Dark and Dreary to Sunny and Cheery

We worked with homeowners recently who saw potential in the house they had purchased just a few years ago. It was a late 1950’s split level which needed renovation of the interior areas to meet the owner’s 2019 lifestyle. We’re going to walk you through part one of the project now, and we’ll save part two for the next email, so stay tuned.

Part One – Let The Sunshine In!

“Before”

      

As is often the case with 1950’s split level homes, at the garage level, there was a family room with a small bathroom/laundry. This bottom level was a dreary place, even though the paneling had previously been painted. There was one small window which did not let in enough sunshine to brighten the area. While there was access from the family room to the outside, the bathroom/laundry was located where windows could have let the natural light in. And the bathroom facilities were actually located in the laundry room itself.

“After”

Out went the paneling, and in went real walls painted in a color that helped increase the feeling of light. We opened up the space by relocating the bathroom/laundry, and in its place, brought in a big sliding glass door leading to the outside patio. We designed built-ins which are fun and functional, one of them being a bar, which is now an inviting area to entertain guests or just enjoy by yourself.

The flow is light and airy now: you can walk through the family room and get to the brand new powder room, newly relocated to the back of the garage, which was shortened.

A Tale of Two Closets, Part 1

Did you know that architects can help you bust your clutter? We’re going to tell you a Tale of Two Closets. Yep, we can even transform your storage dilemma into a functional and beautiful closet worthy of a magazine cover. Part 1 of the tale begins here. Part 2 is coming soon, and it’s so gorgeous, you’ll want to keep an eye out for it in your inbox!

How often are you struggling to get at something deep or high in your closet that is impossible to reach? You drag out the chair or the step stool to grab what you need. In our story, the homeowner fell off the step stool and broke her arm in the process of trying to access something in her closet. That was the last straw!

We were brought in to renovate the entire master suite. For the project, we utilized Aging in Place principles – enabling you to enjoy a comfortable daily function of your home. No need to rely on step stools for simple tasks. As part of this project, the closet was expanded and then reconfigured to completely maximize the space. The carefully designed new closet takes into account the function and daily use of all the pieces of the closet.

Very often, closets have hanging rods with shelves above. These are too high to be comfortably reachable. For these homeowners, we designed the closet to have everything accessible, within easy reach. We used a three-tiered system. There are lower rods with shelves above, putting them at an easily reachable intermediate height. Then above that are higher rods that you can easily pull down. This brings the “hard to reach” upper portion of the closet down to a comfortable height.

Throughout the closet, there is a well-designed place for everything. This includes custom shoe storage, a pull-out tie rack, and an area to sort laundry right in your closet.

Originally, the master suite was quite large but not very functional. It was poorly laid out and the space was not proportionally distributed. The closet was considered “ok” but it was a bit small for the whole master suite. But more than its size, the layout was poor, so the closet didn’t function well. The master suite featured a large, spacious bathroom with a tiny shower stall. The homeowners yearned for increased functionality throughout this space.

And that’s what we delivered – there are now 2 levels of rods to hang clothing. And access to the upper rods is comfortable and easy with a simple pull.

We believe that a home transformation must include both increased functionality and beautiful design. And we can all definitely do without mishaps from awkward and poorly designed storage!

Stay tuned for Part Two – The Closet Addition!

Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!

Do you have transformational dreams for your house and
simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!

The “Not So Big” Addition

There is an assumption in most people’s minds that an addition to a house must be a substantial size to be worthwhile. In the following story, we’ll show you how a “not so big” addition transformed a family’s life as well as their house.

Mom, Dad, Son and Daughter were cozy in their 2-bedroom home when the children were babies and toddlers. But when children get to a certain age, it’s natural for a boy and girl to each want their own space and privacy. The property itself was a small lot, and the budget was modest to match.

We worked closely with the family, and took the time to understand their needs, wants, and lifestyle. We considered the property’s physical constraints. And we confidently proceeded to design an addition that was only 70 square feet! It expanded both their first and second floors.

Now here’s the tricky part: the addition wasn’t a large enough space to be a bedroom on its own. But during our in-home Design Consultation, we perceived that the hallway had some underutilized space. In a little house, you need to make the most of every inch, so wasted space is not allowed. Upstairs, we borrowed that space for the extra bedroom. Downstairs we now had enough room to bump out the living room so that the family had some extra relaxation space.

With a little creativity and ingenuity, we also added a small deck on the first floor, just off the living room. Adding the deck, even at only 7′ x 10′, made a big difference in their ability to use a new area for fun and entertaining. The deck was over the driveway, a full story above grade. Our clients often can’t envision all of the possibilities that we see, so this family never considered adding a deck.

Other small changes that made a huge difference – we relocated the boiler and relocated the chimney that had been in the corner before the addition. Once the addition was created, the chimney would have been in the middle: awkward and taking up a lot of space.

Their small space underwent a big transformation without modifying the whole house, just the immediate space adjacent to the addition. The family was not displaced, so life went on as usual during the 3 months of construction.

Do we need to tell you that the kids were thrilled to each have their own bedroom? And Mom and Dad were excited for their children to have their own space and privacy. They were amazed at how that tiny addition totally transformed their house and their lives!

Sometimes a tiny lot seems so constrictive and you are certain that there’s nothing that can be done to extend your living space. If they had never called us for that first Design Consultation, they would have missed out on the better life that their transformed, more spacious home allows.

Your surroundings can totally affect your life,
your spirit, your emotional well being!

Do you have transformational dreams for your house and
simply can’t “see it happening?”
Click below to get started.

I would love to talk!