"People are staying in their homes and rmodeling them instead of buying the next bigger house, " said lighting designer Randall Whitehead of Randall Whitehead Lighting. "It's a major trend that we're seeing, which started in the '80s and has since grown progressively evident. People are using the equity line in their homes to create cash to improve the spaces that they're in." Such was the case with a project recently completed by Whitehead in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. The home, occupying two stories in a five-story rowhouse, was expanded 1,200 sq. ft. by transforming two levels of large decks into new interior living spaces. To effect this conversion, Whitehead worked closely with the architect and interior designer to bring more light into the center of the house, while minimizing disruption to the homeowners who had decided to stay in the home during the renovation.

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