Your Vision.
Our Expertise.

Our logo is a red house for a simple reason: we help Des Moines families love their homes.

As the seasons change, it’s completely natural to get that itch to refresh your surroundings. When you truly love your home, it shows! Whether you are looking for a massive transformation or a quick weekend project, we’ve put together six ways you can demonstrate some affection for your home right now and throughout the year.

1. Remodel for Your Lifestyle

While it’s the biggest investment on this list, a remodel is the most guaranteed way to fall head-over-heels for your home again. The most common reason homeowners choose to remodel isn't just aesthetics—it’s to make a dated space work better for their family's changing lifestyle.

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2. Plan for the Future

If you plan on staying in your home for the long haul, don't rush. Sit down and create a long-term home improvement roadmap.

Pro-Tip: List out your dream projects (kitchen, primary bath, hall bath, siding) and determine your priorities. Establish a realistic timeline and begin budgeting for one phase at a time.

It is incredibly common for our clients to tackle a wishlist over the course of several years. We can help you design a Master Plan from day one, and then work through it systematically as your time and budget allow.

3. Transform with Paint

Never underestimate the power of a fresh coat of paint. If you are willing to pick up a brush and do the work yourself, interior painting is a highly cost-effective way to spruce up a room. Repaint when walls start showing wear, when the color feels dated, or honestly—whenever you feel like a change! It’s just paint, but a new hue can completely transform the mood of a space.

4. Commit to a Deep Clean

There is nothing quite like the feeling of a crisp, clean house. Throw open the windows, let the fresh air in, and tackle the spots that usually get overlooked:

• Dust ceilings, walls, casing, and trim.
• Wipe down doors, doorknobs, and light fixtures.
• Wash windows, window screens, and window treatments.
• Schedule a professional carpet cleaning and launder all throw rugs.

Because this list can feel overwhelming, break the tasks into manageable chunks over the course of a week or a month so you don't burn out.

5. Stay Ahead of Repairs

Regardless of how long you plan to live in your home, keeping up with maintenance always pays off. If you do eventually decide to sell, you won't be stuck sinking a fortune into deferred maintenance. Remember, a leaky faucet or a cracked window pane isn't just annoying—it's actively costing you money. Plus, little things like a broken doorknob or a cracked tile send the wrong message about how your home is cared for.

6. Accessorize and "Shop Your Home"

Way more fun than deep cleaning, right? If your budget allows, shop for a few season-appropriate accessories like pillows, throws, or artwork to keep your spaces feeling fresh as the weather changes. Short on cash? "Shop your home!" Swap decor, rugs, or lamps from one room to another to give them a completely new lease on life.

Ready to Fall in Love?

Whether you're ready to show your home some love with a major remodel, a spacious addition, or a stunning exterior project, we are here to help. Contact the team at Red House Remodeling today, and we’ll have you head-over-heels for your space in no time.

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Regardless of your home's age or the length of time you've lived in your home, your bathroom design should work for you. A well-planned remodel allows you to personalize the space to fit your lifestyle. Faced with functional and practical challenges, this primary bath was ready for more than a simple glow-up. On the list of must-haves: a double vanity with plentiful storage, a larger shower and a private toilet room. On the list of must-NOT-haves: that large jetted tub. With these directives in mind, we worked with our homeowners to create a custom layout to fit the way they live now.

Prior to the remodel, dated finishes like brass hardware, arch-top mirrors and hollywood-style vanity lighting were contributing to an older aesthetic. The couple also wanted a double vanity within the bathroom, a larger shower and an enclosed water closet. Fortunately, the space had a vaulted ceiling - a nice architectural feature that adds height - and natural light from skylights and windows.

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Following the remodel, the primary bath has a sense of calm sophistication. With the large tub gone, the homeowners can enjoy an expansive double vanity with a deliberate configuration of doors, drawers and open storage. Drawers are generally considered more efficient and accessible for bathroom storage. The luminous feature wall tile makes the entire vanity area feel brighter and more open, contrasting sharply with the heavier, all-beige tones of the "before" look.

Rich gold tones have made their way into mainstream finishes and we're fully here for it. Softly opulent, gold tones warm spaces in a way that other finishes cannot. Our homeowners incorporated gold with lighting, plumbing fixtures and hardware throughout the space.

Striking blue-gray marble-look shower tile perfectly illustrates how a thoughtful tile choice can transform a functional space into a lavish, spa-like retreat. Don't be afraid of a darker dramatic tile. It can actually make a space feel larger by blurring the edges. Contrast is key: pair a cool tile with a warm metal finish for a dynamic and engaging design.

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This 1913 gem is overflowing with the historic character that makes this Des Moines neighborhood so coveted, but its traditional two-story layout faced a modern hurdle: a lack of main-floor accessibility. For homeowners who love their community and wish to age in place—the ability to live independently and safely in one’s own home for years to come—a rethink was required. By introducing a main-floor bedroom and full bath, we’ve transformed this historic beauty into a lifelong sanctuary, proving that you don’t have to sacrifice vintage charm for future-proof functionality.

As a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS), Red House Remodeling owner Ben Trannel brings the specialized expertise necessary to balance home safety with high-end accessibility. "We’ve partnered with numerous families to enhance their independence, ranging from streamlined shower conversions to expansive, full-scale additions," Trannel explains. "Our process is rooted in the design-build philosophy: we start by deeply understanding a homeowner’s vision, then engineer seamless, buildable solutions that ensure their home evolves right along with them."

Since the existing footprint was already generous, converting an original room was a possibility—but doing so would have disrupted the home’s historic flow and the spaces the family has come to love. Instead, the team designed a strategic primary suite addition off the rear of the home. This new wing seamlessly integrates a spacious bedroom, a full bath and a walk-in closet complete with a convenient laundry hub.

The addition also served as the catalyst for a total kitchen transformation, providing the extra square footage needed to create a more expansive, functional culinary heart of the home. To bring this vision to life, Red House Remodeling teamed up with frequent collaborator Becky Leu of Leu Interiors, ensuring the new construction felt like a natural extension of the original 1913 craftsmanship.

The hallmark of a successful addition is the seamless marriage of old and new—a goal we fully realized with this project. By creating a new transition off the dining room, the primary suite feels like a natural evolution of the original floor plan rather than an afterthought. We also widened the kitchen entryway to enhance accessibility, pairing it with a redesigned, inclusive dining area. To ensure a cohesive look, every material was carefully selected to mirror the home’s historic character, from the interior finishes to an exterior that blends flawlessly with the existing 1913 facade.

The kitchen was reimagined from a cramped L-shaped footprint into an expansive, expertly zoned culinary space that maximizes every inch of vertical storage. While the range and refrigerator maintain their familiar placement, we introduced a dedicated "clean-up zone" on an adjacent wall, housing the sink and dishwasher for a more efficient workflow. A third multi-purpose zone currently serves as a sun-drenched desk and breakfast nook—a favorite sanctuary for the homeowner’s plant collection—designed with a generous width to comfortably accommodate a wheelchair if needs change.

To honor the home’s heritage, the new cabinetry is finished in a stained oak that celebrates the rich wood grain found throughout the rest of the 1913 structure, paired with elegant antique gray quartz countertops. The lighting was completely modernized with a mix of recessed and under-cabinet fixtures; however, we purposefully integrated the family’s favorite heirloom pendant above the desk. At Red House Remodeling, there is nothing we love more than finding a new home for the meaningful details that already hold a place in a family's heart.

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The new ensuite bathroom serves up traditional and "invisible" accessibility—proving that safety features can be as beautiful as they are functional. Equipped with strategically placed grab bars and a sleek, low-threshold shower, the space also features a clever design secret: the vanity doors currently conceal a laundry basket, but are engineered to be easily removed for wheelchair clearance in the future. By mirroring the stained oak and quartz finishes found in the kitchen, the suite achieves a serene, harmonious aesthetic that provides the perfect backdrop for beginning or ending the day.

Whether you are finally building the gourmet kitchen of your dreams or designing a primary suite that ensures you can stay in the home you love, remodeling is a transformative journey. No matter if your motivation is a creative "just-because" or a functional "must-have," we are here to help you love your home for a lifetime. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.

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