Remodels
Small houses such as this Detroit Tudor-inspired design are common in American suburbs built from 1920 until about 1940. Simply for their scale and modest appearance, they are sometimes referred to as bungalows. As mentioned by the designer, this house could also be called a cottage, though that term usually associates with being located near a body of water.
Back in California, we find this remodeled Santa Barbara bungalow. It lacks the broad porch but makes up for it in details such as the eave brackets and bracketed pent roof over the forward windows. This house probably straddles a line between being a ranch style in bungalow form and a true Craftsman. This gives us another flavor, the modest ranch bungalow.
Variations in the column detail are a charming Craftsman trait and often a stamp of the architect or carpenter on the design of a specific house. The columns of this house have a full-height tapered design. The first house has small double columns on pedestals. The two previous examples have tapered half columns on masonry pedestals.
Though the Craftsman bungalow began in California in the early 1900s, it quickly became popular throughout the United States. This Delaware example holds up to a century of architectural experimentation just as freshly as the day it was built. In true form, a generous porch fronts the house. Several roof forms are found on Craftsman bungalows, but a side-gabled version like this one with a centered gable dormer is a favorite. Most plans included at least two bedrooms and a bath along with the living areas on one primary level. The attic rooms were often left unfinished when built, later to be filled as more living space was needed.
This remodeled Alabama Craftsman bungalow closely resembles the first example. Notice that the double-sash windows of each of these houses have a single pane of glass in the lower half and multiple panes in the upper half. This type of window is common in Craftsman houses and can also be found in other styles, such as Shingle. More noticeable in this example than the others are the open rafter ends peeking out from under the eave line. This is another distinctive trait of the Craftsman style. At the turn of the 20th century, this was a significant departure from eave forms enclosed by trim and classical entablatures of preceding fashions.
AFTER: Hallock reconfigured the space, moving the bathroom off the hall and taking over the space with the back bedroom, which now has its own door for access to the hall. She and Griesdorn mounted the stained glass piece on top of an existing window for privacy. Hallock isn’t sure exactly when her business partner began to envision herself in this home, but the investment project turned into a labor of love — Griesdorn wound up creating her own home.
BEFORE: This bathroom-laundry occupied the back corner of the house. It was accessible only via the existing middle bedroom (now the study) and the back bedroom. Also, one had to walk through the middle bedroom to access the back one. Match up the small window to orient yourself in the following photo.
The cozy sitting room has ample space for a chest of drawers and one of the master suite’s two double closets. The five-paneled doors are new but appropriate to the period. The knobs are antique. “Our contractor, Brooks Hart, went above and beyond when it came to tracking down antique hardware, the right doors and other elements for this project,” Hallock says. Chaise: Mis en Chic; chest: John Widdicomb Co.
This cozy study was formerly the middle bedroom. None of the bedrooms had closets before, so Hallock had to work them in. The bumped-out area in the back-left corner is the closet in another room. The closet for this room is on the other side of the desk, just out of view. The two closet bump-outs create a niche for the desk. The colorful fish rubbing is by local artist Greg Aragon.
Hallock created a work triangle with a small island between the refrigerator, sink and range. The dishwasher is placed so one person could work at the sink and dishwasher and another at the range without their getting in each other’s way. Cabinets, sink and Nougat quartz countertops: Ikea (the gray cabinet color is standard); range and refrigerator: KitchenAid; dishwasher: Bosch; vent hood: Whirlpool; beveled white subway tile: Lowe’s
AFTER: You can see how Hallock enlarged the opening seen in the previous photo and created the bedroom hallway on the right side of the room. Because there were two roofs applied over the years, adding insulation, they were able to tear down the low ceilings and go all the way up to the rafters. The higher ceilings make the space feel larger, and the rafters add a rhythm overhead. The dining table was an Overstock find. Griesdorn painted the chairs herself with milk paint to inject bold color into the room. Chandelier: The French Nest Marketplace
The front door, two front windows, built-ins and fireplace are original, as are the heart pine floors, which the duo sanded and stained dark. They commissioned Florida stained glass artist John Wallace, whom they found on Etsy, to create colorful leaded glass windows for period-appropriate character.
AFTER: Hallock removed walls to open the public spaces to one another. “I wanted people to be able to see all the way through and out to the backyard as they entered the house,” she says. “We also wanted to take advantage of the light from the southern exposure on the back of the house.”
Before
For years the house had been divided into two units — a studio on the left and a two-bedroom unit on the right. Hallock reconfigured the layout to turn it back into a single-family home. “The new layout gives a clear separation between the public and private spaces,” she says. On the plans (click or tap them to enlarge), you can see how she turned the main unit’s kitchen into the master bedroom on the front of the house and reconfigured the back of the house into the new kitchen (left). Also, the middle and rear bedrooms (right) had a railcar-like setup; you had to walk through the middle bedroom to get to the back bedroom and bathroom (the dashed door on that plan is not yet existing). Hallock reconfigured the rooms to allow for a hall bath and a more functional flow.
Original tile floor
AFTER: The cheery paint and new landscaping have created a welcoming facade, restoring the home to a neighborhood gem.
Before
Location: St. Petersburg, Florida Size: 1,308 square feet (121.5 square meters) Year built: 1920
The floor plan of the first floor shows the location of the master bedroom on the left.
The floor plan of the ground floor illustrates how the extension fits together with the rest of the building.
AFTER: Jackson made sure the couple’s bedroom had plenty of light by adding two skylights and painting the room white and gray-blue. She also whitewashed the floorboards. She got crafty and made the valance herself out of leftover linen. The bedspread is from Pottery Barn. Pictures of her boys adorn the walls, depicting them when they were very young.
BEFORE: The layers of paint that had accumulated on the schoolhouse’s walls once covered its beautiful period features, and had to be sandblasted away over a number of weeks.
“I had to have the sandblasters in for three and a half weeks,” Jackson says. However, once the layers of paint had been removed, the building’s original Victorian features were revealed. “That was my favorite part of the whole project,” she says. This process was particularly effective in the dining room, where many features, such as the original stone beam supports, were exposed. Jackson tried to preserve as many features as possible. The windows, for example, are original, although they did have to be resealed. To bring more light in, she fitted eight copper wall lights throughout the dining and living rooms. To maximize heating in these large rooms, Jackson installed a wood-burning stove in the original fireplace.
When the couple started renovating the old schoolhouse, one of their first tasks was to remove the multiple layers of paint that had accumulated over the school’s history.
The open doors of the extension create a seamless transition between outdoors and in. The flagstone pattern was designed by Jackson. She wanted an ecofriendly space and filled the gaps between the stones with plenty of gravel to facilitate good drainage.
The kitchen island next to the well is custom made. “Everything had to be built around the well to make it part of the scheme,” Jackson says.
The kitchen is in the extension. The most eye-catching feature in here is a brick well, which was discovered by the builders. While Jackson was excited about uncovering a piece of history, it put a bit of a dent in the construction timeline, as it was in the spot where the main supports were supposed to go. “It took two weeks longer because we had to add additional supports,” she says. “But it was worth it.” The well was restored using surplus bricks from the renovation and is fully functional. “We actually have it hooked up to two exterior underground reservoir tanks,” says Jackson. “We have no shortage of water.” The well is quite deep, plunging 27 feet. “We haven’t dropped anything in there yet,” she says, laughing, but to ensure that doesn’t change anytime soon, she had a wood and glass lid made that allows both unencumbered views and safety.
Rather than porcelain or ceramic tiles, there’s cork flooring in both the utility room and the kitchen beyond. Jackson soaked samples in water to see which would be most water resistant. “I wanted the flooring to be soft and warm,” she says. The cork also acts as a shock absorber — a boon with three young boys racing around. The door with stained glass in the utility room, which leads to the kitchen, is made of antique pine. “It came from an auction house in Nottingham,” Jackson says.
Although the main entrance leads into the living room and dining room space, Jackson and her family usually use this left-side entrance, which leads into the utility room (part of the extension) on one side and the sons’ bedroom on the other. There’s also a cloakroom on the left. The staircase leads up to the master bedroom; the little cupboard underneath is ideal for storing shoes and coats. The staircase is not original. “The school was only on one level, but it had a really high ceiling, so we added another floor,” Jackson says.
Victorian Schoolhouse The big doors of the schoolhouse are painted a smart duck-egg blue for a stylish welcome. Jackson emphasizes that she didn’t want a high wall that would shut the property away from the rest of the village, so there are short walls topped with Victorian-style railings around the front garden.
1. Go with ready-to-assemble cabinets. The biggest cost in a kitchen remodel is new cabinets. The most expensive option is going custom, for which the cabinetry is designed, built and installed to specifically fit your space. Exotic woods, ornate details and period styles will add to the cost and delivery time but result in a one-of-a-kind kitchen. Custom cabinets can cost $10,000 to $60,000, as cabinets can range from $250 to $1,500 per linear foot. If your budget doesn’t allow for custom, but you need new cabinets, ready-to-assemble (RTA) is a good option. Ready-to-assemble or semicustom cabinets can sometimes be half the cost, from around $125 to $900 per linear foot depending on the material, style and cost of installation. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can assemble these yourself; if not you will need to hire a contractor. Semicustom cabinets are selected from existing designs and are prefabricated offsite in standard sizes, with limited options in terms of sizing, styles, materials and finishes. In-stock cabinets are for customers who want to grab their cabinets right off the shelf and get going. These stock cabinets come in standard sizes, shapes and colors. Since t...
3. Choose open shelving where possible. Open shelving creates interest in the space as well as saves money. Using salvaged wood or painted planks from your local hardware store for shelving is a cost-effective and functional option to display everyday dishes (items that don’t spend enough time on the shelf to accumulate dust). Open shelving can save a few thousand dollars, but while it may be tempting to do away with fitted cabinets altogether, they’re still valuable and efficient for storage, particularly if you have a small kitchen and a lot to pack into it.
2. Keep existing cabinets if possible. If your cabinets are good quality and you like the style, resurfacing is a great option. It’s amazing how color can transform a kitchen and a few coats of paint can give life to a once-drab space. Resurfacing and painting make for the most cost-effective option, but ensure that you take the steps needed to get a beautiful finish. A simple paint job might cost a few hundred dollars. But for a more extensive refacing job, $5,000 to $15,000 is likely if new veneer is added to the face of the cabinets. See how to reface your kitchen cabinets
AFTER: Folding windows by NanaWall connect the indoor and outdoor entertaining areas. "Hands down, our favorite feature of the house is the view and our connection to the outdoor spaces," says Houston. "We installed walls and windows that can be totally opened up in the summer. It really suits our lifestyle."
After: The kitchen is the first room the couple worked on. "We removed all the walls between the kitchen, dining and living areas to create a totally open space," says Houston. "I love to cook, and that’s where we all hang out."
Basement: Ceiling treatment. Another design challenge down under is awkward low ceilings that are cut up by ductwork, pipes and wiring. In this basement, the architects reconfigured the ductwork and created interest with perforated corrugated metal panels that are easy to remove for access to wires.
Q