“Is it even possible to fix this place?” The homeowner was skeptical when we met him and his wife at their newly-purchased home at the foot of Camelback Mountain. She had fallen in love with the location and was quick to grab up the home even before he had a chance to see it.

His skepticism was well deserved. It was hard to ignore the low ceilings, the fruit wallpaper, the awkward fireplace, and the dated fixtures.

To bring the space up-to-date, we opened up the floor plan to create a large entertaining space between the family room and kitchen. We deleted the existing bay window in the kitchen in favor of a clean, sophisticated look. The kitchen island needed character, so we wire-brushed the wood to give it interest.

In the end, the family got an inviting, livable home despite its humble beginnings.