The Webb family loved their neighborhood in Stone Mountain, Ga., but the tiny rooms in their 1970s ranch-style home left this family of four wishing for room to stretch out. Designer and contractor Chip Wade transformed their cramped quarters into an open, modern great room. See how he maximized their space.

Before the remodel, the Webbs had no good place to gather as a family. Lots of space-wasting walls broke the home into tiny rooms, and no single space — kitchen, dining room or this living room — was large enough to support all their nighttime activities, like working on the computer, doing homework and cooking dinner.

Pre-demolition, homeowner Farrell Webb found it hard to prepare meals in her pint-sized kitchen. The Webb's son wanted to help with meal prep, but the tiny space left everyone feeling crowded.

The family’s seldom-used formal dining room wasn’t a good use of precious square footage.