Four months into a major renovation is not the ideal time to flip-flop the kitchen and family room. But that's what a Fox Chapel couple decided to do.

"We kept trying to get the kitchen to work," recalled architect Sarah Drake of Drake Studio. "I said we're not going to have room for dishes much less places to sit. That was the hardest decision for them."

"But it turned out to be one of the best decisions. It worked out great," said the homeowner, who asked that her name not be used in this story.

The result was a smaller, cozier family room and a breathtaking large kitchen brightened by plenty of windows and French doors and a white-painted vaulted, beamed ceiling. The family of six also ended up with a more open dining room, new second-floor porch and master bedroom suite with a stunning stone-and-glass shower.

This 18-month project, a finalist in last year???s Renovation Inspiration Contest, is an excellent lesson in how homeowners and architects can work together to make an older house both beautiful and functional. (This year???s entry deadline is Wednesday; enter on-line at http://www.post-gazette.com/homes/contest/

The homeowner said her husband had a harder time than she did with changing plans during construction. The kitchen plumbing had to be redone, which added to the cost, and the entire project took about two months longer than expected. A major renovation wasn't what the couple expected when they moved from a smaller house in Fox Chapel to one with about 7,000 square feet, five bedrooms, four full baths and three powder rooms.

"You think you're going to get a bigger family room," she said. "Then at one point you're thinking: 'God, when did we decide to gut this place?' "

The comfortable new family room, located where the old kitchen was, has a wood-burning fireplace and acts as a visual gateway to the new kitchen, which has a unique gas fireplace, one of eight. Ms. Drake first saw its laser-cut sandstone in a basket-weave pattern in a tile showroom and thought it would be perfect for a fireplace. The raised hearth and built-in window seat next to it make it a family gathering place.

Contrasting with the white walls and ceiling are soapstone counters and dark-stained cherry cabinetry installed by Cuvee Kitchen, which also built the cherry paneling that ties the family room and kitchen together.

P.W. Campbell, the project's general contractor, built the sliding barn door at the top of the old service stairs, which were turned to create a brighter, more functional staircase with a landing. Ms. Drake came up with the door as a visually interesting acoustical barrier between the downstairs and the second-floor "playroom," a long narrow space that used to be even narrower, with three closets in line.

Other contractors included Dan Newcamp of C&R Roofing, who worked on the slate roof and the heating, cooling and mechanical systems, including a new Buderus high-efficiency gas furnace and water heater. Fuellgraf Electric installed the Lutron lighting system that can be controlled from any room in the house or remotely.

"It's so easy. You hit one button as you're leaving and it turns off everything," the homeowner said.

Much of Ms. Drake's program for the house involved opening up small, dark spaces for a more open layout. An 8-foot ceiling in the master bedroom now has a curved vaulted portion rising to more than 10 feet at its center. Cove lights shine up and bounce off Ralph Lauren silver metallic paint.

What had been a skinny closed-in sunroom on the second floor became an 18-by-8-foot porch with trellised roof. It can be accessed from the upstairs hall or a new circular outdoor staircase with treads and railing made from ipe, a tropical hardwood.

The master bathroom, which included a dressing area, several closets, bathtub and toilet, now features dark-stained cabinetry custom-made by Arthur Reitmeyer and a long shower stall with two shower heads. Glass covers the top half so the homeowner can look out the bathroom window as she showers. And the stone-tiled bottom half?

"I wanted it to look like a garden wall," the architect said.

The business side of the shower wall has many cutouts for shampoo and other necessities.

"I told Sarah I wanted it to feel like a hotel," the homeowner said.

The end result is as luxurious as a four-star hotel with the homey feel of, well, a real home. That can only happen when everyone works as a team, Ms. Drake said. The homeowners found they, too, were a good team.

"My husband is very hands on, very detail-oriented. I'm more big picture," she said.

Architect Sarah Drake of Drake Studio can be reached at 412-731-4892 or s_drake@mac.com.