Working on diverse home renovation projects, we’ve heard “lesson learned” more than once. Even when you meet with -or- work with a licensed architect, it doesn’t guarantee they are a good fit to bring your vision to life.

In this project story, this is exactly what happened. The homeowners worked with an architect on a large scale renovation 20 years prior, but they never “loved” the outcome. In fact, while it was happening, they realized the new layout was not working for them, so the project remained unfinished.

Originally a 1950’s cape cod style home, this lakefront house did not take advantage of the view. Sadly, the first renovation didn’t rectify this and so didn’t capitalize on the most treasured feature of the property.

Our mission: To correct “the addition that didn’t work”, to bring the outdoors in and to give the house better curb appeal (both street front AND lakefront).

This project will span two editions of Building With Hope and Faith. 

The second floor master bedroom was huge – including two walk-in closets, an ensuite bathroom, and … an extra room. Without a hallway, you could only access this other room by walking through the master bedroom and then through the master bathroom. Clearly it could not be used as a guest room; it was just for storage.

The prior master suite addition had full sized rooms and 8 ft ceilings, plus an attic above it for plenty of storage. This extra room, added during the renovation, turned out to be fairly useless.

The master suite has now been “right sized” with a new alcove that’s used as a sitting area with comfortable seating, for reading or watching TV. (see the top image).

The master bath had been oversized. We made it physically smaller, but with a smarter layout and better functionality, it feels bigger and features a large shower, soaking tub and huge double vanity.

We used the space that was previously part of the “too big” bedroom and the “too big” bathroom to carve out a hallway that leads to the mystery room, which can now be easily accessed and used as a guest bedroom.

The new hallway we created is on an outside wall, where we installed windows. We also added transom windows on the inside wall to let the natural light flow into the master bath and into the dressing area to brighten interior spaces.

A transom window is a glass panel above a door or larger window. It allows natural sunlight to filter into dark entryways and interior hallways. In this case, the transom windows were positioned high on the wall without a window below to preserve privacy for the interior spaces.

We moved the laundry to the second floor, but outside the master suite, off the new hallway. The owners and their guests have the convenience of a second floor laundry without having to go into the master bedroom.

The master bedroom faced the lake, but you’d barely know it: there were small windows giving you a peek at the lake. Our newly designed windows bring the lake into the room while providing more sunlight. The windows in the bedrooms of the original cape cod portion were also modified to take advantage of the lakefront view.

After their first renovation, the homeowners never felt “at ease” with the changes, and certain parts of the house physically remained incomplete. They didn’t have the energy or desire to continue.

When you’re working with us, we will ask you lots of questions – and then follow up questions! We may even draw simple pictures on the spot, to ensure we’re communicating clearly – and that we’re meeting your vision. We often bring up design points, ideas and goals you didn’t initially think of. When we give you a “win” that you never planned on but ultimately adore, we know we’ve done our job.

Do you have transformational dreams for your house and
simply can’t “see it happening?”
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