Pauline Hammerbeck

Builder in 5 is our five-question series with the minds behind standout custom homes. With interest in remodeling and whole-home renovations running high, we talked with Jim Walker, founder and CEO of Copper Sky Design + Remodel in Atlanta. His design-build firm specializes in Craftsman, Midcentury Modern, and Victorian-era homes, working from a philosophy that's part renovation, part restoration, with a goal of preserving history. 1. You built your firm around restoring older houses.

The couple who owns this house came to the project as a blended family. He had lived in the home for years and has three children, and she was moving in with her two daughters. Built in 1952, the waterfront property sits in Seattle's Laurelhurst neighborhood along Lake Washington. The husband grew up in it, bought it from his parents years later, and this is the third time he's renovated it. Neither had to search for a design team.

When builders hear "wellness," many still think first of gyms, yoga rooms, and other amenities. Liz Miles, vice president of residential at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), says the real opportunity is in the design decisions homeowners experience every day: ventilation, daylight, acoustics, moisture management, healthier materials.