Great neighborhood. Great schools. Wonderful lakes and businesses nearby. But, as is often the case, the house didn't quite work. It was a little tired, slightly outdated, and lacked an updated kitchen, a mudroom, a powder room, and oh yeah, a master suite. This project addressed all items on the wishlist [plus a few extras] by adding a modest two-story addition off the back of the house. Few projects we've worked on have benefited more from fewer additional sq. ft. than this one.

The addition extends the width of the house but is only 10' deep, not much larger than the rotting porch that was removed. What had been a dark, chopped up kitchen transitioned into a generous, light-filled space connected to the dining room with a new arched opening and the back yard with a bank of windows.

The kitchen is anchored by a 9' island capped with an oak countertop that ties in with new hardwood floors. And in keeping with an increasingly popular trend, this is not your gray and white kitchen. The cabinets are quarter-sawn oak, stained a rich chocolate color, and the island is painted a subtle blue-gray.

​But the most compelling aspect of the kitchen is the feature wall clad in barn wood reclaimed from the family farm. We love projects with a story, and adding knotted, nail-holed, weathered wood from a 100-year old North Dakota barn is about as good as it gets. Integrate a blackboard and you have a wall that not only looks amazing but organizes a busy family, as well!