Design Journal - Our First Renovation

The idea for the first renovation was to open up the interior and bring the living spaces together. Bedrooms had been added to allow a rental unit on each floor, and we wanted to bring the house back to its single family roots.

1st Floor Plan - Before

I removed a wall between the living and dining rooms, and added windows and glass doors to bring in the lovely wooded views. I moved the kitchen to the center of the house, so it could become part of the other living areas. I opened the foyer back up to the rest of the house to create a more formal entry, and I moved the pantry and bath areas adjacent to the side entrance.

This design is all about curves. I wanted the interior spaces to open up and flow inside the rectangular form of house. I wanted to subvert the rigidity of the typical house plan to create spaces that were visually interesting. And I tried to bring the idea of the curve into all of the details that I designed - from the bar top, to the archways, and even the shelves in the kitchen.

1st Floor Plan - After

Before Gallery - Outside Views of Our First Renovation

I set the deck three steps down from the first floor level, so that from the inside the deck furniture and guardrail are below eye level. This allows you to see more of the view from inside the house.

The guardrail is made of galvanized steel cables threaded through 4x4 support posts, allowing more transparency than a typical guardrail with 2x2 pickets.

The steps extend the entire length of the deck, providing extra seating for big gatherings.

We've spent so much time on this deck with family and friends, but unfortunately it's got to go to make room for the addition. We also plan to add a screened porch, which hopefully will serve us as well as this simple deck.

I kept the front of the house traditional, replacing the 6x6 posts with Doric columns. The overhang on the front porch already had a flared detail at the base of the siding, which was pretty cool. People visiting for the first time are surprised at the open, modern interior hidden behind this traditional facade.

Before Gallery - Our First Renovation

These photos show the house when we bought it and our first renovation project:

This is the front of the house not long after we bought it.

It's still hard to take a photo of the front of the house- there are so many trees.

The back of the house - before

One of the first things we did was build a deck. We were living in the basement (tenants occupied the 2nd floor) and needed a place to hang out.

We installed 8' wide sliding doors for access to the back yard, and new casement windows where we planned to relocate the kitchen.

We removed a wall that separated the living room from a bedroom and framed out the new beam as an elongated archway. The adjoining spaces became living and dining areas.













New floor to ceiling openings (to be filled with panes of insulated glass) frame views of the trees.

Drywall!

Installing the Ikea kitchen cabinets

Demolition portrait

2nd Floor Before

The 2nd floor of our house is actually pretty roomy (it was a 2-bedroom apartment when we bought the house.) The only things missing are a master bathroom and more closet space. The house is a cape, so the ceiling slopes from 8' to 2o" in all of the bedrooms. The bathroom and office have dormer roofs, so have full ceiling height.

Before

This is the 1st floor plan of my house - a weird cape code built around 1920. It was divided into three apartments when we bought it in 1999 . We lived in and renovated the first floor while the existing tenants still lived upstairs. In retrospect, not the smartest thing for an architect working in another state and a first year tenure track professor to embark on. But, it was a labor of love, and with the help of friends we made a great place to live.

Ten years later, we and our two daughters are outgrowing our home. So naturally I'm doing what any architect would - adding on instead of looking for a larger house.

Below is a view of the dining room from 2002 - not long after we finally completed the first floor (and our first daughter was born.)

Hello

I'm starting an addition to my home and thought I'd share my resources, thoughts and ideas along the way. I love modern design, and if you do too, please stay tuned.