Before and After: Transformations to inspire your home project

To see the transformations, use the arrows on the pictures to slide between before and after. Then click the button to see all the details about that home project.

Studio Z designs HGTV's Urban Oasis

Our “Urban Oasis” in Ann Arbor was a major home remodel designed by Studio Z Architecture for HGTV's Urban Oasis series. From optimizing interior layouts to adding a traditional front porch and pillars, this renovation earned multiple architecture awards and maintains its functionality and style years later.

Designing up and out added a much needed room upstairs and space for outdoor relaxing.

A Craftsman style porch, pillars, windows, and shingles transformed the plain old bungalow exterior.

Adding on to the back of the home, upstairs and downstairs, created more open and flexible space.

A new sunroom with high ceilings and wrap-around windows star in this dramatic transformation.

Watch as Studio Z' Dawn Zuber, previews the remodeling plan with the Urban Oasis team.

More than meets the eye!

These two homes are great examples that even major home remodels aren't obvious at first glance. The updated exteriors only hint at the dramatic changes and new spaces added inside each home.

A family-focused remodel

Adding space and ease to a typically cozy Cape Cod, this remodel included a new bedroom and full bath, an expanded family kitchen, and a mudroom addition. With a focus on accessibility, see how these delightful and essential living spaces meet the needs for comfort and functionality.   

A Cape Cod becomes spacious

The front of the home just hints at the major redesign by Studio Z to expand the total space downstairs and add new rooms to the second floor, all designed to optimize the home for family visits and support aging in place. See why this was recognized with a 2014 Honor Award for Residential Architecture. 

Remodeling to enhance timeless style

Craftsman and colonial-style homes present the challenge of preserving historic charm and while designing for modern functionality and updated amenities. Transformations like these involve reconfiguring and designing new spaces in ways that highlight traditional features.

Ann Arbor Craftsman renovation

This small 1912 Craftsman-era home was a mix of original woodwork and French doors, an awkward 1908's kitchen layout, small rooms, and so much potential! Studio Z reworked the outdated kitchen space, add a pantry, mudroom, and powder room. Motawi tiles on the new kitchen backsplash add bold color and classic style.

Moving the kitchen to the back  allowed for a more spacious and functional space with backyard views and access to outdoor entertaining. Upstairs, vaulted ceilings and skylights add light to the new primary suite. This major remodel won a 2024 Honor Award for Residential Architecture from the AIA Huron Valley Chapter.

Expanding on a 1920's classic

After 20 years of living in their Craftsman home, the owners wanted to make it more energy efficient and update it to fit their plans to live there another 20 years. They also wanted the addition to fit into the traditional style of the neighborhood and not dwarf the other homes.

Remodeling included adding a 674-square-foot family room with a window seat, fireplace, and built-ins. Upstairs, a new primary suite with custom furnishings and an updated kids’ bathroom enhances style and  functionality for long-term living.

Burns Park Colonial

A major renovation and addition gave this dated 1940s Colonial  modern functionality and style. Replacing a 1970s addition with a new kitchen, family room, and screened porch, and expanded basement.

The addition made space for the old kitchen to became a much-needed mudroom, while upstairs we added a spacious new primary suite. The exterior re-design added architectural features and colors in keeping with Colonial tradition.

Designing home remodels to fit your future 

Redesigning homes to adapt for the future means adding comfort and flexibility for aging in place. We focus our remodels on making your home fit your future with space to create many more memories.

Tailored ranch remodel

The new owner of this 1950s ranch wanted to update the home with modern features and accessibility for aging in place. Our redesign reconfigured the interior and includes zero-threshold entries, a curbless shower, and wider doors. The renovation also corrected previous DIY errors and improved the home’s functionality and style to meet the owner’s long-term needs.

From rental to forever home

This former rental was transformed into a functional, modern home tailored to the owner’s lifestyle. Designing the first-floor addition, we created an open kitchen and great room. Reconfiguring the layout made space for a “Ms. suite” with an en-suite bath. Upstairs, a new dormer made room for a walk-in closet and guest bath. A garage added year-round safety and convenience.

Embracing the great outdoors 

Designing with nature in mind, we consider how a home sits within its environment, the location of trees and gardens, the views, daylight, and breezes, and how natural beauty and light can enhance the comfort, design, and functionality of home. Often this means almost seamlessly connecting interiors to outdoor spaces for entertaining and relaxing. 

A porch in the treetops

Studio Z designed an elevated screened porch with rustic wood ceilings and exposed rafters to replace a small open deck. With a serene tree-top view over a forested ravine, the new porch also keeps the bugs out.

A Wright-inspired ranch

Modernizing this home took inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright to transform and update an awkward 1970s primary suite. Connecting to the bedroom, a new covered porch overlooks the lush and peaceful backyard.

Major additions expand the possibilities

Families grow, life changes, and we believe a home can grow and change with you, keeping what you love about your home. From cooking to making music, a few of our most major home additions focused on making space for people to do more of what they love.

Home expands up and out

Redesigning and expanded this 1966 Ann Arbor Hills home from 3,415 SF to 4,644 SF added space downstairs and upstairs—with a spacious new kitchen and a luxurious primary suite—and improved the ease and flow of the home. The addition blends right in making it hard to tell that this house is 1,200 square feet larger than before the major remodel! 

At home with light and music

For a family of musicians, Studio Z transformed this 1937 Ann Arbor Colonial by emphasizing functional living and entertaining spaces tailored to the family’s passions. Downstairs, we converted the dining room into a music room, created a light-filled kitchen and added a new great room. We expanded the second floor with a complete primary suite.

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