Recently retired homeowner’s literally lived outside in the front of
their garage
Front of house & entry was uninviting
Desired a comfortable area to entertain and “live” on the front of the
house – a really large house was not necessary – but quality & functionality
were
Wanted garage space back (existing garage was previously converted to a
room & a shop)
Wanted to capture space on unused back covered patio area
Desired an updated cabin feel to addition & remodel areas
Entire house was dated, confining & dark – wanted to upgrade to nice
materials
Kitchen was small, nook was small – house was compartmentalized
Wanted wide open area for entertaining
Desired larger master bath & master closet areas
Low maintenance materials desired
Living room sunken floor was not functional
Client’s Objectives / Expectations Met & Surpassed:
Design focused on front of house with existing garage “room” turned into
the Entertainment Room (owner named it the “Buddy Bar”) – the exterior doors
are left open 24/7
Designed for larger kitchen sink window to allow more light in kitchen &
connection to outside
Dramatic, appealing, rough-hewn, Douglas-fir, entry was created
˝ of the existing garage (converted shop) converted back to single car
garage & 2-car garage was added
Unused back patio converted to livable space in form of large dining
room & extension of living room
New materials lend themselves to a cabin theme with contemporary accents
– exactly what the owner’s wanted
Open feel created with vaulted & cathedral ceilings throughout kitchen,
LR, DR, entry & even the hallway to bedroom
1/4 sawn oak cabinets, with shaker style cabinet doors, knotty pine
plank floors, stone flooring, created warm, comfortable cabin feel
Design focused on use of quality materials
Master closet & master bath were added
Kitchen & baths used quartz countertops for low maintenance with glass
tile backsplashes for aesthetic punch
Difficulty of Obstacles Overcome:
Budget - always a factor – vinyl windows used on the sides & back of the
house, & an 12’ patio slider used instead of folding exterior doors, both to
save on costs
New vaulted & cathedral ceilings stick-framed under existing roof line
to allow open feel & for mechanicals (heating & air supplies, returns, & gas
lines) to pass from one end of the house to the other)
Existing front & side yards graded back towards house. Patio areas on
front of house were dug down substantially to allow for sloped drainage out
towards the front of the house.
