A previous owner of this Chevy Chase Maryland home had put on a very, very small breakfast room addition. It was the right idea but didn't go far enough. This stingy little remodeling project did nothing to improve the functionality of the kitchen.
The new owners asked Gilday to design a kitchen addition that would accommodate their family of five. They also hated (desperately wanted to change) that the back yard door opened directly into the kitchen work area.
And so we did this......
NOW THE SPACE BREATHES. PATIO DOORS THROW NATURAL LIGHT INTO THE ROOM. A BAY WINDOW IS CENTERED ON A VIEW OF AZALEAS IN FULL BLOOM.
BEFORE RENOVATION (approximately same viewpoint)
There is a big advantage that comes with building a home addition: Adding space, the right amount of space, provides an opportunity for architect and interior designer to correct problems with the existing house. So you gain the additional room you need AND the old part of the house is improved in the process. Old lines up beautifully (and logically) with new. This way of thinking about design is at the core of the Gilday Renovations integrated design build approach to home remodeling.
The design plan for this addition slightly shifted the kitchen (about six feet) toward the center of the house. This resulted in several very useful changes that improved the old part of the house.
ONE. By shifting the kitchen over, it lined up nicely with the center hallway and dining room door. Before the addition, the view from the foyer toward the back of the house dead ended at the door to a powder room. Now that view looks into a visually pleasing kitchen instead of into a bathroom!
BEFORE RENOVATION: VIEW FROM THE FOYER DEAD-ENDS AT POWDER ROOM (KITCHEN IS THROUGH DOOR AT RIGHT)
AFTER RENOVATION
TWO. It allowed us to create that much yearned for back yard entry. By shifting the kitchen over, we were able to keep the original door to the yard and convert that area (the original kitchen) into a mud room.
AREA OF OLD KITCHEN IS CONVERTED TO A MUD ROOM INCLUDING HALF BATH
BEFORE RENOVATION (back door opens directly into kitchen work area))
THREE. We deleted the powder room at the end of the center hallway (gave that area to the new kitchen) and put a new half bath at the mudroom.
HALF BATH THROUGH DOOR AT RIGHT USES PLUMBING CHASES FROM FORMER KITCHEN SINK
HALF BATH NOW RESIDES IN A LOCATION THAT IS BOTH ACCESSIBLE AND PRIVATE
So that's how it works when you have a thoughtfully and thoroughly designed solution. It eliminates all the headaches. There is no better way to achieve creative solutions than with the design build approach. It just works. Last look....
THE NEW ADDITION LINES UP WITH THE ENTRANCES FROM THE DINING ROOM AND CENTER HALL
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