Old Meets New
For this renovation of a 130-year old home, the clients’ primary goal was to preserve the home’s historic integrity. They wanted exterior and interior updates that respected the original style while incorporating modern elements. Additionally, they requested that the house include modern “smart” home features, such as digitized utilities, an advanced sound system, enhanced security, and energy-efficient solutions.
The original home featured a floorplan with small, compartmentalized rooms. Our goal was to maintain the traditional flow of spaces even after most of the walls were removed.
Project size: 2,375 sf (original house), 90 sf addition at 2nd floor, 400 sf covered deck
Program: Respectfully modernize a traditional home.
First and second floor plans as they existed prior to the renovation
the transformation
The front of the house still features a formal parlor, while more casual living and dining areas are situated farther back. A central two-sided fireplace, located in the original spot, divides the formal and informal spaces, creating separation while still offering clear sightlines across the entire floor.
The clients also wanted a spacious kitchen for entertaining, complete with modern amenities like a built-in coffee machine, concealed pantry storage, and a built-in dog feeding station. The original kitchen was isolated from the rest of the house, so we made sure the new kitchen opened to the adjacent spaces without sacrificing storage or functionality.
The interior design combines traditional elements with touches of modern whimsy. The redesign also added a small second-floor expansion to accommodate a guest bathroom.
In addition to the interior work, another important goal was to seamlessly connect the living space to the outdoors. To this end, new porches and landscaping were designed to create a warm, inviting atmosphere for guests while providing natural barriers from urban surroundings. The focus is the covered rear deck, which features built-in space heaters and serves as a three-season room perfect for hosting neighbors and friends.
View from the entry, through the parlor to the kitchen beyond
Dining area adjacent to the kitchen
The kitchen features lots of storage and a bright white look
Colorful wallpaper decorates the powder room
View from the kitchen
The formal parlor
some backstory
We began working with the homeowners in early 2021 when they planned a large two-story addition at the back of their house. After finalizing the design, which would have doubled the home’s size (adding 2,400 SF), we encountered a lengthy permitting process. During this delay, the clients decided to scale back the project. We were tasked with redesigning the house to keep the essence of the original plan while staying within the existing footprint. This posed a challenge, but we ultimately created a more efficient design that incorporated all the clients’ key requests. While the path to construction took longer than expected, the clients’ collaborative and enthusiastic approach made the process enjoyable for everyone involved.
Plans of the completed project
rear porch
rear porch
Storage in the second-floor office provides a place to hide a Murphy bed for guests
Whimsical wallpaper decorates many of the rooms
