Lambertsen Remodel

Chris & Jackie Lambertsen found a location that they loved - but the 60's ranch-style home needed a complete makeover, and there was a tight deadline. They also needed to add a space from which Jackie could run her consulting business. The result was a total transformation, both without and within. Here's what Jackie has to say:

"Frank Cole, our builder, pointed us to James for the design. He told us, "If James can draw it, I can build it." So we didn't exactly choose him - but I'm glad we worked with James. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"We had no idea what condition the house was in when we bought it. We knew there was a lot we needed to rework. As it turned out, the house also had a lot of fundamental problems such as potentially dangerous wiring. Because we'd already sold our existing home, these problems made the renovation timeline a tight one.

"Except for the master bedroom, James reshaped every room in the center of the house. Now we have a 3-bedroom home with adequate closets. The house is also more open. What was 3 small rooms is now a 30 x 40 sq. ft. living area. The kitchen is visible to the living room, though somewhat screened by a beverage bar that has some seating. (We keep the coffee maker, ice, and beverages there. That keeps a lot of traffic out of the kitchen itself.)

"James also designed an office/project area and revamped the front entry. Formerly, the "front door" was behind the house, facing a lake. The door facing the front was inside a screened porch that probably wouldn't meet code. He created a new entrance on the street-side of the house with a foyer that's different and interesting.

"Frank Cole, Art Kaplan, and James kept us sane. We couldn't have done it without them.

"Except for my coat closet (inside joke), James did everything we asked him to do in the timeframe we needed. We'd give him our requirements. He'd brainstorm, then give us options. We'd pick one and he'd continue down the path based on that choice.

"I couldn't have asked for anything more regarding his perception of what we needed. He got the job done.

"There's nothing I would change about the renovation. I don't know of a mistake we made."