Industrial-Chic Rancher Remodel

In its existing state, Jon Kelly Davis' main living area had a closed-off kitchen and low ceilings, plus it lacked natural light.

Although the majority of the great room now has vaulted ceilings, Jon decided to keep the sitting room more intimate. In that room, he left the 8-foot ceiling height as-is, and created a furniture arrangement featuring classic, traditional American pieces accented by a pair of architectural etchings. "I wanted it to feel like an alcove, as though you were wrapped up by the room," Jon explains. "The best is when the room is about 68 degrees. You just instantly want to curl up with a book and take a nap."

To access the new 500-square-foot outdoor living area, Jon added two sets of French doors to the great room: one in the dining area and another next to the sitting room. When considering adding French doors to a home, the architect advises, "French doors can be pretty costly for several reasons. The cost is in re-framing the openings, which means you not only have to cut out the area to fit the new doors but you have to support it structurally with new headers. It's laborious and not all that easy to do. I suggest budgeting about $2,500 for each set of French doors added."

On display over the sofa in the sitting room sits a pair of 16th-century architectural renderings by Piranesi and Rossini. The renderings were made by cutting wood into blocks, then using them to etch ink markings into paper. A pair of satin-nickel picture lights attached to the backs of the frames keeps the pictures on display, even at night. The lights are set on a remote control that can be operated from other rooms in the house.