Juliet Koczak Architect

01/08/2025

Always a thrill to see a design come to life. Janiczek Homes team doing an impeccable job! Proud to be part of this team!

10/09/2024

Another fresh kitchen before/after. The previous kitchen design (scroll to the end) was probably cutting edge back in its day. A full height island removed the distractions of natural light and views of the garden so the chef could focus on cooking and not daydreaming. So efficient! 😬 But our client yearned for a more open concept, so we put the cabinets against the walls instead of in the middle of the room. It may sound like a crazy idea, but we’re risk takers.. 😂😂😂 Because the thick exterior walls are stone, we opted to keep the existing window configuration. In the end, this classic open kitchen better suits the existing historic house. A walk-in pantry/ second kitchen provides additional storage off the main kitchen.
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Photos by owner.

09/19/2024

A little sneak peak of one of new houses we’ve been working on: Traditional forms with a mix of natural and modern materials. Looking forward to breaking ground on this one soon!
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07/25/2024

More progress photos of ALL the built-ins. In tight spaces built-ins can be a game-changer: providing lots of storage and reducing clutter. 😎

07/25/2024

03/22/2024

Under construction: A little kitchen glow up happening in Swarthmore 😉 Swipe for the before picture.

08/18/2023

Before and after! We took out a big ole fireplace to connect the kitchen to a den (which is now used as the dining space). We ripped out the heavy built in shelves. Now the kitchen gets light from both sides of the house! It was a big decision, but with two other fireplaces in the house, this one could be sacrificed.
Photo copyright 2023
GC: Pfaff brothers
Cabinets: Kings woodwork
Painting:
Floors:
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08/15/2023

My home office. This used to be the dining room, but who needs to be so formal!? We replaced the existing louvered bi-fold doors with these custom made steel doors by which are perfect for an office but would be equally lovely in a dining space.
I couldn’t be happier! 🥰
Photo copyright 2023
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07/21/2023

On the drawing board this week: a brand new five bedroom home in Delco. The schematic design is done and we’re diving into the detailing now. 😄
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05/26/2023

Windows vs storage… Most kitchen renovation projects start with a client telling me they need more storage. I get it. But more storage doesn’t have to mean filling every wall with cabinets. Consider swapping out a row of upper cabinets for a full height pantry cabinet on an interior wall. Take advantage of exterior walls and maximize windows.
This is my kitchen, and I do not regret this wall of windows! Swipe for the before :)
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02/19/2023

Mudrooms! Even Marie Kondo (finally) admits that some clutter is inevitable with kids in the house. Having an easy way to control and contain the mess is critical, and you don’t need a giant house to accommodate a drop zone. I’m working on a ranch style home now where we may not be able to expand the house due to zoning setback restrictions. We’re looking at every square inch of space to see where we can carve out a mudroom. Here are some past examples of using existing space to make a mudroom happen: cutting a sliver off an oversized family room, repurposing an underutilized formal dining, maximizing storage with built-ins on an empty back porch, and creating a side entry and new connecting entry in an existing Victorian. Where there’s a will there’s a way!
Photo copyright and
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02/17/2023

Adding a box bay window to this small house was a big decision, but I’m so glad we went for it! Before, the house had two stacked gables at the front, but the lower gable was doing nothing to provide usable space within the main bedroom and didn’t help the curb appeal. We ripped it off and added bigger windows, more storage, and a cozy nook- the perfect spot to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea on a rainy day (once it’s finished, that is 😉)
Swipe for before pictures.
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