Capital Gains: Sacramento Remodel

Sacramento architectural designer Curtis Popp bought and renovated, in three months, a five-bedroom, three-bath, 2,900-square-foot house that had, over the years, succumbed to a growing architectural incongruity. He stripped away the ill effects of the aging additions (shag carpet in the bathroom, aluminum windows, floral wallpaper) and helped the 1943 home—which he shares with his wife, Susan, and their daughter Olivia, 9, and son Fletcher, 7—“return to its glory.” Popp lacquered the main floor, a partially underground space that includes the family/media room, dining area and kitchen, in white, laid down stained white-oak flooring throughout the rest of the tri-level house, and updated the top-floor master suite. To keep the budget within reason, Popp chose discounted display appliances and “seconds” tile, and supplemented his own modern furniture collection with affordable new pieces.