After first meeting the owners of this outdated 80’s home in South Charlotte, we quickly realized they were at a critical impasse. Having lived in the residence for 20+ years, the owners grew fond of the area and accustomed to their home. However, as an aging couple with an empty nest, it was time to put the house on the market or rehabilitate it to fit their specific needs. Selling the house was a last resort, so we were faced with the task of developing creative solutions for the entire home with a phased approach. First, the discussion began with the need for a sunroom and deck, leading out to a private back yard and future pool location. We then turned our focus to the master suite, which was terribly outdated and inadequate for an older couple looking to “age in place”. The halls and doorways were narrow, the bulky tile tub deck was unnecessary, and there was a need for a barrier free shower and other important elements of universal design. Next, the discussion turned to the heart of the home, the kitchen. Even though the children moved out of the house long ago, they started their own families and were frequent guests for big family gatherings. The existing kitchen would not allow this, with failing appliances, minimal storage, and an inefficient layout. Finally, the owners mentioned many other upgrades needed throughout the home, including the laundry room, a powder room, office, and an entire first floor of weathered hardwoods. Where to even begin?The strategy was to create a “master plan” addressing each individual need for each area of the home, which would then be addressed in phases over time. The owners had been burned in the past by less than desirable contractors and were understandably cautious to tackle this daunting task all at once. However, once we began “phase 1”, we quickly gained their trust, and even more quickly were politely forced to expedite the future phases for one continuous project. It began with a brand new sunroom with full window coverage bringing maximum natural light into the new space. The main challenge was to seamlessly break through into the existing home, while dealing with a brick exterior and a large brick chimney with a fireplace that would remain. We ultimately worked both of these into the new design while creating two different openings into the existing space, one of which was a custom pass through wet bar. We then built a custom wrap-around deck that would lead down to the future pool location. The next phase included a complete master suite reconfiguration. By re-purposing an old screen porch to become part of the master suite, we were able to free up much needed space for a walk in closet and even more space for a free-flowing, accessible design for a couple aging in place. The halls and doorways were widened, leading into a large master bathroom, featuring a heated tile floor, separate vanities, and a large barrier free frameless glass shower. We then moved into a couple “accessory” areas of the home that included a beautiful new powder room update and an office reconfiguration. As we neared completion of this phase, we had our sights set on the final, most difficult phase. The kitchen wing of the home included an outdated kitchen with a tiny footprint off of a large, underutilized sitting area, adjacent to an existing laundry room. The strategy here was to capture the unused sitting area and laundry room to make one large, open kitchen. The laundry would be relocated towards the back of the hall in place of small bathroom and enlarged by building expanding the space into the garage. We then captured some unused space underneath the stairs and created a new powder room off this back hallway. There were major structural implications to all of this because the walls being removed supported an entire second story. This impressive new kitchen features ample storage and functionality, generous clearances and seating, and all the amenities to cook a gourmet meal and entertain an entire family or group of friends. We were somehow able to execute this massive entire multi-phase, multi-faceted home remodel as one extensive, continuous project, while making accommodations for the owners to live in the home throughout the duration of the work. They were so pleased with the work and the level of professionalism, we’ve become valued friends of the family and were even invited over for the next family gathering!