HILLTOP ROAD

An underused room across a hall presented the opportunity to enlarge a kitchen for a young family. Leaving the existing cabinets in place, new custom cabinetry was added to match the old and provide eating and studying areas in the new space. The basement entry was reconfigured into a mudroom with a porch addition adjacent to the parking area. A master suite renovation on the second floor increases storage and updates the master bathroom.

DAIRY ROAD HOUSE

So the daughters could each have their own room, a master bedroom was added to a Cape Cod style house with a screened porch and mudroom below. A portion of the existing roof was removed to connect the new spaces to the existing 2nd floor, and a small office was tucked in between. The first floor was extended to make room for a larger kitchen and dining room with a side mudroom entrance. A meat smoker that’s in frequent use resides on a new terrace with connections to both indoor and al fresco eating spaces.

Contractor: Weston Construction
Cabinetmaker: Vaneri Studio

BELMONT FARMHOUSE

The original configuration of the house connected to the landscape via dilapidated porches. They were removed, and a screened porch and terrace were constructed to allow for outdoor living. Rooms that can eventually serve as a first floor master for aging in place were configured in existing space. A three story addition includes a new staircase connecting all levels, a mud/utility room and dining room on the first floor, a master suite with large windows overlooking the property on the second floor, and a kitchen for brewing beer and making cheese on the basement level.

Contractor: Peter Johnson Builders
Cabinetmaker: DD&T Custom Woodworking

ROSSER LANE

A seemingly unremarkable 1960’s ranch house in a quiet neighborhood hid some unique details that were worth preserving and amplifying in this renovation: redwood siding, aluminum windows, soapstone floors, and wormy chestnut cabinetry and paneling. The owners, an art glass curator and a professional gardener, wanted a modern interior that expanded the aesthetic of the unique finishes, connected to the landscape being developed by the gardener, and solved existing moisture and energy efficiency issues.

Contractor: GME Builders (formerly Edenali)
Cabinetmaker: Vaneri Studio

ATLAS COFFEE

A space the size of a mobile home was gutted and built out as an espresso bar. At 400 square feet, customer seating needed to be maximized, so equipment was fit into minimum dimensions, with electrical and venting requirements worked into any leftover spaces. The narrow room was visually expanded by vaulting the ceiling. With a tight budget, off-the-shelf materials were used for interior finishes. Charcoal gray concrete was formed on site for the countertop, and sections of metal roofing and salvaged doors were used as cabinetry panels. Tabletops from an out-of-business sushi bar were cut down to form the bar top and shelving. Graphic design of the logo, signage, and retail merchandise was included in the scope of work.  

Contractor: Buck Clark

BEECH HOUSE

This house had a lot going for it:  incredible mountain views, a copper roof, and solid structure, but its original 1970’s finishes had not been updated.  Both artistic, the new owners wanted to infuse a sense of style into the tired interior and make some much needed repairs.  A crumbling concrete terrace was covered in Ipe, and a cable rail was installed to allow for nearly uninterrupted views.  Cherry millwork and heart pine flooring transformed an unfinished attic into an office and library, and a screened porch was renovated and enlarged, with a portion of it becoming a much needed mudroom for a very large dog.  

Contractor:  Ovation Builders

DOWNTOWN FAMILY HEALTHCARE

An automobile paint facility was converted into a medical office. Keeping overhead costs low allows the health care providers to accept a large number of Medicaid patients, so the construction budget for the upfit was kept to a minimum. Natural light and open space were at the top of the wish list for the new office.  The square footage was divided into three intimate patient care areas that are interconnected, each containing exam rooms and work space for the providers. The patient’s experience – the ability to remain oriented, maintain privacy, and transition comfortably through the sequence of steps involved in a medical visit – was the priority in this design.  

Contractor:  Alexander Nicholson

ARDWOOD HOUSE

The challenge of maintaining the scale, language and character of the original cottage while enlarging it to accommodate four children was further complicated by a conservation easement  limiting the footprint of an addition to 400 square feet.  The owners’ collection of antique house parts (including antique light bulbs) was incorporated both inside and out.  

Contractor:  John Smith

POND VIEW

A brick ranch house did not befit the art collection housed within, and the panoramic view of mountains, rolling hills, and ponds were minimally acknowledged through its original windows.  A glass breakfast room was added facing the view, and a glass-walled art studio was built above an existing garage.  Antique Asian doors from the owner’s collection were retrofitted to be operable doors, and the the installation of a rotating “fire orb” ensures that a log fire is visible from any direction.

Contractor:  Abrahamse & Company Builders

GARDEN HOUSE

An existing formal boxwood garden behind the house determined the orientation of this garage, master bedroom, and nursery addition. From the master bedroom’s private balcony, the owners have a birds-eye view of the garden’s colors and patterns and the pastoral yard beyond.  The underside of the balcony is enclosed as a garden workroom.  The nursery is under the eaves; its location directly above the master bedroom keeps the baby within hearing.  A formerly underused basement is now better connected to the backyard and allows convenient entry to the house from the car.  

Contractor: Peter Johnson Builders