When construction costs were soaring, we undertook this whole-house renovation on a budget. Although marketplace conditions forced the clients to carefully edit their wishlist, we still managed to design a renovation that retained the charm of the existing house but (in the clients’ words) was “open, comfortable, exquisite, minimal, calm, and bold.”
We created a new layout for the main floor of their 1920’s Cape house to improve the flow from an expanded and modernized kitchen to the living and dining areas. The galley kitchen is wide enough for two people to work comfortably, or for future accessibility needs. We opened an interior wall to create a rear hall that runs from the living room through one end of the kitchen to the relocated dining room. This improves circulation and makes the kitchen a central hub. The real heart of the project is a jewel-box of an entryway addition with bench seating and storage. This small addition provides a needed passage from the living room to the rear garden. With glass walls, it not only provides views of the park-like garden but helps bring daylight into the rear of the house.
Not only are the clients delighted with the result, the project is National winner of the 2024 Chrysalis Award for Remodeling Excellence, in the Whole House Remodel under $500,000 category. Here are pictures and details of the renovation.