THE STORY
This home, built in the 1920's in the Harvard/Yale area, was originally built 950 square feet large on the main level and the basement. Like most homes built in this era, the kitchen (92 square feet) was small and lacked storage space. Our client needed a kitchen that could store their pans and dishes.

We had previously designed a garage/art studio for our client that ran into complications with neighbors. Because our client was a professional artist a major goal of this design was to create a place for our client to be able to create art in the home that felt like a separate studio.

The dining area was also small and the positioning of the space diverted access to the kitchen. This made the dining area double as a hall to the kitchen which made the space feel even smaller.

Because our client routinely had more than ten people over on Sunday, they wanted a space to entertain guests that could accommodate a group of that size. This meant that they would need a space where twelve people could dine as well.

The master bedroom was dark. Because it was located in the basement little natural light entered the room. Our client wanted to feel more connection to their beautiful yard especially hoping to be able to view the mature trees from a sitting area in the master suite.

THE SOLUTION

ABOVE: This was one of the designs that our client ultimately decided against. ABOVE: Another of the designs that the architect explored with our client.

After listening to their objectives the architect explored several options with our client. They settled on a design that added several feet to the rear of the home. By moving the stairs the addition off the rear of the home facilitated a kitchen that was nearly twice the size of the original, which created plenty of space to accommodate our client's cooking and dining ware. Although not huge, the kitchen was designed to feel larger than it really is because of the visual connection to the family room.

By strategically placing the new dining area it can be used on a daily basis by six or eight people, but can be expanded for larger groups into the adjacent family room to accommodate twice that number.

To keep the new living room more formal, the powder room was placed to block the view into the family room and the kitchen. The hallway now has more clearly defined circulation (see article on creating well-designed circulation pathways) than the old one by removing unnecessary doors and walls. Also, the door to the powder room was kept out of view from the public living room space to respect the privacy of visitors while making a more formal bathroom accessible to guests.

The master suite was moved to the main level and a small bumpout created a sitting space to view the trees while letting more natural light into the room. The suite also incorporates a walk-in closet and a private bathroom.

A split stair separates the living area, comprised of two bedrooms a bath and laundry area, from the art studio. This creates a sense of entering a separate space, facilitating the creative process. Although in the basement, the studio has several windows to bring in as much natural light as possible.