Have you ever entered a house that doesn’t quite . . . breathe?

Nothing’s really wrong. The rooms are perfectly nice, and pleasantly decorated. But still, you don’t truly relax. You don’t feel that deep comfort, that profound ease we crave from a home. The space simply isn’t a joy.

Maybe a serious flaw in the feng shui? An inauspicious qi?

Or maybe the house just needs a space-lift.

Consider the front hall in this traditional Belle Meade colonial. Orderly and correct, it doesn’t grab attention, either good or bad:

Now look again, after Ridley Wills re-designed this same space, and led its renovation by Wills Company specialists:

Out go cluttering walls and doorways, with that dark, closed-off feel. In come air and light. This house says “welcome” from front to back. Aaahh.

That’s Wills Company Design-Build at work: one seamless, integrated system for making homes breathe better. Architecturally intelligent design. Detailed planning and budgeting (we’re very serious about budgeting). Meticulous construction. The Wills Company Design-Build handles every step.

That made for a smoother process when the owners of this classic foursquare home wanted a generous space for entertaining. Ridley re-envisioned an unused side hallway as a cozy, now much-enjoyed bar.

And the jumbled kitchen became an airy sanctuary for cooking and conversation.

The same Design-Build expertise let Ridley re-invent a conventional mid-80s cluster-house as a sophisticated urban retreat for a downsizing couple. Change began at the front door, where Ridley transformed the once-choppy foyer into a smooth, serene invitation. . .

into one of Nashville’s best spots for a leisurely, talk-filled dinner.

Wouldn’t anyone seem more interesting at this table? We certainly think so.)

Finally, even a large room can feel closed and airless when walls and doorways don’t make their best sense. Consider this entry way, in a venerable Belle Meade house:

See all those visual road blocks? All those closing doors and blocky wood frames? Ridley cleared them out to let light and air circulate freely. This already large space seemed to double in size. And triple in joy:

House? Take a deep breath.