28 Feb Before & After – A First Floor Home Renovation in Winchester
The Need for Transformation: Unveiling the Vision
Our clients were ready to make a major change to the first floor of their home to make it more functional for their family and modernize an outdated style. They wanted to open up a formerly boxed-in floor plan and completely rethink the layout – it appeared to them that a new addition would be the only way to achieve these goals.
Before: In the original layout, the typical 1950’s/60’s style of closed-in rooms, outdated wallpaper, and pastel bathrooms show how ready this home was for a complete renovation.
After. Their wishlist included a revamped kitchen with plenty of storage and a great flow for entertaining, a welcoming front entry, and three reconfigured bathrooms.
Analyzing the Original Layout: Challenges and Opportunities
In crafting a plan to realize these goals without resorting to a home addition, our in-house architect, Nancy Twomey, offered guidance on renovating within the existing structure. By taking a top-down approach to reenvisioning the first floor layout, we were able to design an entirely new layout.
Prioritizing Vital Spaces: The Kitchen Transformation
Beyond moving the kitchen to the front of the house (the former dining room), we moved a wall back to create space for an expansive kitchen island with a sink and workstation, cabinetry curated for their needs, an induction cooktop, and built-in ovens.
Before: Limited counter space, outdated appliances, and a less-than-ideal workflow hampered the original kitchen.
After. The best way to achieve the homeowners’ goals of opening up the floorplan and expanding the kitchen into a modern, fully functional, and inviting space was to relocate it to the front of the house.
Front Entry Transition: Warm & Welcoming
The formerly dark and disjointed front entry was transformed into a light-filled and welcoming space that seamlessly leads into the newly relocated kitchen, offering a first glimpse into the dramatically redesigned first floor.
To achieve the desired effect, we removed the dated tile flooring to seamlessly extend the wood flooring throughout the first floor for a streamlined, timeless aesthetic. We claimed empty entry space by moving the kitchen opening up and converting a little-used hall closet into a much more functional built-in pantry that opens into the kitchen.
Before & After: Replacing the old white door with a crisp 9 Lite navy blue style created visual impact, and allowed the natural light to flood in and you get a glimpse of the kitchen as you enter the home.
Side Entry Redesign: A Place for Everything
Reconfiguring the layout allowed us an opportunity to carve out space for a functional mudroom just inside the redesigned side entry. With plenty of storage and space for the homeowners and their guests to drop their coats and bags just inside the door, it’s easy to keep clutter and the outdoor elements at bay.
Decades Dissolved: A New Life for the Bathrooms
Before: The home’s original bathrooms and laundry area were a time warp of dated mid-century styles, in need of a complete overhaul for functionality and aesthetics.
After. While their footprints were fairly small, we got creative with wallpaper, fixtures, and hardware to achieve an upscale, modern style. To accommodate the new laundry area, we moved the location of a door and opted for a stacked washer and dryer to maximize the use of this space.
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