BEFORE

Pre-remodel, this 1970s home felt too closed-in for comfort. “We had four boxy little rooms in the main living area,” says homeowner Cathy Brigham. The separate kitchen, dining and living spaces left little opportunity to move around. A wall closed in the hallway leading from the main living area to the bedroom, creating a confined pathway. Outside on the covered lanai, the ceiling was so low, taller guests ran the risk of bumping their heads. To open up the space, Cathy and her husband, Christopher, called in a reputable team that included architect Don Shaw and the experts at Barker Kappelle Construction. 

The team’s goal was to open the space both horizontally and vertically to let more light in and create a welcoming, airy, indoor-outdoor feel. A few other important items, such as the roof and water-heating system, needed to be updated as well.

Light comes into the dining room through large sliding-glass doors. New merbau flooring contributes to the warm, inviting feeling.

BEFORE

To start, the Barker Kappelle crew removed two dividing walls in the center of the home. They relocated the kitchen to the former living room and allowed it to flow into the new living and dining areas for one complete, open-concept space. The contracting team also raised the ceilings to let even more light and air into the large main room. “That wasn’t something we planned on doing, but as we got going, Phil [Barker] said, ‘You’ve got a lot of nice space up there, and I think we should explore it,’” says Cathy. To embellish the new ceilings, the Barker Kappelle team added a new beam, in a dark contrasting color, to match existing beams on the ceiling in the living area.




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