Serving Pittsburgh & Western Pennsylvania

Elevator Home Additions

Home elevators have evolved from a luxury to a practical solution for enhancing mobility and safety.

At Marvista Design + Build, we can integrate a residential elevator into your Pittsburgh home as part of an aging-in-place renovation.

Our goal is to help you stay in the home you love for many more years.

If you're considering an elevator home addition, call (412) 785-3332 to explore your options.

Factors to Consider When Remodeling Your Kitchen

Careful planning is the cornerstone of a successful kitchen remodel.

At Marvista, we help guide homeowners through every step of the process, ensuring we take all of their wants and needs into consideration. When planning your kitchen remodel, it’s essential to keep these factors in mind:

Layout & Functionality

Whether you want an open-concept or traditional kitchen layout, it’s important to develop a plan that maximizes workflow by adhering to the kitchen work triangle concept that keeps equal space between your sink, stove, and fridge.

Cabinetry & Storage

From custom cabinetry to pre-fabricated options, choosing smart storage solutions like pull-out shelves and built-in organizers can make all the difference in your kitchen’s functionality.

Countertops & Surfaces

Our team offers a wide range of popular materials for countertops and surfaces, such as quartz, granite, and butcher block, each of which boasts different advantages in terms of durability and maintenance requirements.

Appliances & Fixtures

Choosing energy-efficient appliances and integrating smart technologies into your culinary space can help lower utility bills and create a modernized workspace that enhances your home value.

Lighting & Aesthetics

It’s important to consider the role of task, ambient, and accent lighting, selecting finishes and color schemes that match your style while enhancing visibility throughout your culinary workspace.

Budgeting & Financing

When planning for your kitchen remodel, be sure to set realistic expectations for costs and set aside extra finances for contingencies. Marvista offers plenty of financing options to help minimize stress during the remodeling process.

Reasons To Install a Home Elevator

By 2030, one in every five American residents will be at retirement age. As the population ages, more people are adding elevators to their homes rather than relocating to assisted living communities. The increased mobility made possible by an elevator allows older adults to continue living independently and safely.

Here are some other reasons why it's a smart idea to invest in a home elevator:

  • Makes your home more accessible: Adding an elevator also makes your home more accessible for a disabled loved one. It eliminates the barrier of stairs, providing easy access to all levels of the house. This promotes independence and improves the quality of life for those with limited mobility.
  • Space-saving accessibility solution: Compared to other accessibility solutions like stairlifts or ramps, home elevators have a relatively small footprint and can be more easily integrated into the average home's design. This makes elevators an efficient, space-saving solution.
  • Return on investment: Expect an elevator home addition to increase your home's appeal and add roughly 10% to its market value. After all, this feature sets your property apart, attracting a broad range of buyers, including those hoping to accommodate a multi-generational household or long-term accessibility.

Residential Elevator Features

Before adding a fully functional elevator to your home, it's important to consider the available features.

Modern home elevators are designed with safety, efficiency, and style in mind. Various drive systems are offered, including hydraulic, traction, winding drum, and pneumatic vacuum, each suited to different home configurations and personal preferences. Safety is also paramount, with emergency stop buttons, automatic doors, and battery backup systems standard.

Beyond the usual features, customization options allow you to choose various finishes, materials, and lighting to match the elevator interior to your home decor. Plus, the compact design of today's elevators means they can often be installed with minimal structural changes, making them feasible retrofits. And thanks to technological advances, residential elevators offer quieter, more energy-efficient operation than ever.

Why Choose Marvista?

Marvista Design + Build brings expertise, craftsmanship, and personalized service to every project we complete.

Our team works closely with you to ensure your home elevator addition meets your needs and exceeds your expectations. We can begin your project from our full-service design studio, where we'll review what you're hoping to accomplish and show you other inspiring aging-in-place changes you may want to make to your Pittsburgh home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I customize the look of my home elevator?

Absolutely. Home elevators come with many customization options, including different styles, colors, and finishes. From a traditional rectangular look to an ultramodern cylindrical tube, you have the freedom to match the elevator with your home's design and personal preferences.

How long does construction take for home elevator additions?

The timeline for adding a home elevator varies based on the number of floors in your home and the design you select. On average, the process takes about two to three weeks once construction begins.

Home Additions

If you’ve outgrown your home but love where you live, a well-planned addition can change everything. Whether it’s a larger kitchen, a new primary suite, a second story, or space for extended family, we handle everything from zoning and permitting to final punch list.

Our design-build model means we look at the big picture—how the addition will tie into your existing home, what systems need to be updated, and how to make the space feel like it’s always been there. No handoffs between designer and builder, and no surprises halfway through.

New Home Construction

Over the last 15+ years, our team has built dozens of homes from the ground up across Pittsburgh—from infill lots in tight city neighborhoods to new builds on wide-open land. If you’ve got a lot and a big idea, we know how to take it from dirt to done.

Our design + build process keeps everything under one roof: we handle the architecture, permitting, selections, materials, and construction—no bouncing between firms or chasing down answers. You get a clear plan, one point of contact, and a home that’s built to work beautifully for how you live.

Second Story Additions

Expand upward without compromise. Whether adding bedrooms, a private retreat, or a complete second level, our second-story additions maximize space without sacrificing design cohesion.

Thoughtfully planned and flawlessly executed, these additions feel like they were always meant to be, enhancing both function and architectural elegance.

Kitchens

The kitchen does a lot of heavy lifting in your home—it’s where people gather, where meals happen, and where the day starts and ends. We’ve remodeled everything from compact galley kitchens to wide-open spaces with massive islands and hidden storage.

Our design-build team will help you figure out what actually works for your family—whether it’s better lighting, more prep space, smarter appliance placement, or adding a pantry. We’ll walk you through layout options, cabinetry styles, and finishes that make sense for your lifestyle.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms should work well and look good—but they also need to hold up to daily life. Whether you're dealing with poor layout, dated fixtures, or lack of storage, we’ll help you reimagine the space with better function and smarter design.

We’ve built everything from sleek powder rooms to spa-style primary bathrooms. We’ll guide you through materials that hold up to moisture and wear, storage solutions that actually work, and layout changes that make a big difference. We also flag issues like water pressure, ventilation, and code—before you even start.

Primary Suites

Your private retreat should feel effortless, elegant, and entirely your own.

From reimagining layouts to creating spa-inspired baths and tailored dressing spaces, Marvista provides custom home remodeling solutions that transform primary suites into tranquil sanctuaries designed for comfort, luxury, and seamless living.

Whole Home Remodeling

Sometimes it’s not one room—it’s the whole house. Whether you’ve just bought a fixer-upper or your current home needs a serious update, we can rework your entire space to better suit how you live today.

We’ll help you figure out what stays, what changes, and how to prioritize your investment. From structural updates and layout changes to finishes and fixture selections, our team keeps the process clear and on track—so you're not managing ten different players or chasing down details.

Older Homes

Pittsburgh has no shortage of charm—and no shortage of surprises hiding behind the walls. We’ve spent the last 15+ years remodeling older homes all over the city, from century-old brick houses to post-war ranches.

That means we know how to work with plaster, knob-and-tube, sagging floors, oddball additions, and all the other quirks that come with age. Our goal isn’t to erase the character—it’s to make the home work better for how you live now, without losing what makes it special.

Basements

Basements can be a lot more than storage space. Whether you want a guest suite, a media room, a home gym, or a quiet place to work, we’ll help you get the most out of the square footage you already have.

We consider moisture control, ceiling height, egress, lighting, and sound—all the stuff that makes a basement feel finished and comfortable, not just renovated. And, because we handle everything from layout to construction, you don’t need to worry about chasing permits or coordinating trades.

Decks

A deck is an extension of your home, not just something tacked on. We design decks that actually work for your lifestyle—multi-levels, built-in seating, space for a grill or fire pit, whatever makes sense for how you entertain or relax.

We use durable materials and think through all the details (like lighting, drainage, or storage), and we make sure it ties into your home both structurally and visually. We also take care of permits and make sure everything is built to code, so you don’t have to second-guess anything down the line.

Aging-in-Place

A home should support every stage of life. Our aging-in-place renovations prioritize accessibility without compromising style.

Thoughtful updates—such as barrier-free showers, wider doorways, and discreet safety enhancements, as well as modern amenities such as home elevators—ensure your home remains as beautiful as it is functional, allowing you to continue living comfortably in the home you love.