So often we are contacted by homeowners that have lived in a space for years that doesn’t work for them and their family. They struggle with trying to make it work, when a renovation could help completely change the function of the space, utilizing every square foot for a purpose that serves the family’s daily needs.
When we first toured the Earl residence, it was immediately obvious that the main floor needed to be opened up to re-purpose the space. It was divided into two long narrow rooms with the kitchen, dining, and living room occupying one half of the space, and the other half was mainly unused other than for storing hockey gear.
The kitchen layout was impractical for the family’s use, with having to store pantry items in separate areas, some in a tall cabinet and others in the laundry room because of a lack of storage room. It was important to open up the living area to utilize the space more effectively and to create a lot more storage. The family also wanted a beverage center separate from the cooking area so that when they entertained or the kids had friends over, it was easy for guests to help themselves to a drink without trafficking through the kitchen. For this reason, we purposefully placed a beverage center near the patio door for easy access.
Kitchen Before:
Kitchen After:
A small patio door and window originally closed off views to the backyard, which we changed to a large 12 ft patio door to bring the outside in, highlighting the scenic wooded backyard.
With the family actively involved in hockey and sports, we also created a ventilated walk-in closet space to store their hockey bags and equipment when not in use, and a mud room with a bench and hooks for quick and convenient coat and bag storage.
A small master bedroom was a constant issue for the homeowners. To alleviate the problem, we moved the wall separating the living room and bedroom to give them more space. This meant the fireplace had to move, which they were more than happy to do because they love the fireplace and wanted it to be more inclusive to the open floorplan. Now it’s front and center and the first thing they see when entering the front door.
To complete the cohesiveness of the space, we also updated their stair handrails and created a bench at the front entrance that lifts open for added storage and it’s also practical for putting on shoes. We also found some personal display items from their wedding that were originally hidden from view in the random storage room that was unused before the reno, so we made sure to give them a glass display cabinet near the dining area where they could see their important heirlooms and it also served as a hutch to store wine bottles convenient to formal dining and entertaining.
Most homes have good structure and overall bones, but when there are walls separating spaces that don’t work for its owners, it’s a good time to see what can be done to create a space that’s functional for many years to come.
