Strategic Design for Long Term Usability

This home was purchased with the dream of becoming our client’s forever home going into their retirement years. The home was one of three homes built together by the same builder with nearly identical designs—originally home to local railroad workers. Over the years, the house suffered from neglect and needed a thorough renovation.

Originally, the owner had hoped to work with the existing rear addition due to budget constraints. As more accurate costs were assessed we quickly realized that it would be more cost effective to demolish the old structure and rebuild because of a poor layout and the lack of an HVAC system. With the new plan we’d be able to provide the owner with a much more usable space and a much greater value for the overall investment.

Reclaiming the In-Between Spaces

An old closet with a narrow opening and window was transformed into an extension of the living room, complete with a wider cased opening that captures lovely natural sunlight, giving the impression that the living room is larger than it is. We maintained the storage functionality by framing in a small closet at one end of the narrow space, tucked away out of sight.

A deteriorating addition to the home was demolished, and a new addition with access to the basement was constructed. The existing stairs to the basement had an extremely low head height, so we reconstructed them to be code compliant. A half wall that hides the stairs allows for substantial natural light to brighten the new sitting room, laundry closet, and rear entryway.

With traditional maple floors, plaster, period trim, and a fresh coat of paint throughout, the open floor plan of this two bedroom home is very cozy on winter evenings. With a little creativity, smart design, and building toward energy efficiency, we were able to give this diamond in the rough some new shine—and we’re proud of the end result.