| Homeowner’s
Objective: To Have More Space in Every Area of Their Home
Our clients wanted to remain in their neighborhood that was in
close proximity to their jobs in Washington, DC. However, their
1950s - one story home lacked the space and the amenities this
family wanted. Functionally, they wanted a master suite, and two
additional bedrooms; one for their daughter and one for guests.
In addition, they desperately wanted a larger, well organized,
eat-in kitchen, a separate dining room for their extended family
gatherings, and a new sun-room. They also wanted his and her office
space. Aesthetically, they wanted a home filled with natural light
inside.
Outside, they wanted the home to still fit well into their older
neighborhood. And because the neighborhood was well established
and had a friendly atmosphere, the homeowners wanted a front porch
with a dual purpose. The front porch would serve as an outdoor
gathering space, but also serve to provide protection from the
front door entry way. All these things were accomplished and the
client is thrilled with the final product.
Challenges to the Project:
Our firm does a lot of whole house remodels. Given that the home
was a rambler on a third of an acre, adding a story and a rear
addition to the home were practical solutions to their needs.
However, rather than JUST add a story to the home and an addition
to the rear, we made sure to maximize the use of the spaces, like
the “his and her” offices. We also created interest
in the design with an angle in the stairs, and unique angles to
the walls and ceilings. Lots of special features, like custom
built-ins and crown details give a level of professional finish
that make the home truly custom. Vaulted ceilings in the master
suite and sun room added lots of natural light to the home.
Creative Solutions:
Some of the most creative solutions found in this home are the
fact that no space was wasted. Everywhere that we could add storage
or a nook, we did. There is no sense doing an extensive remodel
where the client is looking for creative use of space without
maximizing every inch of the remodel. For instance, we built a
knee wall at the front door to define a “welcoming area”
rather than just having guests empty directly into the existing
living room. In the building of that knee wall, however, we put
shelves on the living room side so that that feature could be
even more functional. In the daughter’s room, there are
built-ins and window seats with storage. There are examples of
this throughout the house.
Overall Results:
The best indication of the overall results of any project is client
feedback. Our clients not only gave us rave reviews for design
and construction, but also hosted a neighborhood party with our
design and construction team as the guests of honor. In a post
construction survey, the clients indicated that they were extremely
pleased with the project and scored us an overall satisfaction
rating of 9.9 out of a possible 10, including price/value of the
project.
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The before front elevation. The home was “charming”
but lacked the amenities this family needed.
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| After front elevation. The “new”
home has a great new front porch and dormers to retain
the charm of the former home while adding tremendous functionality. |
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Before Kitchen: The former kitchen was small and cramped.
There was hardly any space for storage.
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| After Kitchen: The after kitchen is spacious
and very functional. It has eating areas at a table and
at the breakfast bar. A walk in pantry is to the left
of the refrigerator. |
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| After Kitchen/Eating Area: A view of the
kitchen from the eating area shows how the circulation
pattern in this new space works well for day to day use
and large family gatherings. |
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| Before
Dining Room: The former dining room was virtually
part of the living room. For a family that likes to
entertain, this was a problem.
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| A view of the new dining room into the living
room Shows how much additional space was created. The
custom built-in buffet offers plenty of easy access storage
and serving space. |
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| The former
master bedroom was small and cramped and DARK.
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| The new master bedroom, located on the new
second floor, is spacious and FULL of light. Just what
the client wanted. |
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The new master bathroom is very functional,
with a private toilet area, a two sink vanity, a large
soaking tub and two person shower.
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| The former
child’s room was very small and didn’t
have much storage space.
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| The new child’s room is spacious and
has lots of storage niches for toys and books. The scale
of the room is perfect for a growing child. |
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| The former
spare bedroom was used as “her” home office
and for storage.
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| The new “her” office was created
using space next to the new kitchen. The location and
use of custom built-ins make the space very practical
and functional for a working mom. |
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| The “his” office was created
using additional space next to the new master bedroom.
The small door to the left rear houses a niche for networking/PC
equipment. |
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| The new sun room brings in a lot of light
to this home and is a well used room in this “new”
home, by both adults and children. |
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A close up of the porch shows how this space allows for a great use of the
outside space. In this cozy neighborhood, saying hello
to from the front porch is welcome.
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| A close up of the dining room built-in buffet
being built on site. Roll out drawers make access to china
dishes easy. The windows above bring even more natural
light to the space. |
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This photo
of one of the dormers during construction shows the
carpentry skill involved in building these just right.
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| This home is filled with custom built-ins
that reflect a carpentry that is rare these days. |
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| This knee wall was designed to create a
front foyer space, but it also houses a clever book shelf,
making great additional utilization out of the space. |
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| This cubby in one of the dormer walls of
the child’s room creates wonderful new storage space.
Why not make use of every possible space?! |
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| After Front Elevation: Welcome Home! |
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