A Sneak Peak at A Whole House Renovation

This old gal isn't quite ready for her close up, but here's a sneak peak at a dramatic makeover of a timeworn house in a wonderful downtown neighborhood. We took the original 1100 square foot house, added a second floor, a new master suite, and replaced the original maze of small rooms with a wide open floor plan. The result is a 2700 square foot house with great curb appeal...and ready for the next sixty years!

We'll be bringing you some more photos of this house in the coming weeks. But for now, what do you think of the outside?

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New Plan: The Kirkwood

Here's the latest plan we are adding to our pre-designed portfolio: The Kirkwood. It's a 1690 square foot  cottage that has the features and feel of a much larger house.

The exterior is a mix of shake siding, metal roofing, and natural stone veneers. Accents of heavy timber and paneled shutters complete the look.

Inside, hallways have been kept to a minimum to make the most of the square footage. The core of the house is a wide open space with vaulted great room and dining space, and a kitchen with angled peninsula. A tall fireplace anchors the room, and a wall of glass overlooks a large screened in porch. The sleeping quarters are split...with two large family bedrooms sharing a large bathroom at the front, and a luxurious master suite at the rear. With a tray ceiling, corner tub, and a large walk-in closet, it's the sort of suite you might expect in a house twice this size.

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On The Boards, A Traditional Cottage

The second of two homes I'm currently designing for an infill lot, this house, like it's companion, has an elevation meant to blend seamlessly into a neighborhood of charming homes, most vintage to the 1920's-1940's. The steep streetside lot allows us to tuck a two car garage under the house, and a set of brick steps winds up to the swoop-roofed front porch. The mix of materials, including a half timbering effect in the steep front facing gables, gives the old-house look that the client and I were after.

The main floor is home to an open great room and kitchen area, with a wall of built ins and a corner fireplace. The lack of walls makes the relatively small square footage feel bigger than it is. The master suite fills the other side of the plan, with a large bedroom, luxurious bathroom, and a spacious walk in closet. A panel opens from the closet to the laundry, allowing the wash to be easily passed back and forth. The impressive staircase has stained glass windows at the landing, washing light down to the front door.

Upstairs, three bedrooms each enjoy ample closet space and access to a bath with double sinks. If needed, any one of the rooms could be called on to be used as a study, an exercise room, or craft area.

The house lives larger than its 2350 square feet, and will give its new owners the feeling of a much larger home, but with the benefit of less space to clean and maintain.

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On The Boards, A Classic Cottage

I've recently begun the design for two new houses that will go on an infill lot in a neighborhood of classic traditional houses. The client is a small real estate developer, who seeks to build small, quality houses in "walkable" neighborhoods. Our hope for these new  houses is that once completed, a passerby will be hard pressed to say whether they are new or recently renovated homes vintage to the neighborhood.

We capped the square footage at 2500. While the neighborhood homes range from 1600-over 8000, we wanted to create "right sized" houses...put the money into nice details and finishes rather than a lot of superfluous square footage and soaring ceilings.

Here's house one:

An asymmetrical gable with a swooping roof marks the entrance to the house. A porch stretches across the front of the house...perfect place to greet neighbors and enjoy the breeze. Exposed rafter tails and clipped gables are common architectural features in the neigborhood that we repeated here.

The first floor is designed to include all the spaces for day to day living. A large great room with fireplace and built ins is open to the foyer and the bright kitchen and dining area. A tray coffered ceiling brings height and detail to the great room. The master suite is convenient to the laundry room, meaning fewer steps with the dirty clothes. A large walk in closet and 5-piece bath make for the kind of suite usually only seen in larger homes.

Upstairs, a bright staircase with a deep plant shelf leads to the secondary bedrooms. Two are large, with double windows and ample closet space. The third is smaller, perfect to use as a home office, exercise room, or hobby space. All share a large bath with double sinks.

 Not shown here is the basement level, which includes a two car garage and storage space. While the total square footage is only 2300, the house lives larger.

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