The project’s design was as sensitive as possible to the handsome character and detailing of the existing home. The budget did not allow for brick to match the existing, but the Hardi-plank siding, the tall windows with transoms and the small deck area substantially improve the look of the rear elevation. We custom milled oak window and door casing and baseboard to match the unique trim in the home (See below and left).

We removed much of the rear wall of the home on the first floor in order to open up the addition to the existing space and to allow light from the rear of the home to penetrate the interior of the home. A kitchen cabinet peninsula distinguishes the kitchen from the breakfast room while low bookshelves distinguish the family room from the dining room.

At the homeowners prompting we also created a pass through between the kitchen and the existing dining room. New 42” tall wall cabinetry in the kitchen takes full advantage of the tall ceilings and complements the general aesthetic.

The new office is a comfortable and light filled space with windows on three sides, yet plenty of interior walls space for a desk and bookcases. The adjacent deck visually breaks up the exterior elevation of the home and provides a great outdoor space. It also limited the amount of interior finished space and by extension the budget.

Like many old homes, this one had some structural issues to design around. The existing unfinished basement had an areaway stair with poor drainage. The basement periodically flooded. To meet their budgetary goals, we built the addition on a crawl space, but were required to build a stepped footing down to the level of the existing foundation. By directing water from the rear yard to an adjacent alley, we were able to mitigate their basement water infiltration issues.

The value engineering process resulted in some compromises on their project other than siding the addition with Hardi-plank rather than brick. The deck at the rear of the house was completed by the homeowners. Likewise, on the second floor, we framed out a new shower in the existing bathroom, but in the new addition. The budget did not allow for installing a shower pan, tiling the shower, roughing in shower valves and fitting out the shower, but we did stub in the plumbing. The homeowners finished the shower later. The homeowners also supplied their own appliances and lighting fixtures.