Photo Credit: Craig Thompson

Faced with a situation that may require a more accessible living space, rather than shop for a new house, the homeowners decided to renovate the home that they loved.

With several key features in mind, the homeowners and their architect began to envision an addition that would blend seamlessly into the rest of the traditional home. Careful consideration was given to all accessibility concerns while keeping with the design aesthetic of the existing home.

During site preparations, it was determined that a large maple tree needed to be removed to make room for the new addition. The architect knew an artisan who crafts custom furniture out of local lumber and brought him to the site. He created a table made from a slice of the tree trunk which serves as the centerpiece of the family room, near where the maple originally stood.

One challenging new feature involved closing in an exterior patio to create an indoor garden space where plants could grow year round. A special gravel system in the newly constructed planter box allows water to drain naturally. The sun filters in through the large glass windows and skylights warming the natural stone floor which then radiates the heat into the space. An energy efficient split system provides supplemental heating and cooling, although it has only been necessary during the most extreme weather conditions. Since the existing exterior wall is now an interior wall, the old windows and doors were refinished and can be opened into the garden room, creating a truly unified space.