The owners of this 1970’s colonial wanted a house “to grow old in”. The house didn’t even meet their needs for today, never mind their future needs. They did, however, like its location on a nice dead-end street.

Before they came to us, they feared they couldn’t get what they wanted unless they “started from scratch”. Together, we helped them weigh their options – renovating and adding to the house, or knocking it down and building a new home in the same location.

During our conversations, we came to the conclusion that there was no need for knocking down the house – a renovation and addition would do the trick. We knew we could get them everything on their list with a renovation and addition. As often happens, our clients “couldn’t see it happening”. But we could!

They had redone the kitchen 20 years ago, and at that time, they had an addition built that gave them a room behind the kitchen. However, even with this addition, the kitchen itself felt too small and too crowded with just 2 people in it.

Truthfully, they never quite figured out what to do with that additional room behind the kitchen – eating area? sitting room? We totally redesigned that area (the previous addition plus the kitchen) to be a big open kitchen and dining area. We also replaced the windows to an updated style which had the added benefit of being more energy efficient.

Another awkward area consisted of a mudroom that you walked into from the backyard and connected to a laundry area. It never really “worked” for the family, as the whole area felt like a hallway with lots of doors in the way, instead of useable spaces.

Our new design relocated the laundry, and laid out the area as two separate rooms. The mudroom is no longer a passthrough. You still enter it from the backyard and now that we got rid of all the doors, we had wall space for new cabinets. Adjacent to this space, we created a new walk-in pantry off their spacious new kitchen.

Wanting a house that could accommodate them as their forever home meant implementing considerations for aging in place. Initially all bedrooms were upstairs, so we added a master suite to the first floor (pictured below).

How did we find the space? They had a dining room that they never used. We used its footprint and added more space for a full master suite. The new master bedroom has a cathedral ceiling, windows, and plenty of natural light. They could now enjoy a large en-suite bathroom and spacious walk-in closet. The relocated laundry is now within the new addition area. It’s conveniently located off the kitchen and near the master suite.

Their typical 2 car garage from the 1970’s was a tight squeeze for today’s vehicles and storage needs. Our new design added a 3rd bay to the garage. The side entrance of the garage was relocated and now the entrances are on the front of the house.

Even with a 3rd bay added to the garage, it didn’t overpower the front of the house. We designed it with care so it wouldn’t look like “a garage with a house attached.”

The original front porch was nothing special. While they didn’t need it bigger, they did want it to be nicer. Our design changed the columns, added a gable at the front door, added trim and new railings, for a whole new look.

Finally, new windows and siding were installed throughout. We added roof overhangs and nicer trim. They not only have a house to grow old in, they also have better energy efficiency and more curb appeal.

Even if your home is matching your needs for today, will it support your needs in 10 or 15 years? Loving and wanting to remain in your home sometimes means making changes to provide a comfortable lifestyle for your family for years to come. Don’t think it can work? Just ask us.

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