7 Design Decisions That Transformed This Home by Bringing the Light In
Light-filled living room with wood ceiling, black beams, and expansive windows in a Great Falls, Montana home.
(Luxury Home Remodel | Before & After Case Study | Wrecked & Refined)
Introduction
Every home I remodel is different — by design.
Repetition is easy. Safe. Predictable.
But homes aren’t meant to be replicas of one another, and design loses its soul when it becomes formulaic.
This home required a different way of thinking.
There were small windows, a stunning view, and a layout that worked against the light instead of with it. Rather than forcing trends or repeating past solutions, I challenged myself — as I do with every project — to listen to what the home was asking for.
The answer was clear:
Bring the light in. Let it lead.
What follows are the seven intentional design decisions that transformed this home — not by adding excess, but by removing friction, honoring structure, and designing for real life.
A Note on How I See Homes
Light is not decoration. It’s direction.
I design by asking better questions before choosing finishes:
Where does the light naturally enter?
Where does it pause?
Where does it get interrupted?
How do people actually move, live, and rest here?
Homes aren’t static spaces — they are lived-in environments shaped by rhythm, routine, and emotion. When design supports that flow, a home feels calm without trying to be.
That philosophy guided every decision in this remodel.
Designing for Real Life (and Real People)
At Wrecked & Refined, design isn’t about impressing — it’s about serving.
This home needed:
Better flow
Clear transitions
Visual grounding
Emotional ease
Luxury, to me, isn’t loud.
It’s thoughtful.
It’s restraint.
It’s clarity.
1. Designing for Light, Not Trends
Original living room before renovation with lowered entry and interior railing in a Great Falls, Montana home
Bright living room after renovation in Great Falls, Montana, with a wood ceiling, fireplace, and modern finishes.
Before any finishes were selected, I addressed the home’s largest design obstacle — the entry.
Originally, when you walked through the double front doors, you were immediately confronted with balusters and a railing. The living room floor sat 2.5 feet higher than the entry, creating an abrupt, awkward first impression and disrupting the home’s natural flow.
I rethought the structure.
By lifting the living room and entry to the same level — and relocating the steps to the exterior deck where they belonged — the home immediately felt more open, intuitive, and welcoming.
This single change:
Removed visual interruption
Improved flow to the garage and living areas
Allowed light to travel freely across the space
Design principle:
Light first. Everything else follows.
2. A Small Structural Shift That Changed Everything
Original kitchen before renovation with U-shaped layout and dated finishes in a Great Falls, Montana home.
Renovated open-concept kitchen with warm wood cabinetry and natural light in a Great Falls, Montana home.
In the kitchen, the most impactful change wasn’t decorative — it was architectural.
We moved the wall farthest from the window back approximately 14 inches.
A subtle shift on paper — transformational in reality.
That adjustment:
Improved natural light flow
Corrected proportions
Visually connected the kitchen to the view beyond
Allowed the space to breathe
New cabinetry and appliances were added, and wallpaper was introduced to quietly echo the fireplace build-out in the living room — creating cohesion without repetition.
Small shifts, when done intentionally, create outsized impact.
3. Cabinetry as Grounding
Cabinetry wasn’t chosen to dominate the space — it was chosen to anchor it.
Warm wood tones ground the kitchen visually, balancing:
Natural light
Clean lines
Open sightlines
Rather than competing with the architecture, the cabinetry supports it — allowing the room to feel layered, calm, and permanent.
4. Wallpaper Used as Connection
Wallpaper in this home wasn’t decoration — it was connection.
The black wall was intentional, not dramatic.
Its purpose was to frame the real focal point:
the view.
By grounding the wall behind the windows, the exterior landscape became the artwork. The contrast draws your eye outward — not inward — turning real life into the feature.
Design principle:
When the view is the luxury, the interior’s role is to support it — not compete with it.
5. Anchoring the Open Concept
Open concept homes often fail when every space tries to speak at once.
Here, each zone was given purpose:
Dining anchored by proportion
Kitchen defined through material
Living room grounded by texture and warmth
The result is an open plan that feels expansive — not exposed.
6. Honoring Transitional Spaces
Original hallway before renovation in a Great Falls, Montana home.
Hallway after renovation with lowered entry, railing, and dated finishes in a Great Falls, Montana home.
Hallways are often overlooked — but they are where homes are experienced.
This hallway once served three bedrooms and two small bathrooms. We removed one room to create space for a generously sized primary suite (covered in a future post), but the hallway itself was carefully reimagined.
The updates focused on:
Visual continuity
Warm materials
Clear sightlines
Purposeful moments of pause
By adding cabinetry, simplifying finishes, and honoring natural wood tones, the hallway became a calm transition — not just a pass-through.
Design principle:
Transition spaces deserve as much intention as destinations.
7. Designing for Emotion First
Every decision in this home passed one question:
How should this space feel?
Calm.
Grounded.
Welcoming.
Refined — without being cold.
Thoughtful design supports people through both body and mind. This home was designed to restore — not overwhelm.
The Balance of Elegant and Masculine
Every Wrecked & Refined project balances softness and strength.
I design alongside my husband, and we often live in the spaces we create. That perspective matters.
Nothing turns people off faster than a home that feels one-sided. Elegance without grounding feels fragile. Masculine without warmth feels harsh.
This home blends:
Clean structure
Warm textures
Practical layouts
Timeless materials
Design that welcomes everyone.
The Wrecked & Refined Way
Wrecked & Refined exists to help people build homes, lives, and legacies with intention after hard seasons.
Our approach is quiet.
Grounded.
Purpose-driven.
We don’t design for applause — we design for peace.
Final Reflection
This home didn’t need excess.
It needed clarity.
Light.
Room to breathe.
Designing it was a reminder that transformation doesn’t come from doing more — it comes from doing what matters, thoughtfully.
If you’re rebuilding a home — or a season of life — let this be your reminder that beauty and peace can coexist.
Further Reading & Design Perspectives
These resources reflect design philosophies aligned with intentional, livable luxury:
Architectural Digest — What Makes a Space Feel Like Home
Dwell Magazine — Designing with Natural Light
Elle Decor — The Psychology of Color in Residential Design
Houzz — Designing Homes for Emotion and Function
Studio McGee Journal — Timeless Design Over Trends
These are not trends to follow — they are perspectives that support thoughtful design.
