Makeovers Archives - Berneche2 Architecture

Basement Remodel and Kitchen Window Removal

Timothy Berneche — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 04:14:41 +0000

We worked with a family to convert their basement into attractive family room space including a rec room and a new bathroom. The additional plumbing created the need to upsize the incoming water service. The finished basement areas created usable and attractive new spaces.

Another part of the project was the removal of a window over the kitchen range to replace it with a tiled wall. While the natural light and view the window provide was nice, the greasy glass surfaces from frequent frying meals created a maintenance nightmare.

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Raising The Roof….and then some

Timothy Berneche — Sat, 25 May 2024 11:50:15 +0000

This retired couple initially hired us to design a new house on a site with an existing modular house. While they liked our design they decided that the existing modular house would be suitable, if it could be heavily modified.

It had a fireplace dividing the main living area.
It had a very low ceiling and a low-slope roof.
The kitchen needed to be much larger for more storage and better usability.

They decided to have us keep the house walls, remove the existing roof structure, and replace it with a scissor truss system to create cathedral ceilings in the great room. We improved the walls structurally by adding an additional layer of OSB sheathing (the modular sheathing was a fiber board which was questionable for supporting the new roof). This work also allowed for new siding and a plane of continuous insulation to meet the current energy code. We added a small entry nook to keep the great room geometry clean, and to provide a small entry porch. The old fireplace was removed and a new fireplace in a corner was installed. A box window for the kitchen provides views and a nice shelf for plants.

The new cathedral ceiling makes a significant impact on the feel of the space, and the overall remodeling makes for a very comfortable home!

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Facade Makeover

Timothy Berneche — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 15:43:03 +0000

Our client wanted to update the look of their house. They showed us another house with a steep pitched gable which was quite different from this shallower pitched roof. We constructed the desired look as an applique to create the look without doing a major alteration. We feel the transformation is quite dramatic.

Click on the above image to bring up a complete gallery of images. Photos by Berneche2 Architecture

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Open Concept Kitchen-Living-Dining Remodel with Mudroom, Powder, Garage Laundry

jeking — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:35:29 +0000

Click on the main image above to bring up a complete gallery of images. Photos by Tom Fitzsimmons Photography

Renovation of an existing kitchen, living room, dining room, entry, and powder room to create open concept. We also sized the steel beam to replace a bearing wall between the dining/entry and the living area. The house is located near a lake and primarily a summer house, prompting the owner to want a laundry off the garage used only in the warmer months. A powder room and mud area were reconfigured to create more wall space for the kitchen, and the laundry was configured so its cap serves as a bench in the mudroom/hall. It was an innovative was to maximize the available space.

We were involved with some of the interior design as well, developing designs for the fireplace and tiles, and ceiling beams.

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Converting a Mancave into a Lake House in Northern Indiana

jeking — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 23:34:40 +0000

Click on the main image above to bring up a complete gallery of images. Photos by Tom Fitzsimmons Photography

The client designed and built a simple two-story lake house for himself in 2007. It was his mancave for duck hunting equipment, gear, and trophies. At the time he hired us to dress up the exteriors with window and trim design ideas. They had a house elsewhere in town and decided in 2012 to downsize and build a 4,000 square foot house on the adjacent south lot. We did studies to include what they wanted and the new house came in around 6,000 square feet. The clients decided to change course and renovate, add onto, and convert this man cave into their permanent home, and build a smaller man cave style house on the south lot.

Large cathedral windows faced the lake to the west creating a strong afternoon heat load. We provided a covered porch here to greatly reduce sunlight, and replacing a tall window with a shorter one to allow for the canopy. A one-story addition along the south end of the house was designed to create a prominent front entrance, a ground-level master bedroom suite, and a large kitchen and dining room, with a covered octagonal dining patio facing the lake. The client likes interesting roofs and the interface of the addition with the original two-story mass did not disappoint!

We also hired Planned Environments Associates to assist with the landscaping and beautiful stone retaining wall

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