Case Studies

Gold Prism Award

Winner Builders Association of Greater Boston 2003 Gold Prism Award for Best Addition/Restoration under $250,000 (BAGB)

Project background:

The scope of the project included a new kitchen extension, a new porch and deck, remodeling of the master bathroom and the addition of a bay window to the master bedroom. Overarching goals of the project were to refresh the exterior appearance, make the interior more spacious and efficient, and bring light into the home.

The homeowner, a native of Florida, wanted an open, well-lit and well-appointed kitchen area that would allow for a view of the beautiful backyard pond while she prepares meals. The kitchen also needed a highly efficient layout to offer her a “workable space”. In terms of the exterior, an important objective was that the addition needed to look like part of the original structure.

Challenges and Solutions:

One design challenge lay in the fact that the small existing kitchen had only a single window with an oblique view of the back yard. Even in the redesign, the kitchen cabinetry would need to be mostly floor instead of overhead to maximize view of backyard and pond. It was very important to the homeowner that the addition appear consistent with the existing house. This meant achieving a balance between a refreshed look and the original style of the home.

Excercise room addition to custom homeWe tore out the existing kitchen and turned that space into a new, open formal dining area. We built out an addition for the new kitchen space, emphasizing a bank of four windows directly overlooking the pond. Next we created a central island with more cabinet space and additional surface area for food preparation or informal dining. The island also provides a sense of enclosure for the kitchen while allowing generous natural light into the adjacent formal dining area. The clean layout of the kitchen area meets the owner’s stated preference for symmetry and balanced proportions. New windows, particularly the bay window in the master bedroom, helped refresh the home’s appearance, while a consistent roofline helped marry the addition to the existing structure. Top-quality elements such as windows, appliances, and fixtures helped modernize and beautify the home’s appearance inside and out. The updated house offers a sense of spaciousness and natural light, in striking contrast to the old design. The dramatic before-and-after shots of this project demonstrate our success in meeting and exceeding this homeowner’s dreams.