Entire House Remodel (The Little Cape Cod That Could)

The homeowners purchased this 1950s Cape Cod in 1990 because of its location and lot with beautiful mature trees. The three-bedroom house was small, but charming. After living in the house for almost 10 years, and two children later, the homeowners decided it was time to do the remodel they had dreamed of since the day they bought the house. The homeowners wanted:

• Additional and larger bedrooms to accommodate their growing family
• A new eat in kitchen space looking out to a new family room… the nerve center of the home and a place to accommodate the homeowner’s passion for entertaining
• And a new master bathroom full of all the modern conveniences of newer homes

In addition, the house is situated on a corner lot with two set back requirements and the homeowners really didn’t want to go through a variance process because it would elongate the construction time line. As for the feel of the home, the homeowners liked the quaintness of their home and even though they wanted more space, they still wanted the house to be warm and inviting. So, faced with these objectives the design-builder created a plan that met each of these requests and more… and didn’t require a variance.

The “before” home was typical for the 1950s. The front door emptied guests directly into the living room. There was no foyer. From the living room, one had to skirt around a dining room table to get to the kitchen or family room beyond. The first floor bedroom was fine for guests, with its own full bath, and really didn’t need any changes.

To meet the homeowner’s needs, the design-builder changed the dining room into the foyer, relocating the front door from the living room. From the newly created foyer, one can go into the living room, kitchen or dining room easily. A new dining room was created to the left of the foyer. It is open and inviting. Columns on knee walls gently separate the dining room from the foyer, without the use of an imposing wall that may have left guests feeling isolated.

The new kitchen occupied the same space as the old kitchen, saving the homeowners the cost to relocate plumbing and wiring. However, by adding a new casual dining area and butler’s pantry beyond the footprint of the kitchen and creating an open feeling with a bar countertop and no exterior walls to the kitchen, the space became more functional and pleasant, especially during entertaining. One of the most interesting aspects of this area of the house is the way the design-builder dealt with the set back requirements.

The corner lot had a set back requirement that ran at an angle to the side of the house. Building a typical straight exterior wall would have required the designer to either create rooms that were too narrow, or rooms that were a better size would have required a variance. Not wanting the variance, the design-builder created an exterior wall that “stair stepped” in size. Going from the widest point at the front corner of the dining room, to the narrow most point in the breakfast area. The result is a very functional interior, perfect for entertaining and a fabulous exterior that has become the most notable exterior feature of the home. In fact, the homeowner has commented that more than a few times they have seen passers by video taping that section of the home. It is truly the talk of their neighborhood.

The kitchen and breakfast area flow nicely to the family room. Again, the family room is gently separated from the kitchen by a see through three-sided fireplace. This creative use of a fireplace helped to maintain the open and inviting feeling of the home. To complete the functionality of this floor, a three-season room was added off the family room. This is great space for overflow guests or casual summer dining.

On to the upstairs. With all it’s charm, the former home’s second floor was not exactly comfortable. The two bedrooms and their closets were small and the one bath was located in the front of the home where the roof line only allowed a six and a half foot ceiling height in parts of the shower and toilet areas.

Off came the roof! The design-builder built eight-foot walls throughout the upstairs allowing for two new bedrooms and a more functional bath to be created on the front of the home. These two new bedrooms were intended to be bedroom space for the two children of the home. An interesting thing happened, however, during construction. The new roof height was going to create a lot of attic space… maybe even too much poorly utilized space is what the design-builder thought. So, the design-builder suggested that the homeowners open up part of the attic space from the larger of the two rooms and create a play loft. The idea was well received and the finished space houses numerous toys, including a play kitchen and table set. This play loft is the envy of any child, or adult, who visits it.

The master bedroom and bath were the next challenges. The new master bedroom was built over the family room and the former master bedroom became the space for an upstairs laundry area and the master bath. The master bedroom boasts a plant ledge and cathedral ceiling for a dramatic look. The master bath receives applause from the homeowners. Plenty of space has allowed for a large shower, double bowl vanity, large two-person tub and private toilet area.

So, the little Cape Cod, with all it’s charm, COULD become a bigger, better warm and inviting home. The design-builder surpassed the homeowner’s expectations with creativity and a true desire to accentuate the homeowner’s lifestyle.

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