The best home remodelings sometimes are the most subtle. This 1932 Colonial Revival home in historic Olde Beechwold (Columbus, Ohio) needed updating, but didn't need a dramatic overhaul. The new owners moved from another home in the area, and already understood this home's potential. The classic...
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The laundry room/mudroom: according to my clients, it's one of the most-used and most important rooms in their home - so it's surprising to see how often it's ignored in the design of new homes. A recent experience with a new client shows what I mean;...
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I like finding creative solutions to tough problems, but this was the one obstacle in my years of practice that stopped me cold. Two very nice folks with a lovely condo invited me over to talk about an addition. We had nice chat; they showed me around...
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Architects don’t want you putting fake stuff on the outside of your house – faux wood siding, faux stone, faux trim – just because it’s less expensive than the real thing. We don’t like sacrificing aesthetics or authenticity, when the only benefit is cost savings. There are...
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The neighbors around this Riverlea, Ohio home wondered what was going on - all kinds of contractors coming and going, building materials hauled in...
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Everything came together on this new Craftsman home project, and the result is one of our favorite projects in many years of designing custom homes. A thrilled client is what it's all about of course, but in this case, we're thrilled with what the client...
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The design process for everything we create - homes, tee shirts, coffee makers - is guided by recognized values of some sort. How those values are interpreted by the designer is what makes the difference between good and bad design. Everyone has their own taste, their own...
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Lucky you if you've never heard of ice-damming! Maybe you live in a part of the country where this winter pest isn't a problem. But here in the Midwest, ice damming happens without much warning, and can cause significant damage to the inside and the outside...
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If you've shopped for organically-grown produce at a farmer's market in central Ohio, or dined at a local restaurant, you've likely tasted something delicious from the Sunbeam Family Farm. This 10-acre operation is a model of sustainable vegetable production and responsible land stewardship. RTA Studio was...
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Clear communication between owner, contractor, and Architect is critical to a successful home design project. Agreement on some simple definitions is a good place to start. "Remodeling" is often broadly used to describe any kind of change to an existing house. Technically it's more accurate to...
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