CarmichaelRenovation Sacramento, CA

Near the American River Parkway outside Sacramento, this ranch house is the center of a busy family’s life: two parents, three young children, a large garden and a coop of chickens in the backyard. They cook, garden and homestead, and bought the home with a clear vision of what it could become. What it needed was space: a primary suite of their own, and a way to open up a compact kitchen that sat closed off from the living room. Above all, they wanted a warm, bright home designed for family gatherings.

We reconfigured the main living area from top to bottom, removing the wall that separated the kitchen and living room. Already open to the dining area, the kitchen now connects seamlessly to both, keeping whoever is cooking at the heart of the home. It is designed for daily use, with solid hickory countertops and floating shelves, a deep farmhouse sink and sage green cabinets accented with brushed brass pulls and sconces. A backsplash of hand-glazed zellige tile adds rich, organic texture.

For the primary suite, we looked to the existing garage rather than building an addition. An adjacent bathroom made a garage conversion the natural placement for a private suite. Wrapped in a palette of earthy neutrals, the space is now an airy bedroom with a vaulted ceiling, exposed wood beams and an expansive window where the garage door once sat. We renovated the en-suite bath in white brick tile, natural white oak and brushed gold fixtures.

One key material ties the original house to the new suite: square terracotta tile on the kitchen floor is also in the laundry room and the primary bathroom, making the new spaces feel as though they were always part of the home. It is the home our clients pictured when they bought it.