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My Houzz: Rejuvenated Ranch
A 1970s Vermont home gets a stunning, ecofriendly, contemporary update
Joanne Palmisano, author of Salvage Secrets, Transforming Reclaimed Material Into Design Concepts, September 2011, with W.W. Norton (New York * London). Her book is listed in Architectural Digest Magazine, Holiday Gift Giving Guide as well as great reviews from HGTV, Fine Homebuilding Magazine, Apartment Therapy and many more.
She is a project contributor for DIY NETWORK and a guest blogger for Houzz, Goodwill, Daily Basics, Rejuvenation, and of course, has her own popular blog, http://www.salvagesecretsblog.com. Joanne's design work has won regional and national awards. She also is a stylist for magazines and catalogs, including This Old House Magazine.
Joanne Palmisano, author of Salvage Secrets, Transforming Reclaimed Material... More »
Tom Marrinson and Allison Beach bought their 1973 split-level ranch home In 2000 — more for the land than the house. "The house was solid, but we really bought it for the land. The property is beautiful," Marrinson says. "It even has a waterfall on it." They lived there for more than 10 years before exploring major repairs. "Replacing the windows ballooned into redoing the whole house," Marrinson recalls.
With the help of David Pill of Pill-Maharam Architects and Chris Conner of Conner and Buck Design Build, the couple transformed the dated 2,700-square-foot ranch into an energy-efficient contemporary home. Marrinson wanted modern, but Beach was concerned that the style would be too cold, so Pill presented options that would allow them to meet in the middle, and the remodeling process began.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Tom Marrinson and Allison Beach
Size: 2,700-square-foot ranch-style home
Location: Hinesburg, Vermont
Architect: Pill-Maharam Architects; builder: Conner and Buck Design Build
With the help of David Pill of Pill-Maharam Architects and Chris Conner of Conner and Buck Design Build, the couple transformed the dated 2,700-square-foot ranch into an energy-efficient contemporary home. Marrinson wanted modern, but Beach was concerned that the style would be too cold, so Pill presented options that would allow them to meet in the middle, and the remodeling process began.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Tom Marrinson and Allison Beach
Size: 2,700-square-foot ranch-style home
Location: Hinesburg, Vermont
Architect: Pill-Maharam Architects; builder: Conner and Buck Design Build
| The kitchen was relatively small, and some of the living spaces were dark, so the couple gutted most of the house to welcome in more light and encourage air circulation. "One of the big changes about our home is the way it now feels due to the energy-efficient measure," Marrinson says. "Before, we always felt drafts, and it was hot and cold in areas. Now our house heats evenly and is much more comfortable, and I can already see the difference in our energy usage. It's a good thing." The pantry and the refrigerator, usually placed along a wall in most homes, are housed here in a center islandlike wall that separates the dining room from the kitchen. |
| The previous homeowners had converted the one-car garage into a sunroom, which Marrinson and Beach rarely used. "It became the junk room, because when we all came home, we just threw our junk in there," Marrinson says. With the remodel this space was totally changed. Large windows were placed in the south wall, walls were removed, and the stairs were relocated. Now the erstwhile garage houses the kitchen, dining and entryway. So what once was the least used room in the home is now the most used. |
The beautiful custom kitchen cabinetry and the island butcher block are made of local maple wood. The open design lends itself to a contemporary, clean look that makes the space feel larger than it is.
Kitchen cabinets: Lucarelli Woodworks
Kitchen cabinets: Lucarelli Woodworks
| Open shelving in the kitchen provides easy access and tons of storage. A cozy sunroom off the kitchen is put to good use. |
| With some stairs removed, the back wall of the pantry and the refrigerator can now be seen from the new, open entranceway. The wood closet doors and stairs warm up the entryway. |
The counters along the wall are made with soapstone, and the upper cabinet has glass on both sides, allowing light to shine through. This clever design feature brightens up the hall and adds an artistic touch.
Efficiency and flow throughout the space are apparent, with materials, colors and design turning three once-separate levels into one beautiful and bright living space.
| The living room and television area, which once housed the kitchen, are now separated by a partial wall with a built-in entertainment center on one side and a bookcase on the other. This keeps the spaces open but allows them to feel distinct. |
| Clean lines, light hardwoods, many windows and terrific pops of color in greens and oranges picked out by Page Frantz enliven the space. Concrete floors by Vermont Eco-Floors and fewer walls streamline the space. |
The renovated bathroom off the master suite now has two doors to provide extra access for guests. Cool colors, streamlined slate tile floors and maple custom cabinets conjure a spalike look.
| "The great thing about the exterior of the house was that we were able to retrofit the envelope to a higher energy efficiency, technically called a 'deep-energy retrofit,'" says architect David Pill. The exterior galvanized steel, from MBCI, and the fiber-cement siding, by Certainteed, are low maintenance and make the dated 1970s wood exterior a thing of the past. |
Galvanized steel walls and low-maintenance lighting fixtures are just a few of the contemporary touches added to the exterior.
| BEFORE: The 1970s split-level ranch awaits updating. |
| AFTER: A contemporary design with an exceptional energy envelope graces the land. All of the windows and doors are by Loewen and have simple lines and narrow framing, in keeping with the contemporary feel. More: Houzz Tour: Living Luxuriously With Nature Houzz Tour: Warm Mid-Century Makeover Next: Tour hundreds of inspiring homes |
Comments
darklis I love this; think it's bright, contemporary - and achievable.
15 months ago · Like
Becky Harris Very cool. It's wonderful to see how someone took something that might have seemed dated beyond repair and made it so fresh and ahead of the curve.
15 months ago · Like
bethnapier Love this! The flow and spatial treatment are terrific.
15 months ago · Like
collins design This is one of the best ranch re-dos I have ever seen. I'm really impressed!!!
15 months ago · Like
jen29 I love this remodel, especially getting to see the 'before' picture of the exterior, because my house is similar (including the awful junipers!). I would love to see a floor plan.
15 months ago · Like
Molto Bene Studios love this! What is the flooring?
15 months ago · Like
tasannie Not my style, but do really admire the clean, yet earthy, colors contrasted with white. Especially love corrugated metal for a country house.
15 months ago · Like
Patty Calvano Impressive! Well-done!
15 months ago · Like
Susie Q Design Studio Beautiful home, great style. I am thoroughly confused though. Maybe someone can write an article and clarify some style issues. I always thought a ranch style house was one story at ground level; a bi-level has a ground level entry, with stairs to a raised level and stairs to a lower, partially below ground, level; a tri-level is a ground level main floor and a partially raised story over a partially underground level and can even have a sub-basement. Is it regional terminology that is confusing me? And what exactly is a raised ranch? My sister, who is a Realtor in Chicago is always talking about these. My house is one level, over a finished basement with small windows and eight foot ceilings but I have to walk up stairs to get to my front door. Do I live in a raised ranch? It is a little embarrassing to be asking this question because I have a degree in interior design. I don't want to embarrass myself anymore.
15 months ago · Like
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amybarnwell What kind of gravel did you use for walkway? Any prep to ground before putting it down?
15 months ago · Like
Mariska Just a wonderful renovation and out of the box thinking.....
15 months ago · Like
Kate Zylstra, LEED AP What a gorgeous home! I love the bright, open interior.
15 months ago · Like
Nancy Sloop suzieqdesignstudio, except that I don't have to walk up more than 3 steps to my front door, your house sounds like mine, right down to the finished basement, though mine is a walkout basement where my parents are planning to move when we finish the renovations. To me, a ranch is a house which spreads over the lot, rather than is stacked up on it. 
11 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on Feb. 16, 2012.
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