When these Waltham homeowners bought their house in 2015, they were thinking ahead. The cape-style home is located on a double lot, so they knew they'd have plenty of room to expand. The final plan included renovating the kitchen, dining room and living room; adding a mudroom and two-car garage; and building a deck off the back.

The original narrow kitchen didn't have enough space to accommodate something the homeowners really wanted: a large island. The solution was to knock down a few walls and flip-flop the kitchen and dining room. That created room for an island that includes a sink, dishwasher and seating for four.

As anyone who has young children can imagine, the new mudroom has been a well-loved addition. It measures 10' x 8', offering ample storage space for kids' gear and more, and now serves as the primary entry point into the home.

One end of the mudroom opens into the garage, while the other end opens to the back deck. The deck represents a major improvement over the concrete slab that used to occupy the backyard — and is getting a lot more use.