Using a uniquely collaborative design-build process, we developed a plan to efficiently expand the footprint to efficiently create a comfortable 5 bedroom, 4 bath home from a cramped 3/2.  The basement and first floor grew by almost 600 square feet.  The second story was reconfigured and expanded as well, yet the front elevation of the home was almost entirely preserved.  This kept the home from appearing out of place in the Fairway neighborhood.  Every room was touched, and all the major systems were replaced.  And all this was accomplished while simultaneously keeping the budget in check.

The finished home boasts:

• The kitchen transformed from a narrow galley into an airy space open to the living and dining rooms, boasting a 48” chef’s range, sweeping expanses of lusciously veined granite countertop, a broad white porcelain farmhouse sink and eat-in island with cookbook shelves on either side.
• The bathrooms boasted clean linen-textured 12”x24” tile, modern dark wood shaker style vanity cabinets, and luxurious frameless glass shower enclosure.
• The existing hardwood floor was restained a darker hue that flowed naturally into the beautiful new tigerwood in the kitchen and dining area.
• The cramped bedrooms and too-small closets were effectively transformed into rooms large enough for modern furniture with plenty of hanging space in the closet.
• Large gatherings of family and friends are important, and the homeowners made cooking an essential part of this experience, so the entire entertaining area (Kitchen, Dining, Living and Family Rooms) is connected through large, deep cased openings.
• Built-in bookshelves and bench seats throughout the home create a sense of proportion and connection, and plenty of windows keep the rooms light and airy.
• All of the rooms were designed using the principals of axis and terminus, and with a mind to traffic flow through the connecting spaces.  Although this work was subtle, the result is a home that feels ample yet intimate; where the occupant has an appropriate feeling of scale that is signalled by the room he/she is in.

In the end, the homeowners were able to move in a month ahead of their new baby’s arrival, and are enjoying the space that has been created for them.  They were able to get the best of all possible options by shaping the home in a way that matches their modern needs, yet has the aesthetic of an older home, nestled in an established neighborhood that they loved.