The changes—some subtle and some more significant—have made all of the spaces more functional. Replacing a window in the kitchen with a door makes access to the back yard easier. Deleting the other door means a window is now visible from the dining room instead.
The previous layout suffered from infrastructure problems, which we were able to solve as well. A duct to the second floor protruded into the room, so we concealed it in the wall. The floor system was poorly constructed and too low in the mudroom area, so we rebuilt it to the right level.
On demolition, we also found many surprises, from old clerestory windows that had been covered over in the wall, to the old porch roof entombed in the ceiling.
We also uncovered some ancient newspapers in the walls and floor. See a TV interview with one our staff carpenters about that on our Awards and Press page.
The finished spaces show all the problems solved. A new peninsula opens up the dining room to the kitchen, new wood flooring planes out with adjacent wood flooring, and the diagonal wall is gone from the mudroom.
The changes at the mudroom also allow for plenty of room for circulation from one room to the next, and tie in the spaces seamlessly.
That wide hall now has enough space for a built-in-place mudroom bench and cubbies.
The reconfigured bath includes a pocket door in a new location rather than the old swing door, since space was so tight.
Tucked just off the dining room, it provides privacy and features hex tile floors that lend a traditional feel to this remodeled space.
The new range and exhaust hood provide modern convenience, set off by subtle quartz counters by Pental. The range is also a huge improvement over the previous range, which sat by itself on an adjacent wall, blocking the flow of traffic. Brightly painted walls bring a pop of color to this otherwise neutral space.
The finished rooms are functional and beautiful, and correct many of the previous remodels' follies. Now this growing family can get on with enjoying their home.
