Village Dutch Colonial Addition

When I design an addition to a historic home, especially in a traditional, village neighborhood, I want to make sure the new does not feel incongruous within the established surroundings. This means careful consideration of roof shape, window size and placement, and material selection, among other things.

This Dutch Colonial was small (1520SF before our addition) and the owners loved the old house character and didn't mind the small footprint, but they longed for a bit more space: a larger kitchen and entry space, a second bathroom, and a space for the washer and dryer to not be in the basement.  They wished for a larger bedroom with larger closets, and a better connection to the back yard. And they were adamant that the new addition look appropriate from both inside and out- so they hired me! The new addition spans across the entire back of the home and adds 278SF to the first floor and 170SF to the second floor, making the whole home now just under 2000SF. (still quite modest compared to a "typical" American homes for a family of four) 

New Back Door

View toward Bathroom from Laundry

The door to the back, that used to connect to the basement stairway, (see before photo above) was removed and the cellar stair slightly re-routed. The new back door is 3/4 glass and is at the first floor level, providing a view toward and a more straightforward connection to the back yard from inside. This new door leads into a laundry room / hallway that is located between the new bathroom and the kitchen. Details like the cast iron radiator in the new bathroom and the glass door knobs and historic base molding all contribute to making the new spaces blend well with the existing. A metal shed roof tucks below the existing second floor hallway windows and has an projecting overhang supported by brackets above the back door. The home owner installed stone steps to connect this new back door to the existing patio and path to the driveway. 

Existing Side Door Stayed

On the side of the house with the existing covered porch, the same door that used to enter directly into the small kitchen, (see before picture below) now enters into a tiled Mud Room area that is open to the new kitchen, living, and dining rooms and has space to store coats, shoes, and bags. A transition space like this allows one to "arrive" and gives much needed storage for everyday essentials. The first floor laundry, first floor bathroom and this Entry area are not the type of spaces that one sees in small older homes, but they are invaluable for daily living and having them can be transformative for the family.

View toward Laundry from Kitchen

This glass pocket door you see in the photo above provides the separation between the back entry and the newly expanded kitchen. We pushed out the back wall 10 feet and installed flush beams to support the loads where the wall was at both the 1st & 2nd floor ceilings. This two story addition has a gambrel roof to mimic the main roof. Window placement (and then kitchen sink placement, above) became obvious once this roof shape and massing was decided on. The expanded kitchen feels large and bright and has a great layout for cooking and socializing. And believe it or not, it's only 30SF larger than the former kitchen. The big change is the reorganization of the circulation. By removing the cellar access door and the side entry door from the kitchen, the cabintry could claim that valuable corner space and just work so much better.

View through the wide opening between new Entry area into Kitchen

View from Back Laundry Hallway into Kitchen

Window by the range provides a bright food prep
area and a view toward the driveway

Kitchen Before:

Upstairs the smallest bedroom grew to become the Primary Bedroom with two large closets and windows on three sides. The attic stairs stayed right where they were. And their youngest child moved from the smallest room to what was the parent's bedroom. She now has a decent sized room with a closet and without the attic access stair. Everyone is happy! 

Primary Bedroom -view toward back

Bedroom: New clostet next to existing window & radiator

Same window and same bedroom as above:

I always work with my clients on the 'program' of what spaces they need and/or want and work to keep things in budget. These clients thought critically about if they "needed" an ensuite bathroom and decided they did not. I really appreciate when folks, whether limited by cost or not, really consider how much space they need. I very much enjoy working on "small" houses and "small" additions that are thoughtful and impactful, make a difference in the lives of those living there, do well by the architecture of the existing structure or neighborhood, and don't use more than is necessary. Building and living in a "right size" home is a great way to minimize your environmental footprint. Even with these decisions, some cuts were made to reduce the cost. Heat pumps were pushed to a future date (hence the window AC unit in the photo) and much of the labor (painting! built-ins! landscaping! demolition! searching shops for matching door hardware!) was done by the hardworking homeowners.

Floor Plans After the Addition

Floor Plans Before the Addition

Design dates: August 2022 - July 2023

Construction dates: Dec. 2024 - July 2025

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!

Contemporary Additions Add Space for Family Visits

 

Two Additions are Better Than One!

A front shed roof addition houses an in-law suite for comfortable long-term family visits.

The back addition was completed a few years prior for primary bedrooms and bathroom upgrades to the house. Between them, a courtyard was created. An angular open carport finishes the site.

Front Entry Addition is the connector between existing and new

Interior of mud room vestibule entry

Courtyard space between the two additions

Vaulted Ceilings, punched windows toward front for privacy

Square, high windows toward street in bedrooms

Double pocket doors connect guest bedroom with sitting room

Larger glass doors and windows open toward private back yard

For more about this project check out my previous blog post by clicking this link:

cwbBlog/apartment-addition

Historic Home Update- Farmhouse Kitchen

Bright New Farmhouse-style Kitchen

Sometimes a house doesn't need any additional space added. Sometimes enough square footage is there, it just needs halls/doors relocated to create better circulation, windows added for more daylight and views to the outdoors, raised ceilings for a feeling of spaciousness, and updated fixtures and finishes in hardworking rooms like bathrooms and kitchens. That was what we did in this Historic Home Update. Two narrow rooms combined into a generous, sunny kitchen when we removed the dividing wall and added a new beam.

This is the second blog post about this project. To read the first, and see before photos and plans, click the link below:

cwb-architect.blogspot.com/2019/merry-and-bright

Exterior View from backyard

Formerly the house had no windows to the back yard- (And that is the south facing elevation... where the sun is... you want windows there!) So we cut in a pair of double-hung windows, with transom windows above, centered in the existing gable. That set the ideal placement for the kitchen sink, and influenced the cabinet/appliance layout.

The east side of the room had 2 windows; we kept one and closed off the other so our cabinetry and range/hood could wrap around to that wall. We kept the exterior trim and detail of that window, though, and closed it with "shutters". In addition, adding a wide sliding glass door from the sitting area of the room to the back yard allows the homeowner to enter from their parked car area and connects the new room to a stone patio extending the kitchen and eating areas into the back yard.

Windows and historic lighting make the Kitchen bright

 Historically appropriate light fixtures, materials, and details were used thoughtfully throughout the design. Both interior and exterior window and door casing mimics the existing style so things "blend". The existing house exterior was covered with asbestos shingle siding, popular in the 1950's which needed to be dealt with properly. The design allowed for that material to be removed only at the back wall- where the new windows and double door were being cut into the wall- and left untouched at the sides. (That's one reason why we kept the side window trim and used the "closed shutter" detail there.)

New Hardi Shingle on back wall

Existing asbestos shingles on side walls

Cabinetry has flush panel door and drawer fronts with bin pull hardware. Open shelving, glass door cabinets, crown molding, and the tiled back splash means everywhere you look you see something beautiful. The light fixtures are wall and ceiling mounted and correct for this historic home. (no recessed "can" lights were used - Yay!) The new structural beam was wrapped in stained wood trim and lends some warmth, along with the wood flooring, to the painted wood trim and cabinets. The counter tops are quartz that looks like marble and the appliance layout creates an ideal work triangle.

Tall Storage Cabinet next to Refrig

Beautiful Details add Charm

Powder Room -Bead Board Wainscot

Historically Sensitive Lighting

I couldn't be more pleased with this renovation. The new kitchen, half bath and second floor bathroom and laundry area (moved upstairs to be next to the bedrooms) make such an improvement to the house, while complimenting it's historic nature. The flow and function of it is better. It feels so new, so improved, bright and large, that it can be difficult to believe no additional space was created - just rearranged and redesigned to the maximum benefit.