The design focuses on the owner’s requests to create a “distinctive look” for the house without disrupting the harmony of the 1920’s neighborhood, while adding a new kitchen, family room, and mudroom that would improve the flow of the house.

In the original plan, guests arrived through the front door directly into the dining room. With the addition of a new porch and entry, the family now has ample space to welcome guests, hang coats, and store shoes under a built-in seat. From here space flows through an enlarged passage into the light-filled living room. Once a long, narrow, and dead-end space, the living room has been widened with a generous bay window to the west, and a new recessed fireplace to the east. To further improve room proportions, deep bookshelves to the north shorten the space. Beyond, French doors open into the new family room.

The kitchen and family room incorporate traditionally-styled detailing in the crown trim and paneled pilasters that carry throughout the home and help tie together old and new. Within this framework of detailing, modern custom-cabinetry brings a reflection of the Owners’ fondness for contemporary design while maintaining their desire to preserve a sense of the home’s history.

A short flight of stairs leads down to the mudroom, where floor-to-ceiling glass provides a visual and physical connection from the kitchen to the backyard. Tall cabinets on the mudroom’s east side store coats, boots, and recycling, while providing privacy from the adjacent neighbor.