Adding On

Photo progression of den addition

For the greater part of this year, I was busy working on a home remodeling project. It took a lot of time and energy, but I really enjoyed the process and learning about how homes are built.

We tore down a much-loved covered porch and built a den in its place. This addition expanded our home's square footage by about a third, which when starting at 1,200 square feet may not seem like much, but it has done wonders!

Our goals were to:

1. Create a new laundry space, which would free up the former laundry space for much needed closet space
2. Create a space for brooms, instead of having them permanently on display in the kitchen
3. Create a space for our cat's litter box, previously located in the guest bathroom, which was less than attractive when entertaining, especially for the feline-averse
4. Create a coat/storage closet
5. Create a dedicated home office space, so as not to take over the kitchen table
6. Create an additional place for watching TV and doing yoga/exercise videos
7. Keep the feeling of the outdoors, since we would be losing the majority of what we had
8. Create a covered walkway from the garage to the house
9. Reuse our French doors
10. Respect the style and character of our 1920s bungalow, including matching the trim work and using reclaimed hardwood flooring, antique doors and hardware

All in all, I would say that we were successful, not only in meeting all of these goals, but also in keeping to our budget and timing. We owe many thanks to my sister, a talented interior designer, and to our builders, Steve, Marvin and Trey, of Morris Hullinger Design Build (MHDB).

The idea started with some plans that the former owners gave us when we bought the house, although we did not end up doing what they had planned exactly. From there, I began to visualize the space with our needs in mind using a nifty website called floorplanner.com. (Online, you can see the designs in 3D, which is really fun, but they don't copy well to the blog.)

Below is the concept design, the one that I showed the builders when we first met in February, followed by two more as needs changed and ideas solidified. (The backyard is still a work-in-progress, however.)

Floorplan 2-20-11

Floorplan 3-24-11

Floorplan 7-20-11

While we have been enjoying our new space since Labor Day, this blog post is actually well timed. Why? Because in sharing this addition with you, we are now also able to share with you that we will be welcoming another new addition to our family in the spring. A baby!

Expected completion date: 4.15.12. We are thrilled!