traffic flow properly through. A dark back hallway that could have let out to the deck had only a tiny window. Now, there is easy access from the kitchen through a new door and a deck extension. The interior of the house is now put together in a way that shines.

Two main level bedrooms were combined into a new ensuite with a walk-in closet and aging-in-place friendly bathroom.

Dan, who works at home, was in need of a tranquil space to conduct business.

Walls are angled to obstruct a direct view and direct you into a private alcove where the master suite is located.

Our Design Compliments The Mid-Century furniture including this Scandinavian buffet and hutch, which is made to be viewed from all sides.

An old chimney was removed, opening up the flow from the front door, though the dining and great room area to the 12-foot back patio door.

A Bedroom Suite With Two Walk-In Closets

The use of angled walls in the gallery hallway conceal the master bedroom from view. Instead of merely having the master bedroom door look directly out to the dining room and stairway, walls are angled to direct you into a private alcove between the walk-in closets, master bathroom, and master bedroom. This also serves to bring natural light to the gallery through the walk-in closets, which have no doors on them. The gallery is a spot for the clients to display a portion of their artwork collection. The master bedroom has an aviation-themed ceiling fan, as both clients have their pilot's license. The bedside lamps also follow the Mid-Century Modern theme, bringing “hotel luxury” into the home.

A view of the angled walls in the master suite looking towards the living space.

A view from the master bedroom through the doorway towards a walk-in closet.

The ensuite contains a pair of walk-in closets and a bedroom large enough for a king bed.

An Minka Aire Aviation ceiling fan with light was used in the master bedroom.

The ensuite contains a pair of walk-in closets, a right-sized bathroom, and a bedroom large enough for a king bed. There wasn't a ton of space to work with as the two existing bedrooms were significantly too small for practical use, but it is just enough to provide for all the needs of our clients. The spaces are cozy and right-sized.

View The Before and After Images for this Home Remodel

The closet system was sourced from The Container Store.

The bedroom reading lights are swing arm 24” led by Modern Forms.

A view of the angled master bedroom suite walls and walk-in closet.

The Master Bathroom Design

The bathrooms have floating vanity cabinets with a matching set of drawers and a towel niche above. These custom-made cabinets have the appearance of symmetrical drawers left and right. Still, with the center vanity sink, the drawer fronts are larger than the custom-shaped drawers behind them, which work around the sink and the p-trap. Lighting for the bathrooms comes from an LED-backlit mirror, a pair of pendant lights, and LED strip lighting under the floating vanity.

Additional custom features in the bathroom include a heated tile floor, but additionally, the shower floor and shower seat are both heated as well. The shower is a curbless, level entry shower with a hinged heavy glass shower door. There is a low niche at the perfect elevation for washing and shaving. View more images and learn more about this master bath remodel.

A Custom floating vanity was designed to create a modern appearance while working around the plumbing.

A custom cherry vanity top with undermount sink and brushed stainless faucet.

Gray tile with a leaf accent in the Master Bath providing an outdoor shower experience.

The shower has a curbless design, retrofitting a linear drain and dropped subfloor into the existing joist structure of the home.

Project Design

Dave Duewel,
Senior Designer

PJ Ender Lead Carpenter CLC CRPM.jpeg — Lead Carpenter

PJ Ender,
CLC, CRPM

Guild Quality Review

★★★★★

Oregon, Wis. October 7, 2019

“I was concerned that they would stay within our budget and complete the project on time. They were great at keeping us up to date on those concerns during the project. The project manager was easy to work with and knowledgeable.”

— Jane M