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Baltimore Kitchen Renovation

Nerick.Reyes@thryv.com (Nerick Reyes) — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 16:03:09 GMT

Baltimore City Kitchen Renovation

This charming but shabby kitchen in a century-old house in Baltimore City was full of character but lacked functionality. Next to it was a full pantry that needed renovation, and the client asked that a new powder room be carved out of the existing space while leaving as much storage area as possible. The design for this renovation was focused on retaining and enhancing the architectural interest of the original kitchen and improving its layout. The only redeemable feature of the original pantry was its large window, so when the new powder room was added, a sliding glass door — repurposed from an old door found in the basement — was used to bring daylight into the new pantry space. The new kitchen is a delightful blend of new and old.

Project Year: 2023
Location: Baltimore, MD
Project Type: Kitchen Renovation

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Southland Hills Screened Porch

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 21:39:24 GMT

Southland Hills Screened Porch

The pandemic inspired the owners to add a screened porch for open-air entertaining over an existing stone patio. The porch had to reflect the character of the original house and its 1998 family room/primary suite addition. It has extended the functionality of the patio, making it possible to enjoy summer evenings without insects, rainy days without getting wet, and the heat of the day under shade.

Project Year: 2021
Location: Towson, MD
Project Type: Exterior Addition

Contractor: Great Bear Structures
Photographer: Michael S. Koryta

Lutherville Residence

Aaron.Taylor@thryv.com (Aaron Taylor) — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 21:48:23 GMT

Lutherville Residence

Two generations of a Towson family have grown up in this mid-century rancher, most recently replacing the existing small screened porch with one that better accommodates the lifestyle of the current occupants. Two of those occupants in particular presented quite a design challenge. The family’s two large, spirited dogs tended to go through screens when they were excited, so the decision was made to add a decorative railing around the bottom of the porch to protect the lower screen panels.

Project Year: 2018
Location: Towson, MD
Project Type: Exterior Addition

Contractor: American Contracting

Photographer: Fred Silber

Anneslie Kitchen Renovation

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 15:47:43 GMT

Anneslie Kitchen Renovation

By the time the clients for this project reached out to Hiser + Kopits Hiser Architects, they had already begun taking apart the kitchen, living and dining rooms themselves.They wanted to expand their kitchen into the dining room, and to open up the first floor to the extent possible, but they weren’t sure how best to do that. Once the layout was solved, they dived back in, choosing the cabinets, countertops, and some other elements themselves.

Project Year: 2018
Location: Baltimore, MD
Project Type: Kitchen Renovation

Contractor: KLR Construction

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From Garage to Great Room

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 15:19:14 GMT

From Garage to Great Room

Previous renovations had made the existing attached garage for this Baltimore County house obsolete. The owners had used the space as a makeshift TV room and storage but wanted to make the space more pleasant and open to the adjacent finished basement. Replacing the overhead garage door with sliding glass doors and enlarging the doorway from basement to garage were the first steps toward creating a beautiful, comfortable family room, complete with fireplace.

Project Year: 2015
Location: Baltimore County, MD
Project Type: Renovation

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After

Reisterstown Farm

Thu, 01 Jan 2015 15:35:50 GMT

Reisterstown Farm

The owners of this farm needed additional garage space and wanted to create an in-law apartment above, which could be used by visiting family or, possibly, someone to look after their horses. They asked that the new structure be connected to the house, while maintaining a separate entrance for the new apartment.

Project Year: 2015
Location: Baltimore County, MD
Project Type: Addition Single Family Home
Partners: Legacy Restorations Inc.

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After

Cedarcroft House

Wed, 15 Oct 2014 22:23:14 GMT

Cedarcroft House

A cramped, out-dated kitchen and a single second-floor bathroom made living in this otherwise attractive, welcoming home less than comfortable for the family of four residing in it. A two-story addition extended the renovated kitchen with a cozy breakfast nook, a functional mudroom, and a powder room. Part of the existing bedroom above the kitchen became a new bathroom and the rest of it was incorporated into a new, larger bedroom in the second floor of the addition. A new bathroom in the existing attic space turned the attic into a lovely guest suite.

Project Year: 2014
Location: Baltimore, MD
Project Type: Traditional Single Family Home
Partners: Bradley Will, Builder In

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Towson Kitchen Renovation

Aaron.Taylor@thryv.com (Aaron Taylor) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 23:00:42 GMT

Towson Kitchen Renovation

This kitchen, part of a 1922 bungalow, was first renovated in 1991, when it was reconfigured to add the sink/dishwasher counter at the end of the kitchen, connecting to a breakfast room addition and opening a pass-through into the dining room. In 2014, the cabinets and countertops were replaced, retaining the brushed aluminum backsplashes and the porcelain tile floor. Incandescent lighting was replaced with LED fixtures and a warming drawer was added.

Project Year: 2014
Location: Towson, MD
Project Type: Kitchen Renovation

Others who worked on this project: Baltimore HouseWrights

Modern Bathroom Renovation, Baltimore

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 21:55:52 GMT

Modern Bathroom Renovation

The original primary bathroom was definitely not among the many charms of this 1922 Towson bungalow, but it did have a first-floor location going for it. When the current owners purchased it in 1991, the bathroom could be expanded by adding a step-down shower to the end of it, freeing up space for a comfortable vanity. The bathroom was redone in 2012, using glass tile, custom terrazzo flooring, and custom stainless steel towel bars and display shelf.

Project Year: 2012

Location: Baltimore, MD

Project Type: Bathroom Renovation

Photography: Michael S. Koryta

Custom Metalwork: Ludwig Design & Production

Private Residence in Baltimore City

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:02:02 GMT

Private Residence in Baltimore City

The owners had purchased a 150-year old house in downtown Baltimore that was four stories and divided into separate apartments. Their goal was to combine two of the apartments into one owner's unit and the only way to do this was by building a new internal stairway between two floors. The challenge was that structurally the only place where the stairs could go was adjacent to an addition that had been built many years ago where the floors intentionally did not align by 4 feet. In other words, the stairway needed to incorporate three runs of stairs among four separate levels between the two floors they needed to join. They wanted to accomplish this while retaining the light, loft-like look they had throughout the rest of the house.

According to the client: "The finished project looks like it has always been there, it is so well integrated into the fabric of the house. We have had preservation architects compliment us on retaining the original layout of the house, when in fact the original layout would have been cramped, dark, dangerous, and not come anywhere close to meeting either building codes or modern aesthetic sensibilities."

Project Year: 2012

Location: Baltimore, MD

Project Type: Traditional Staircase, Baltimore

Ornamental ironwork: G. Krug & Sons

Photographer: Michael S. Koryta

Southland Hills Kitchen Renovation

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 21:34:49 GMT

Southland Hills Kitchen Renovation

This renovation of the kitchen (the third by Hiser+ Kopits Hiser Architects) removed a wall between the existing, smaller kitchen and the dining room, creating a much better flow of space for entertaining. The challenge with this project was maintaining a formal dining room while opening it up entirely to the kitchen. The solution was to make the kitchen a more formal space with elegant details, finishes, and furnishings.

Project Year: 2011
Location: Towson, MD
Project Type: Kitchen Renovation

Contractor: Bradley Will, Builder
Photographer: Michael S. Koryta

Professional Kitchen + Garage + Porch Addition

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:50:42 GMT

Professional Kitchen + Garage + Porch Addition

When the owners of this home first approached us, they wanted to add a two-car garage and a welcoming front porch. Unfortunately, a financial setback kept the project on the drawing board for several years. By the time they were ready to build, one of them had embarked on a new career as a personal chef, and they asked for the project to be expanded to include a professional kitchen. Not only did the kitchen function well, it ended up being the perfect expression of the chef's sunny personality.

Project Year: 2009
Location: Towson, MD
Project Type: Exterior Addition

Private Residence in Towson

Fri, 01 Jan 1999 16:12:14 GMT

Private Residence in Towson

The young family who owned this house needed a family room addition for their growing brood. However, the site is so steeply sloped that the main floor is an entire level above grade at the rear. The parents were concerned that they would not be able to keep an eye on their young children while they were playing. Solution? The existing TV room was converted to a dining room loft overlooking the new family room so Mom and Dad could just poke their heads out of the adjacent kitchen and check on the kids below.

Project Year: 1999
Location: Baltimore, MD
Project Type: Family Room Addition

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Southland Hills Attic Renovation

Aaron.Taylor@thryv.com (Aaron Taylor) — Thu, 01 Jan 1998 21:42:05 GMT

Southland Hills Attic Renovation

Hiser + Kopits Hiser Architects has designed many a renovation and /or addition to this house in the Southland Hills neighborhood of Towson, the largest of which added a family room with primary suite above and finishing the attic. On the second floor, a tiny bedroom at the back of the house became the hallway connecting the addition to the existing house and housing the new stair leading up to the new attic bedroom. The dormer window was added at the time of the renovation.

Project Year: 1998
Location: Towson, MD
Project Type: Attic Renovation

Photographer: Michael S. Koryta

Near Thicket

Mon, 01 Jan 1996 23:24:19 GMT

Near Thicket

This house began its life more than 140 years ago as a bank barn in Baltimore County horse country. Over the years, the property was subdivided, and an 8-acre parcel containing the barn and a caretaker’s cottage were separated from the original estate. It was purchased in the early 1990’s by a family who saw the potential for a beautiful home in the bones of the barn. The new owners planned to entertain on a large scale several times a year, but at the same time, wanted the house to be a comfortable home for their young children.

The original barn comprised two levels, the lower accessible at grade on the south side, the upper on the north side. Opening the two levels to each other physically and visually was functionally and aesthetically essential, as was pulling as much daylight as possible into the core of the building. Ultimately, a third floor was added within the roof of the barn to house the primary suite.

Project Year: 1996
Location: Baltimore County, MD
Project Type: Adaptive Re-use
Contractor: Lidco Construction
Photographer: Erik Kvalsvik.

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Design

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Additional Project

Mon, 01 Jan 1990 21:11:48 GMT

Additional Projects

Every project is tailored to the individual clients’ needs and personality. In the case of renovations, the character of the existing house informs that of the new work, so that the transition from one to the other is as seamless as possible. Be it a family room addition, kitchen or bath renovation, guest house, or pool house, front porch or screened porch, the details matter. Ultimately, the goal of each design is not only to make the homeowners more comfortable in their homes but to delight them as well.

For Questions, Reach Out to

 Hiser + Kopits Hiser Architects, P.C.