Schematic Design

Our clients purchased this 1970's style home in 2004. At the time, it was perfect for them as they were just thinking about starting a family. The home had more than enough space to entertain friends and family and they were thrilled to be in a vibrant neighborhood with loads of young families, wonderful parks and an easy commute to the University.

As their family grew both in size and years, so did the amount of "stuff" that was needed for a busy and active family of four. The home that originally had ample space, was rapidly becoming cramped and disorganized.

In addition, the home was aging and things were starting to fall to disrepair. With very busy work and family schedules, it became overwhelming to try and manage the clutter and the upkeep, so they more or less just gave up. They considered looking at other homes, but realized that they didn't want to move from the neighborhood they so dearly loved.

They came to Meadowlark looking for solutions to help them make their home function better for their busy lives and to bring back the love that compelled them to purchase the home originally.

Their wishlist included:

• A front entry that would manage coats/footwear/misc storage with a bench that visitors could sit on to take off their shoes
• A laundry/mudroom that would help manage the day-to-day activity and the associated laundry 
• A larger eat-in kitchen with a casual table for family weeknight meals 
• Loads of bookcases for their very large library of books
• A desk/study area for the kids and for at-home learning
• A minimalist open concept design with a focus on maximizing opportunities for natural daylight
• a better outdoor experience in both function and aesthetic
• Remodel all three bathrooms
• A casual living area in the basement with an added bedroom and bathroom
• A covering over the front porch to protect visitors from the elements
• Better flow throughout the home with both family and private spaces
• An exterior facelift to get rid of the "UPS brown"

Design Development

This '70s style traditional colonial had the traditional layout — separated rooms each with a function. The client was longing for more open communal spaces that would allow everyone to be together when it made sense, but also have private spaces for study and quiet. 

Our designers looked at opportunities to reconfigure the first floor flow to create public and private spaces with loads of accessible storage.

The whole-home renovation and addition included:

• A large open entry with a wall of customized storage cabinetry
• A large laundry/mudroom/dropzone area with customized storage including a built-in kimchi refrigerator
• A private den area that could multi-task as a music/crafts/study room
• A 238FT2 dining room addition with a vaulted ceiling and large windows
• A large open-concept kitchen with two islands
• A unique eat-in kitchen table built into a kitchen island
• A family room, 3/4 bath and bedroom with egress window in the basement
• Updates to all existing bathrooms
• A stairway to the existing family room loft space with customized bookcases
• Exterior updates, which included new siding, a screened porch and new patio area
• A covered front entry portico
• New windows, doors and insulation