Home Makeover – Case Study – The Kitchen Architect℠

This is a single case study in what can be accomplished with some professional assistance. The house was built in 1965, and very little had been done to it since then. The client’s mother owned this home (and the client had actually lived here as a child!) when she passed away. The house was stuffed with a lifetime of, well, “stuff.” The “Before” photos will give you an idea of what the client was facing in trying to fix this up for sale. Pretty disheartening….

It’s often very hard for a homeowner who is so close to a project to have a vision of what’s even possible. We added a mere 390 square feet, which allowed for an additional bedroom/bath suite downstairs — for an au pair or visiting relatives — and opened up the old galley kitchen to the family room. The exterior had some non-structural, yet cost-effective and visually impactful changes.

The client worked very hard at getting this house cleaned out, and selected some nice updated finishes that had universal appeal. She let the home stager do their job, too. When the house was put on the market, it sold almost immediately. Certainly, they recouped far more than the cost of their architect’s design fees!

In thinking about your own project, are you imagining what’s really possible?