Front: After

Amy updated the traditional bungalow style on the front porch with double mahogany-clad posts edged in black-painted steel, which rest on granite-covered piers. “Craftsman homes in the Arts and Crafts period were often built using solid timbers with traditional exposed wood joinery,” Amy points out. “I wanted the details of the Gilmers’ home to recall the fine workmanship of the Arts and Crafts period yet use modern materials and building techniques.”

“Best of all,” Amy says, “I’m most proud of my home’s new curb appeal when I’m on the front porch and people shout from their cars, ‘We LOVE your house!’ ”