The challenge: Create a smooth transition between an 8-foot kitchen ceiling and an adjacent vaulted dining-room ceiling in a 1960 rambler in Roseville.

The designer: Architect Randy Buffie, Randall M. Buffie Architect, Eagan, www.buffiearchitect.com, 651-681-8441.

The solution: Homeowner Betsy Wilson wanted to expand her small galley kitchen and open it up to the dining room.

Architect Buffie knocked down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, and designed two new spaces. During the remodeling, he discovered that the roof was constructed of 2-by-4 boards and not trusses, which are common today.

The builder, Streeter & Associates, removed the horizontal 2-by-4s in the attic that formed the existing 8-foot ceiling, hung drywall and painted the new higher ceiling. "That simple move gave us an interesting inverted V-shape over the kitchen area," said Buffie. The redesigned ceiling was also a much better fit with the existing dining-room vault.

Sculpted space: The new ceiling structure makes the kitchen feel more open and airy and adds a sculptural element. "It's a more artful gesture than a flat ceiling," said Buffie.

Before the remodeling, the dining room had a vaulted ceiling and the kitchen had an 8-foot ceiling.

First impression: "People always notice how unique it is and ask us how we did it," said Wilson.

Reinvented rambler: "There's a lot of design possibilities when you're updating a pre-truss, pre-early 1960s rambler," said Buffie. "The existing structure can be a springboard of ideas."

Best part: Wilson loves many of the remodeled kitchen's features, such as the walk-in pantry and two-tier island. But the geometric-shaped ceiling gives it a distinct style. "It's not just a plain angled ceiling. It has composition and is warm, inviting and pleasing to the eye," said Wilson. "Our home went from a 1960s rambler to a modern ranch."

Lynn Underwood • 612-673-7619

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