Kate Hostetter of Brentwood Builders vividly remembers the first time she saw the 1880s brick row home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “The home was dark and small and smelled like cat pee—not inspiring at all,” she says with a laugh.

Yet with the help of an excellent team of local contractors, Kate and her husband, Brent, dramatically transformed the outdated 1,100-square-foot space into a spectacular light-filled home. Scroll ahead for remarkable "before" and "after" images of the remodel.

Before:

After:

"The layout was really impractical,” notes Kate, explaining that the home had just one bathroom that could only be reached by going upstairs and walking through both bedrooms.

Knocking down walls was a natural first step. By combining the formerly separated rooms into a more open-plan layout, the team introduced a spacious feel to the house.

The airy character was strengthened by additional glazing, raised ceilings with exposed beams, and white paint applied to the walls.

Another key to the redesign was revamping the layout. The staircase was moved from the kitchen to the area opposite the dining room and fitted with a delicate metal railing.

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The upper level was also completely rethought; a second full bath was added so that each bedroom would now have its own bathroom.

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record and General Contractor: Brentwood Builders

Interior Design: Kate Hostetter

Paint / Wallpaper: Grauer’s Paint & Decorating

Custom Metalworking: TrueNorth Metalworks

Concrete Countertops + Sink: Tyler Martin

Tilework: Logan Dienner at Renovations by Dienner

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Before & After: A Dark 1880s Row Home Gets an Airy Makeover