The Hardest-Working Room in the House

What's the hardest working room in the house? The Kitchen, of course!

Make it an "eat in" kitchen or use it as the everyday entry, and then the room is forced to do even more.

Newly Renovated Kitchen

This project is a kitchen renovation in an older home. No new square footage was added. Some windows and walls/doorways were moved and some remained exactly as they were. In the 'before' photos you can see this room was built onto the back of the origonal two story; it jutts into the back yard with windows on three sides. The arrangment of 6 windows toward the back/east are this village home's most private view since the side windows look at close-by neighbors. The back is where a table for eating or gathering is located. Having the table looking out the windows to the back yard was something my clients wanted to retain.

The side door from the driveway is the main family entry and comes directly into this room, so in addition to the east-facing eating area, a portion of the space needed to function as a "mud room" with coat hooks and a place for shoes and bags. But design constraints like these can actually help us create a new layout plan!

After - view toward back door

Of course besides the entry and the table area, we need a functioning kitchen for a family! Before our renovation, there was a large old sink, a range, and some open shelving- not much cabinetry or countertop. There was a woodstove and brick chimney in the middle of the room, and a separate 'Pantry' room that provided most of the food storage, including space for the refrigerator. While it did have rustic charm, it was overdue for an update, some real flooring, durable, cleanable work surfaces, and well-thoughtout workspace where one could cook.

Slight window change

Entry Side- Before

In terms of the structure, there were skinny looking rafter ties across the ceiling space that we removed, adding a ridge beam and a new ceiling shape. A wood board finish was added remenicient of the former ceiling. In terms of the way this room connected to the rest of the house, I moved the passageway to the family room over about 20" to allow for a more useful kitchen cabinet/counter top layout and to help align interior views with windows to the back yard. The tall cabintry next the the new refrigerator location fills that wall for abundant storage. (the window moved closer to the door to accomodate this)

Renovated Kitchen looking toward Family Room

In terms of mechanicals: yes, the wood stove is gone. (and that historic cast iron sink was replaced) But efficient fixtures and systems are better. Insulation was added, and a new mini split heat pump was installed for heat and A/C. The lighting and ceiling fan were upgraded to beautiful fixtures, and new insulated windows replaced single-pane types.

New MiniSplit intentially placed center over window

Oh, and that little pantry room got made into a first floor bathroom, which the house did not have. Beautiful finishes and fixtures were selected by the owners, a opaque window was installed in the existing opening for a bit of privacy and a heated towel rack was used for a bit of luxury. If or when someone needs to have single-floor living, this bathroom will be available to help.

Overall, a big change for the day to day quality of life for the folks who live here!

View toward back yard

Updating the Exterior

These clients already had a great location and a pretty great house when they called me, but...

 

    

 

But the cedar shingle siding and wood framed windows were rotting. The living room, especially (with it's four exterior walls) was very cold and drafty in winter and hot in summer. The house was not well insulated or air sealed at all. It also had odd, high window placement toward the front and no windows to the side. They wanted the entire place to look more modern from the exterior, to feel like the interior felt with their minimalist Danish Modern furnishings and lighting. And they wanted a patio off the Dining area on the north side of the house -that area of the yard was never used and felt sort of like an afterthough.

Since they had already purchased and installed "Craftsman Style" doors to the garage, and they were drawn to dark siding colors, I suggested we go for a "Modern Craftsman" vibe. We could use some brackets and gable pediments on some roofs and over doors to add architectural detail. I also suggested if we were removing and replacing all the windows and siding, we really should then also take the time and spend the money to properly airseal and insulate the 70s era construction to be more energy efficient and comfortable.

Here are photos of the project before, during, and after. A total transformation with the "Iron Grey" vertical Hardi siding from the weathered large exposure, dated (and insect-eaten!) shingle siding. New Ebony Marvin Elevate windows and industrial style barn lights lean toward the contemporary. I changed the window layout in the living room and entryway- adding tall windows to the east and south in the living room where there were none before. I added a new sliding glass door to connect the Living Room to the back deck. I added a new sliding glass door to the north, with it's own small roof overhang detail, to connect the dining and kitchen area to a new patio in that under-used area of the yard. I designed some stepped planters to avoid having to add railing that might block the lake and mountaian view from the new decks. And I dressed up the basement door area with a roof overhang that helps direct water away (along with a new drain) from the foundation, offers shade from the harsh western sun, and visually breaks up the tall elevation where the basement is exposed above grade. The fireplace chimney received new stone and a metal chimeny cap- upgrades that made it more energy efficient, safer, and more beautiful, since the bricks were in disrepair. Spiffy new galvanized half-round gutters and leaders were installed so this big roof is ready for the large downpours that happen more and more frequently.

 

In terms of efficency upgraades, once the siding and old windows were removed, a fluid applied flashing and air barrier was applied everywhere. (Yes, the neighbors did wonder aloud if pink was the final house color.) This meticulous work will be well worth it when the winter winds whip off the lake and mountains to the west. This surface is also the WRB, meaning that any water will be excluded from entering the wall, which will protect our new windows from having the same issue as the previous units did. Next a rain screen was created, to allow the siding to stay dry. Then rigid boards of insulation (rockwool) are installed to add much-needed R-value to the walls.  New vertical cementitious board and batten and shingle style siding and trim was installed with mimimal1x2 casing around the windows all in a monocromatic color. The A/C was an old system that is replaced with efficient heat pumps, and the underside of the existing roof deck throughout the home was also insulated.

Roof Shape Transformation

 

Second Floor Area expanded and gable roof shape replaces almost-flat roof

Front view before

The shape and arrangement of the roofs at any structure greatly influences how the building looks, feels, and functions. Some existing structures, than have been added to over decades (sometimes one room at a time) can look very disorganized and overly complicated. Oftentimes when I begin a renovation or an addition to an existing older home, I have to start by thinking about the roofs.

Back view before

This home is a good example. This existing house may have started it's life as a timber barn in the late 1800s, and it was modified and added onto multiple times with varying level of skill as the owners converted it into a home, added modern amenities, and needed more space. My clients bought it thinking it could be renovated into their forever home with just a small bit of space added, so I designed a second floor addition over an area that had been only one story, and a small addition off the back. We came up with a completely new interior layout that would work for their family but even with all that, one of the most important design tactics I brought to the process was creating order from the jumble of low-pitch roofs housing low-ceilings rooms. The new home has shapes that look intentional rather than cobbled. Bringing order to what has become a mess is what a good designer can do. Part of if, for me, is looking at how the structure wants to be organized. Usually there is a logic that can be uncovered and brought forth. And this isn't esoteric - this can be about real-world solutions for shedding rain and snow as much as anything.

Back view before

I hope you can see how the change from low, almost flat roof shapes to more traditional, appropriate gabled roof shapes improved how this house looks and feels. And how, while client's eyes are focused on the floor plan, an architect is thinking in three dimensions to make a cohesive whole and can make it seem effortless. This cute building now accepts the challenge and succeeds at holding it's place in the streetscape of the historic village of which it is a part.

Before and Afters: From dated Cape to Modern Craftsman

 

After

Before

This 50's cape cod style home was more than ready for an update. We modernized all the systems, reworked the layout, and installed all new finishes inside and out. Click here to read an eariler blog post about the starting point for this project. 

Open Front Entry and Inglenook Area of Living Room

New Bright Kitchen

The entire interior was gutted and a new floor plan was designed that makes the living and entertaining spaces much more open and connected to each other. Walls were removed and wide openings were created for long interior views. An inglenook was created around the fireplace with built-in bookcases. The formerly enclosed staircase was exposed and given some dressing up with a chunky newel post and radial first step. A space-saving corner dining area was created in an interior space so the kitchen could move to the back and connect to a new screened in porch. Windows were added to let in more light from the south and views to the back yard. 

Inglenook

Opening up the stairway

Corner bench in Dining Area

New window to sunny south in Kitchen

New Screened Porch 

Mud Room/ Everyday entry from Garage

New Street View

The former breezeway was converted into a laundry room and mud room area with lots of storage, and adding 4' of width and a new roof increased the garage size to fit two cars while at the same time taking the opportunity to transform the front look of the house.

Craftsman brackets and gable pediment over front door

This place was totally transformed! (And we didn't even discuss how it now uses no fossil fuel either) I can still recall the "Aha moments" during schematic design when I suggested that a small area in the middle of the house could become a cozy eating nook and when we discussed the concept of an Inglenook to create a featured area around the fireplace in the Living Room. And that the kitchen should move out of the dark middle and toward the back yard. It was such a pleasure to work with the clients to create a home personal to them. And what a team Landers Construction assembled for each step of the work. Kudos to all!

Historic Home gets Everyday Entry

 I had the opportunity to work at this historic brick home to fix a "remuddling" that was done to it and create an appropriate looking side entry porch fitting with the structure.

New Side Porch and New Entry Door & Windows

A one-story shed roof "storage" area had been added to this amazing brick center hall colonial. (scroll down to see before pics) It was so wrong architecturally, with it's short windows and wall height and "horse run-in shed" roof shape. But it was built poorly and connected to the house with low-pitched roofs that leaked and caused a mold issue. The best answer was to remove it and design a better roof shape that complimented the stately home and reoriented the everyday entry for the folks who live there.

Entry with corner bench & wall hooks

This was a not-so-complicated project that make a HUGE difference. Aesthetically and architecturally- this north end of the house now looks "correct" instead of having a shed unceremoniously tacked on to the north end. Functionally, we moved the entry door to face the parking area and added a new covered porch. On the interior, we added storage for coats, hats, and boots with built in cabinets. We used wood wainscoting, walls hooks, and a corner bench to create a pretty and functional mudroom entry that vibes with the modern needs and the age of the home. Windows were also added upstairs and in the powder room, ceilings were raised, and insulation was installed - fixing some of the old house issues of low, dark, cold spaces. And the gray paint color helped hide the electrical panel. :)

Window added to powder room

Simple updates- while keeping much of what existed
(like flooring and interior doors) can still make a big impact

Overall a complete success and a great update, that looks and feels like it's "always been there"!

BEFORE - back

BEFORE - front

BEFORE - person entry door moved,
but cat door stayed in same location

BEFORE - side view