Tradition Reimagined in a Stunning Combination of Heritage and Modern Comfort

Challenges

• Uninhabitable living conditions: The previous homeowner used this residence as a cat rescue facility. The stench and odor of this home was extensive and overbearing. We needed to demo down to the structural walls and paint all surfaces with Odor and Stain blocking paint.
• Aging Exterior: The exterior of the home was completely original and needed revamping. Retaining walls were caving in and the rear deck was falling off the house. Renovating and updating the exterior became a high priority.
• Awkward Layout: Homes in this particular neighborhood were mostly built with awkward layouts throughout. Most homeowners disapprove of them enough to tear the homes down while some try to make due. This customer wanted us to work with what they had. Altering some of the structural components was challenging. However, the open floor plan in the kitchen and the cathedral ceilings in the family room proved worth the effort.

Solutions & Features

• Exterior Alterations: The large screen porch really brings the back yard to the main level. The steep slope in the grade of the rear yard prevents immediate access to the outdoors from the main living space. This elevated screen porch on the main level gives the customer more reasonable access to the outdoors. The outdoor fireplace and television bring a modern cozy feeling we all desire for gatherings and entertainment.
• Additional Fireplaces: This customer put a high value on masonry fireplaces. The original house had one large fireplace in the middle of the home with two fireboxes on the main level and one firebox in the basement. This greatly impacted the flow of the home. So the client decided to close multiple fireboxes and built two new chimneys. One in the family room and one (previously mentioned) on the screen porch. The beautiful Chesapeake stone veneers really bring them home.
• More Access: The original home had little to know access to the main living space. To fix the issue, we added stairs in the garage leading up to the kitchen so the customer can have direct access to the most important part of the house right after parking their vehicle. We also added rear doors to the basement for easier access to the backyard patio.