Design Confidently, Live Comfortably




On the first floor, our ultimate goal was to open up the house to the garden, letting the light from the south-facing backyard pour through to the front. To do this, we moved the kitchen from the rear of the house to the center, where the dining room had been (see Floor plan). This was not as difficult as it sounds: Most of the plumbing and wiring were already exposed in the garage beneath, and both needed an upgrade.


An older home in a new light What was once an outdated kitchen in the back of the house became the breezy and inviting "green room," so named for the vibrant color of its walls.

In place of the old kitchen, bath, and utility room, we made a comfortable and light-filled family room, extending the house 3 feet and creating a bay of windows overlooking the garden. An 8-foot-wide French door that opens to a small back porch completed the connection.

Next, we opened up the wall between the old den and our new family room. The light pouring through from the now-open family room transformed what had been a dark interior space into a wonderful dining room. We then opened the wall between this new dining room and the new kitchen, creating a great flow between rooms that is especially terrific when we're entertaining.

Timeless space While contemporary furnishings fill the front parlor, details elsewhere, including reproduction hardware and a copy of the original stair rail, maintain the period look.


The one room on the first floor that we left virtually untouched was the front parlor. A small room to the right of the entryway, it functioned well as a place for visitors to congregate. It had a lovely marble fireplace and beautiful moldings, which we used as our inspiration for moldings in the rest of the house.

The entry hall leading into the parlor was another matter. It needed opening up, and here, we got lucky. Demolition of the ceiling and walls in the entry revealed dead space that enabled us to raise the stairwell ceiling, making the space more airy and welcoming. Removal of the wall at the back of the entry allowed us to rebuild the second half of the stairway, which was dangerously steep. This required a second section of stair rail, so we had a woodworker replicate the original newel post and spindles. The completed railing runs all the way up the stairs, the new portion blending seamlessly with the old.


NEXT: Second-floor Fixes Install 21st-century Comfort

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