To gain more living space, you tend to look to finishing the basement or the attic. Both are great ideas, and there are important things to consider before moving forward with these types of remodeling projects.

For basements, review the Hidden Details of Basement Refinishing. If you’re thinking attic, here are some important points to ponder:

Stick-Built or Truss Roof?
If your roof rafters form an A-shape with an open area in the middle (typically in homes built before 1960), you can potentially remodel this space. If it is a network of W-shaped frames, this is truss roofing, and it may be more cost-effective to build a room addition than to re-engineer the attic.

Take a Walk
To support the weight of you and furniture, floor joists must be 2×10. Anything smaller than that will need a new floor deck built above it.

How Will You Get Up There?
A straight-run stairwell will take up 10 to 14 feet of floor space in the attic. A stairwell with an intermediate landing between two runs needs about 8 feet on the lower level, while spiral staircases use approximately 5 feet of space. But which type will work best for you depends on your age, your ability and what kind of furniture will be moved up into the new space.

Don’t Bump Your Head
In a finished attic, layers of drywall and finishing materials will eat up some height, and the goal is for adults to walk through the space without instinctively stooping over.  Also consider how the lower slopes of the wall will work with the intended function (built-in storage, or a bathtub, perhaps?) when planning the space.

How to Gain More Head Space
You can create more headroom and get more natural light with dormers, which are, essentially, additions that raise the roof over a portion of the attic. These also create nooks perfect for built-in furniture or storage.

Let the Light In
If you want to remodel the attic into a space you use daily, more light and views are recommended. Consider adding new windows, skylights or solar tubes to the plan.

Be Comfortable
This will become a new level that requires heating and cooling, so reevaluating your HVAC system to properly supply the attic is a must. Updating the insulation and ventilation is also part of the plan to be comfortable and safe.

Plumbing Logic
If your attic remodel will include a bathroom, you may reduce costs and the need to cut a hole for a new vent stack if you locate the new plumbing above a bathroom on the floor below. Sending water into a new place may require an upgrade to water service so you have adequate supply.

The Light Bulb Moment
If you plan to add even one more light fixture than is already in the attic, you may need upgraded power. Have your current electrical service analyzed to assure you will have proper power.

Hidden Secrets
Chimneys, plumbing and vent stacks that go through the attic to the roof need not ruin the look of your remodeled space. Simply hide them inside a new closet so they’re out of sight but still easily accessible.

All of the above are important details Mosby Building Arts designers and builders take into consideration when transforming your attic into a new level of living. To explore the possibilities of remodeling your attic, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

The success of a remodeling project is measured by how it meets or exceeds your expectations. Builders work from construction documents, and the more precise these drawings are the more satisfying the finished result will be. While construction is about accuracy, the design phase is more creative, and seeing floor plans and materials selections may not fully help you visualize what the space will actually look and feel like. So how do you get the precision in design that is inherent in construction?

3-dimensional architectural design software lets you see your project fully-rendered in the materials and colors you’ve selected, giving you the ability to “walk through” the spaces virtually. You can experience every detail, experiment with different ideas, and make changes in a cost-effective and immediate way. 3D rendering helps you to fully understand the project from the start, and  puts you and your remodeling team on the same path to achieving a shared goal.

Let’s walk through the 3D design process of an actual remodeling project to see how valuable this tool is for getting exactly what you want. The rendering above is one of two ideas the architectural planner presented to the homeowners wanting a breakfast room addition on the rear of their home.

Here is the second idea, showing a variation on the addition’s shape and its relation to the home. Note that the agreed upon materials (cedar shingles and brick) have remained the same, but the team has the freedom to test different designs.

Here is the final, as-built result.  An interesting aspect of this project was that it was the interior space that eventually informed how the exterior should be. Let’s review the interior design process, below.

The project scope was to remove the rear wall of the kitchen to add a new room that would serve as both a breakfast room and home office space. One programming idea was to make the built-in desk a direct extension of the kitchen, and directly accessible from the outside through the new back door so the family could easily drop off and pick up their laptops, phones and such.

The other idea was to move the entry to the middle of the addition, creating two distinct areas in the room. This placement gave the office space even more storage space with the built-in wall cabinet seen to the left of chair.  This configuration made more sense to the family; when they walked through it in 3D, it felt more in tune with their lifestyle.

The client-approved 3D plans were converted into construction drawings, and what was built is exactly what the family expected.

As for the causal dining aspect of the project, here was an idea for the banquet seating when the plan called for a rounded addition.

The logical need for direct access to the kitchen in the form of a counter with open pass-through changed the shape of the floor plan. The homeowners took a virtual walk through this new plan and loved the views out the windows and how easily they could move through this space and into the kitchen. Because they experienced it in a way they could relate to, they were confident in their final decision.

And here is the completed project.

The flexibility of 3D design software is perfect for deciding the finer details of project before construction ever begins. This rendering reflects the final floorplan, but as they explored this space, the middle column of the custom millwork arch felt “in the way.” Aesthetically and structurally, one grand arch was the preferred option. But that middle column was designed to have storage cabinets; if the column is removed, what happens to the storage?

As seen above, the designers found a way to keep the hidden storage and the single arch. And it’s these kinds of functional details that can become costly change orders while the project is under construction. But with the ability to zero in on every detail of a room in 3D, this detail was discovered and resolved long before the first hammer swung.

See more photos from this project here. And you can experience this kind of remodeling confidence when you work with the Mosby Building Arts planning and design team. To explore all your possibilities, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

The end of World War 2 created a baby boom, which in turn created a need for more homes – fast. The new homes built in record time in the Metro St. Louis suburbs were known as “ranch homes,” a uniquely American architectural style of rectangular, one-story houses with low-pitched roofs, attached garages and large windows for an indoor-outdoor connection.

These new homes perfectly matched the new informal lifestyle, with central air conditioning, a floorplan centered around the family room and kitchen, and were adaptable for growing families because basements could be converted into more living space as needed.

Many of these ranch homes are now over – or rapidly approaching – 50 years of age, which qualifies some individual homes or entire subdivisions for historic designation, and there is a grassroots movement underway to educate people on the merits of maintaining these homes that still serve families so well to this day.

Any home over 50-years of age is usually ready for some remodeling (and has probably seen a good deal of it over its lifetime), and the ranch house remains a highly adaptable structure for 21^st century living.

The 21st Century Ranch Home

Ranch homes marked the beginning of modern construction materials and methods, most of which are still recognized or used by today’s remodelers. This makes it relatively easy to update these homes to today’s levels of energy efficiency, and implement new floorplans that better match the way we live today. And re-using these homes just makes sense for our pocketbooks and our communities, because the greenest home is the one already standing.

Accessible Design The one-level floor plan of the typical ranch is perfect for accessible living. Going up and down the stairs can become problematic over time, so having all daily needs on one level becomes a necessity for living comfortably and productively in your home.

There is a growing trend of older adults seeking one-level living for their retirement years, and this often finds them returning to the ranch style homes in which they originally raised their families. Quite often, they are still in the very same home and simply need the place remodeled for increased functionality and comfort.

Loft-Style Living Originally, the informal floorplan of the ranch is what differentiated it from more traditional, pre-WW2 house styles, and Americans now crave even more open space. Luckily, the ranch is highly adaptable, allowing you to remove interior walls and reconfigure spaces for more flow and usable square footage. This type of open floorplan is commonly known as “loft style,” where function is defined by furniture grouping rather than walls, creating spaces that can be quickly rearranged to meet ever-changing needs.

To achieve loft living in your ranch, it is possible to leave plumbing and HVAC fixtures in their original space (which helps with the remodeling budget) and create a whole new floorplan that takes advantage of existing views while maximizing living space. And this ultra modern layout coordinates beautifully with the mid-century modern style of a ranch, creating a unique synergy of form and function.

See more photos of how a ranch home converts to loft-style living.

Energy Efficiency As Americans deal with rapidly-increasing energy costs, the budgetary benefits of a smaller home become apparent, and this is where existing ranch homes have the advantage. It is no longer about the quantity of square footage, but the quality of how it is used, and when energy costs are measured by cubic feet, having less square footage helps with the energy bills.

There are both state and federal tax credits available for energy efficiency improvements, and working with trained and certified energy efficiency professionals will help you pin-point the improvements that will deliver the most comfort and long-term savings for the dependable ranch home.

Additional Space The ranches in suburban Metro St. Louis built from 1950 – 1970 were typically 800 – 1,500 square feet and even back in the day, families were building room additions to gain more space. So if you need more square footage, a ranch has the flexibility to embrace more space.

Because of lot size and placement on it, most room additions happen on the rear of the home, or built vertically as a 2^nd story addition, and refinishing the basement is always a smart investment. The rectangular nature of the ranch home and its modern construction makes it extremely accommodating for room additions.

See more photos of a ranch home rear addition.

Home Makeover The accommodating nature of the ranch home makes it ripe for a total makeover, inside and out. Updating the exterior design with new siding and roofing, or a new front entry makes a middle-age home look brand new. Pair that with a complete makeover of floorplan, systems and fixtures inside and you can essentially create a new home over an existing shell.

Older ranch homes exist in thriving, established communities with all the amenities and infrastructure already in place, so it makes sense on so many levels to remodel a strong home in a good neighborhood.

See more photos of a ranch home’s total makeover.

Mosby Building Arts specializes in remodeling ranch homes with personalized architecture and skilled craftsmanship for a quality home that will easily last for another 50 years. From design to energy efficiency improvements, Mosby has been contributing to sustainability and lifestyle improvements by renewing these homes to meet the needs of both the original owners of the home as well as new generations who love all the benefits of remodeling the most American of architectural styles – the ranch home.

Here’s an example of a son remodeling his parent’s ranch to match his lifestyle, and if you’d like to explore options for your ranch home, call Mosby at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

Aging tends to happen to us gradually, a gentle changing of perspective and priorities, but there are key moments that make it apparent we’ve aged: that one day it became difficult to read the ingredients on the soup can label, and realizing those treks up and down the stairs while doing laundry are a bit trying.

Changing eye sight can be corrected by a good optometrist, while the laundry problem is solved by a professional remodeler certified in accessible design, because the key to the laundry room is not the chore itself, but where it’s located.

In the older homes in the St. Louis metropolitan area, laundry areas are historically in the basement, which means walking the stairs multiple times to attend to the loads, and as we age that becomes a load on our knees.

Every time we go up and down the stairs with a basket of laundry it compromises our safety and our joints. It also becomes harder to hear the buzzers sound, so often our clothes sit too long in the washer or dryer. You can eliminate all these hassles by relocating the laundry room from the basement to the ground level.

This logical solution is what accessible design is all about: eliminating potential obstacles in your home by focusing on functionality and comfort.  Before you decide which location on the first floor would make the most sense for the new laundry room, contact a Certified Aging In-Place Specialist (CAPS) to assist in determining the best area for plumbing, efficiency and durability.

The goal of accessible design is to change standard features to make them more convenient for you to use. For instance, in the laundry room, the ultimate convenience is a front-loading washer and dryer mounted on a raised platform, which saves you from bending over.  If space is limited, the dryer can be mounted atop the washer, and this vertical treatment frees up more floor space.

Cabinets with a countertop at hip height makes folding clothes so much easier, and a laundry sink and ironing station can also work much better at a taller height.  All work stations in the room should be tailored to your present needs and future considerations.

A combination mud and laundry room (above) is a popular and convenient feature. By installing a ceramic tile floor to withstand moisture, and by increasing storage for jackets, shoes and personal affects, this area can quickly become the most used and highly functional place in your home.

The Mosby Building Arts accessible design project shown above brought the laundry room up from the basement into a new addition built on to the rear of the garage. One end is for laundry while the other end of the room serves as a mini-kitchen with a refrigerator, pantry, cabinets and countertop. The homeowner added a dining table, and it is now the place where she spends the most time because it connects to the garage and kitchen, has views to the backyard patio and gardens, and all the natural light makes it a pleasant place to take care of paperwork or read a book while doing her laundry.

Mosby’s Home Life Planning services will bring accessible living into the home you already love and keep it your home for a lifetime. And the Certified Aging In-Place Specialists at Mosby Building Arts elevate accessibility to the next level by emphasizing seamless style and design so that your home looks as great as it functions. To explore 50-Plus living options, call Mosby at 314.909.1800 or contact them here.

Would you like more room for living and entertaining?  Well, simply walk out your back door to see an untapped resource for extending your living space. Your back yard easily transforms into an outdoor living oasis with the addition of a deck or patio, so let the planning begin.

Decks and patios can easily incorporate gazebos, pergolas, pools, fountains and gardens…the options are limitless!  Which is why collaborating with design professionals is the best way to get an “outdoor room” that truly enhances your lifestyle and the value of your home.

When you work with a Mosby Building Arts design planner, dreams become reality by exploring the details on paper before the first hammer swings. Areas of consideration include:

Size Matters Picture how you’d like to live with a deck or patio; will it be a private space for your family to relax, or a place for entertaining large groups? Or would you like a flexible plan that can accommodate a combination of the two? Answers to these questions will determine how much furniture and square footage is needed.

Follow the Sun South-facing backyards need shaded areas on the deck, while a northfacing backyard may not require the awnings, pergolas or overhangs that create cool respite. Observing the sun, shade and wind will inform the overall design and function of the area.

Water & Light If you long to spend evening outside, you’ll need good lighting for safety, security and ambiance. Plan ahead for fixtures and electrical outlet needs. And install the proper number of outdoor faucets for watering gardens or a sink in an outdoor kitchen.

Maintenance & Durability You deserve to enjoy your outdoor room, not maintain it.  Work with a planner to choose the materials, finishes and sealers that protect your investment and leisure time.

Design Harmony An outdoor living space is an extension of your home, so it should enhance the exterior. Select materials, finishes and colors that coordinate with roofing, siding and windows. Consider the size, color and placement of landscaping around the patio. Mosby planners can keep an eye on the big picture so your new spaces harmoniously integrate with the whole.

Build It Right There are multiple structural and safety concerns when attaching a deck or patio to your home. Mosby carpenters apply for permits and build to the regulations of your municipality so you have a safe, watertight deck that serves  your family for decades.

Imagine your family room expanding into the backyard and realize the boundless potential for outdoor living.  To begin your backyard adventure and improve your warm-weather lifestyle, collaborate with the Mosby Building Arts planning and design team by calling 314.909.1800 or contact us here.

This time of year is so festive because we decorate our homes with twinkling lights.  Inside and out, this warm glow lifts spirits and makes everything look special.  Have you noticed how empty a room feels once the holiday lights come down in January?   That’s because the extra lighting has disappeared, which highlights how important the proper lighting is for our spirits.

Every room needs multiple sources of light for the proper balance of productivity and mood.  A single, overhead light in a room is only the starting point for the layers of light needed to boost our productivity and mood.  An effective lighting master plan often includes the following types of lighting:

• Task Lighting Task lighting illuminates a specific task or work space for function and safety.  Applying makeup in the bathroom, cutting vegetables in the kitchen and woodworking in the garage require proper amounts of light aimed exactly where you need it most.  Recessed, lamp and pendant lighting are examples of efficient task lighting.

• Accent Lighting Illumination can be used to draw attention and set something apart from its surroundings is the intent of accent lighting.  It brightens perimeters, fills in backgrounds, and highlights special objects (such as art work or architectural details).  Other benefits of accent lighting is that it contributes to the overall illumination of a space, sets a mood or feel with the light, and can increase home security both indoors and outdoors.

• Convenience Lighting Safety and function are enhanced by convenience lighting when entering spaces, so we need to see clearly and immediately as we enter a space by flipping a switch.   Convenience lighting may be a ceiling-mounted light fixture, or lamps connected to a wall switch, even the light that automatically comes on when opening a garage or closet door.

• Energy Efficiency Lighting costs account for about 30% of our energy use and is a smart place to increase energy savings.  Dimmer switches and whole-house lighting control systems allow for more precise usage, energy conservation, extended lamp life and a welcoming feel.  Low-voltage bulbs such as compact fluorescents (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) provide high quality, warm light and last many times longer than incandescent bulbs for a fraction of conventional energy costs.

• Security Lighting Properly seeing our surroundings creates a sense of safety and security.  Outdoors at night we need sidewalks and entrances to be properly lit at all times for our safety.  Motion detectors can greet us and welcomes us home while also deterring vandals and burglars.  Indoors, lights on timers can create the illusion of someone being home at all times.  Adequate lighting throughout the home improves safety by illuminating hazards and prevents tripping and falling.

Good & Bad Lighting Design

All the effort we put into creating perfect spaces with carefully chosen paint colors, furniture and flooring can be instantly undermined by bad lighting, and brought alive with good lighting.  A room with harsh lighting or that’s too bright may be just as disconcerting as a room that’s too dark.  A  personalized and thorough lighting plan significantly contributes to a safe, comfortable, familiar and inviting space, and is a key component of a successful remodel.

Lighting design can become overwhelming for even a do-it-yourself veteran because of all the layers of light that need to be considered.  We recommend working with the design professionals at Mosby Building Arts, who are experienced in the science and intuition of well-placed lighting.  Together, we will map out a master plan that addresses all the exterior and interior lighting needs of your home, and assure that it reflects your taste and style.

To explore the possibilities of lighting design, call the Mosby office at 314.909.1800 or contact us here.

The holiday season is traditionally when we invite many people into our home, and hosting a Thanksgiving celebration also becomes an educational opportunity for master planning the perfect home.

Having lots of people in our homes at the same time is when we see our place in a different light.  In day-to-day living, we tend to overlook inadequacies in design and function because we’re used to it. But bring in a large group of family and friends, and the weaknesses can become obvious.

Let’s think back to Thanksgiving Day (or the last large gathering), and review how our house performed.  Key areas of observation include:

• Was there enough room in the kitchen for multiple cooks to work together?

• Was there enough room for both cooking and socializing in the kitchen?

• Was there a particular room or space nobody seemed to use?

• Where did everyone naturally congregate, and was there enough room for them?

• Did traffic flow smoothly or was there a lot of “pardon me”?

• Was there constantly a wait to use a bathroom?

• Was there adequate lighting for people of all ages?

• Were guests with crutches, walkers or baby strollers able to come in and out easily?

• Was there enough hot water, water pressure and electricity to accommodate everyone?

The answers to these questions naturally create a list of ways to improve the function and design of our homes.  It is these type of questions that Mosby Consultants ask homeowners during the design phase of a home remodeling project, and the answers form an outline for the master plan of the perfect home.

The important first step is creating a list of needs, wants, repairs and desires, and then prioritizing these items by urgency, cost and value.  Mosby Project Planners are active listeners and problem solvers, so this is a great opportunity to work with home enhancements professionals who help organize multiple tasks into manageable timelines.

Mosby Building Arts would love to have a conversation about your home.  To explore the benefits of home master planning, call the office at 314.909.1800 or click here.

Jake models the dog ramp he shares with Molly.

We design spaces for everyone in the family, including the pets.  When it comes to getting from the deck to the backyard, dogs have different needs than humans, so we originally designed the deck stairs (to the left in the picture above) to be a little shorter in height for the shorter legs of basset hounds.

How a space functions for the users is of utmost importance, and after observing the dogs’ using the stairs, it was decided that a ramp would be an even better solution!  Another feature we added was a separate gate for both the human stairs and the dog ramp.

The king and queen of this household love the ramp, and so do their humans!

While taking pictures of the finished project, Jake was kind enough to demonstrate how it works for the camera.  You can see the rest of this outdoor living project here.

Need a unique gift idea? Want to give something that is useful, desirable and has lasting value? Let Mosby assist you in giving the gift that gets it done. Give Mosby as a gift to others or as a gift to yourself to energize your Honey Do List in 2009.

Other Gift Suggestions
A Mosby Home Energy Audit makes a nice “housewarming” gift.

Know someone with a new home and lots of ideas? Give a Mosby Home Consultation for expert guidance.

Protect your granite countertop during home entertainment season with ProTreat Seal by Mosby.

To wrap up a gift of enduring value, have Mosby help with your holiday shopping list. Call us at 314.909.1800 or contact us through this link.

Mosby architect Brian Yount (left) and Scott Mosby (far right) during a client design review in the Mosby showroom and selection center.

Coming upon this scene (above) earlier today was a beautiful moment.

In the present moment, it is our Planning & Design team reviewing a client’s remodeling project. The architect’s floor plans, elevations and 3-D renderings are shared on the large LCD screen so the homeowner can feel and see the new spaces. This creates productive conversation about details and concepts in a language that everyone understands. Since they are sitting in the showroom and selection center, examples of the very items being discussed are an arms-length away, so informed decisions can be made. This is an energizing process, creating confidence and enthusiasm for everyone involved, and assures that we provide exactly what a homeowner wants before construction begins.

From a historical perspective, this is a satisfying moment. We had so longed to have the ability to present projects to our clients in a dynamic and comprehensive way. We knew that being able to fully share the process with them would allow us all to create exceptional designs and solutions that give them lasting value.

This form of client/remodeler team work was a goal we worked toward. In the moment captured above came the proof that we finally did it, and it works as wonderfully as we always dreamed it would! Achieving a goal is a special moment, and it’s just as important to realize a goal has been achieved as it is to reach it. Along with this comes gratitude and the inspiration to continually improve. Yes, it was a beautiful moment.