Project Progress

Couple of projects are moving along or have just finished.

The Kitchen renovation/blowout I wrote about in my May 4 article (below) is done. These are outside pictures while they finish painting the inside. The beige pic is "before", the green is "after. It is close, but subtle moving of the back door, exchanging the slider for a French door and adding efficient and larger windows really opened it up. The real proof is in the inside, which I will post when it is completely done.

The Dormer (also below) is now framed out and sheathed. A huge LVL beam let us open the whole room up, and the 1" exterior insulation stops the thermal bridging of the studs and gives us an R-20 wall. The area below the high awning windows is to be opened up to the hall below, though it is tempting to keep it for the attic room! One thing to watch out for with an adjacent gable pitch is to put in a significant "cricket" to guide the water flow away (far right).

Marc (MPF Construction in Abington) is a good builder. This is probably the 4th project I have done with him in this area.

And the Rear sunroom/front porch addition in Ambler is tearing it up. fully closed in, looking great. The contractor, Jon Domers, is a young guy new to me but has turned out to be a very contientious, smart and forward looking builder. I am really lucky to have guys like these on my projects.

Here we used U-.29 windows from Integrity, a combination of spray foam and fiberglass isulation in the walls and ceilings, and even R-30 in the floor. The windows on the left are tall but the sill is high enough to allow furniture, while the ones on the right are lower for a sunroom effect at the south-west table area. The room is light filled with a great view to the to-be-landscaped back yard.

The center gable is a bit shallower than the existing roof, but has to coordinate with the 2nd floor windows. The interior view and feeling is just great when you stand in the room, however. The center is set up for a specialty tile backboard and hearth, and a woodstove. Also, we used standing seam metal for the pitches we could see (front porch and rear gable), and EPDM for the out-of-site flat roof.

Row houses!

Row houses are cool. Our first one was in Roxborough. I learned plastering, electrical (cross yourself, close your eyes and connect the wires...) and resisting the Devil when my neighbor bought new vinyl windows while I rebuilt the original wood ones.

They are also a real PitA. With everything in America growing bigger, they have 30" front doors, 30" halls, 7'6" ceilings, postage stamp back yards, plumbing from before time began and electrical systems that defy comprehension.

That said, they are usually affordable, have great neighborhoods, lower fuel bills, proximity to active urban life, and fewer rooms to furnish.

That said, they could use a couple more rooms to furnish and to stick the kids in or to have friends over.

In the rowhouses I have designed new or renovated, the common issues are: new rooms off the back, a new kitchen and maybe a PR on the main floor, laundry upstairs and a person-sized bath on the upper floors. Oh, and throw in a roof deck for the fireworks. I have also deepened the basement (not for the faint of heart!), replaced the front brick facade and cleaned up the Living room-to-kitchen visual axis.

In a new home in the Italian Market, this axis gave us an archway to the dining room, large pass-through at the kitchen, and large windows opening the a deep back yard. Nice if you can get it, but a cool growie or sculptural element on the back garden wall can be rewarding as well.

For adding new rooms to the back, the typical one is over an already expanded kitchen. The structure is already there and it is a logical place for a bedroom, bathroom, office or what have you. It usually depends on the existing bedroom and bath layout what you can do there. The other cool thing is that since they are so simple you can go very modern or very traditional and have it work.

For a deck, use either the next floor up rear room roof, or, if you want an additional bedroom or family room there, add stairs to the main roof. That's where the view is! All in all, it is a cross between a sailboat and a Rubik's Cube, but with care you can open things up a bit and make the (cozy) home of your dreams.

Now is the Time to Build!

What?!?

What I mean is, there are several good reasons to do your project now.

· Despite the recent gloom, many of us still have seen long term appreciation in the values of our homes, so additions may well give you the value you are looking for while not out-pricing your neighborhood (if carefully planned).
· Life goes on regardless, the kids grow, need room, living spaces just don’t work for your lifestyle anymore. In many cases, the neighborhood you are in is terrific, and a careful addition will allow you to stay. If you need it, you will get the value out it.
· If you could benefit from the addition, renovation or expansion, so will others, so the resale value and saleability of your home will be improved. That said, do not do an addition for speculation; do it because it will enhance your home and life.
· If well planned and executed, you will get better use and pleasure from it than the stagnant or dropping stock market!

At Black Dog, our approach is to be practical, beautiful and as cost-effective as we can. This does not mean cheap, since building is always a significant investment. It means the design is well thought out, not excessive and suits your requirements.

That’s value.

Dormer Progress report

The project is built and is a huge sucess! The upstairs famly/playroom is almost 6' deeper and had great light and a view to the park. It will make a good master suite later. The smaller windows light the 2-story stairwell and the entry is updated. The owners also took the opportunity to upgrade to Hardie plank siding, extended eaves and new windows, and promise that the pergola will come!
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The previous posting referenced a dormer project. It has evolved a bit,with the simple goal of expanding the upper floor leading to an awareness of how important the entry is. The new roof meant we had to redo the entrance, so we are enlarging the roof, keeping the simple shed look, and adding a pergola across the front.

This references a classic front porch, and enhances the impact of the entrance. It also keeps it open for landscaping while shading the south facing windows.

The window pattern above reflects the spaces behind: the awnings are over an open shaft for the stairs, while the double-hungs are in the playroom, tons of light and a great view to the park across the street.

Since we are replacing the roof anyway (which started this whole thing!) we are also adding overhangs to the gables, part of a little style change from the basic ranch that we began with a neighbor (the green craftsman buglaow on the Residential Design page).

There are some structural challenges to this type of addition, notably the floor must be adequate or beefed up,and adding this dormer to the existing rear dormer meant either a massive ridge beam or a smaller one with posts. The solution depends on the layout of the house.

So, a simple idea has plenty of challenges, but plenty of benefts as well. Keep in mind that things are rarely as simple as the basic idea seems to be, but then, with some thought, the rewards can be just that much greater!

Less is more

A recent article in Parade Magazine made me think about just how much is needed when we do an additon or renovation. Their basic point was that the recent recession has made us more conservative financially but more to the point, looking harder at the value of what we do and have. The contrast is easy, of course, and almost cliche'd: pre-recession= big cars, larger homes, pulling money out of thin air via rising housing values. Post-recession= more careful spending (duh!) and looking more at function and rationality.

Looking back at the past couple of years, I have certainly had to do with a lot less. I bring this to the table with projects now, sort of an existential paring knife. Two possible projects make me think of this. One is the expansion of an attic dormer across a ranch house for more useful space. Another time this would have been ripe for a new 2nd floor. This time we realized the existing space is actually really interesting, and the value of the structural machinations, new windows, flooring, systems, etc, for a dormer could be worth it. Still, the big question to be asked, are you staying or not? Sort of like a car. You spend a rediculous amount of money for something that only wears out. No future value, but considerable present value. In a house, you can get both, but the break-even point should be if you will get to use it, because you won't get your money back as an investment.

The other project is an in-law suite. The folks are helping support one of the mothers-in-law, and realized it would not only save money for her to move in, but would bring her closer to her grand kids, and as a bonus, be a valuable addition to the house, one that any family could use. There is always a yin and yang, of course. The design must give both parties autonomy as well as proximity, but in a healthy household, the value is both present and long-term.

The priorities should be quality of life, I think. That is best helped by good design that may include expensive things, but at a minimum must include opportunities for the special moments in life.

Dog and Memories

Kemper passed away shortly after that last post. As anyone with an older and loved pet will know, she leaves a big hole in our lives. I think we still expect her to answer the door when we come home, though, sad to say, life goes on and that expectation is slowly diminshing. Which is why memories are so improtant, and with life to demanding, so dependent on reminders.

We buried her under a dogwood tree in the back yard, which has been steadily receiving all our pets, including the last 3 favorite cats. With a simple flat stone and small garden, it is a place to remember and to be reminded as we go through our day.

We should put places like this in our projects. Trees or special places at the end of a vista or along a path, or niches, shelves or walls kept bare on purpose to receive the pictures of those we love. Great cabinets or terrific storage space or the perfect tve spot is one thing, but we need to remember to remember.

Plan some places, spaces and views into your designs, to remember.

Old Dogs and New Kitchens

My black dog, Kemper, is aging rapidy. Almost 14, best as we can tell from what they told us at the Women's Humane Society when we got her, her hips are giving out, eyes are going, can't (or won't) hear me when I call. We used to go for long walks every night, but she barely makes it around the corner now, and God forbid I try to cross the road with traffic coming!. She is still a sweetheart, but we have do things differently and can't do the grand efforts we once did. We have to rethink what we do with what we have.

Stay with me here, but this brings me to my next point, working with what we have (and of course, accessibility, which I talked about in another post, below).

In this area, most of houses are fairly old, ranging from the building booms in the 30's, post war 40's and the 60's. Many folks contact me for additions, citing unworkable or crowded plans, especially as the kids grow up. The first thing I usually do is to look at what the existing structure and plan will allow and see what is possible in the existing shell.

Basic rule, it is often a heck of a lot cheaper to remodel than to add on with new structure. To that end I share 3 examples.

First, a current project is in a small colonial, typical to this area. Very small. There is a reasonable shed-roofed addition out the back off the kitchen. The clients, a young couple, want to renovate the kitchen from the old dark interior room it is. We went through almost 15 versions, each modifying a previous one. I tried to keep an eat-in area with a table and possibly a large window seat, and we considered breaking out the back for a larger mudroom. We also had to accommodate the greyhounds, of course!

As it evolved, a host of other issues came up and we are now extending the kitchen far into the addition, opening the walls into the dining room to give more use to a formerly vestigial space, and creating a wide open wall from there to the living room (see also the green Craftsman house on my website, and phot below). Using the dining room better meant we did not have to have a 2nd eating area so close to the kitchen, could better use a peninnsula for casual seating, and revamp a laundry and mudroom area. The old house now has flow and light! Sure a few beams, a lot of drywall and total chaos for a while, but radical changes to the existing house, no new foundations, no loss of yard, no wierd hallways, and no cutting off older rooms from the outside.

The 2nd example is a modest kitchen in a regular colonial, center hall, kitchen in the back. A previous remodeling had added a family room and utilty wing and inadvertently turned the kitchen into a glorified hallway. The owners are old friends and were doing it themselves, so essentially planned on simply replicating the old layout. A friend with a strong design sense (the interiors of the same green Craftsman on my site) stopped over and looking at some closets and odd walls left over from the old remodeling, suggested removing closets and revamping the layout. Suddenly there is prep space, the fridge is banished from a central location and there is room for the wife to let her husband stay in the room trying to be helpful...

Small steps with in the existing footprint, great results.

The last project was bigger, in theat it involved the whole house. A 60's ranch, which, because they are so deep, have a high ridge which allows 2nd floor expansion. We opened up the dining room wall, renovated the kitchen by combining utility space with the old kitchen, added a master suite on the 2nd floor and added trim details and windows to change the character of the house. All within the existing footprint.

And all of these allow full living on the same level, allowing effective use as we age. So consider what you have and how it can work better within those limitations, before you add on.

And be sure to plant something pretty at the end of the yard, like a dogwood, for a goal to walk to when you can't get across the street anymore.

Porches

As spring finally comes on strong, my thoughts turn to sitting outside, picking up the guitar, popping a brew, waving hi to friends in the neighborhood, in short, sitting on the front porch and relaxing.

Porches have become a threatened species, in part because we have re-oriented towards the back, with decks, patios, pools, etc. But they still can serve us well. For instance, all this isolation is turning the neighborhoods into ghost towns, and making it easier to just sit inside. This hurts the kids most, I think, since getting out into the neighborhood is such a bit deal, instead of just having a porch to play on, or act as neutral ground between the house and the street.

We have an older colonial in a small neighborhood and I love sitting on the porch swing in the summer. I made a new railing with a wide top to allow an easier perch, and judicious plantings give some privacy while still allowing interaction with the neighbors. I also extended it along the house as a pergola, with vines for sun-screen in the summer.

On a current project, we are removing a tiny useless entry stoop and roof and adding a porch. It faces east and as soon as the clients saw the idea they took to it as a place to have coffee in the mornings, work with their lap-tops outside and have a sheltered place to arrive when coming home. And on a recently finished addition to a split level, we added a full porch to give Mom and Dad a place to sit and observe the street while the kids ran around the neighborhood with their friends.

This is perhaps the most important sub-conscious aspect: safety and comfort. Seeing the porch a visitor immediately knows the front door, there is shelter for visitors and for the resident coming

home, a place to meet and greet guests and a safer buffer area to meet with visitors you may not want to invite in. The idea came to me when the clients had a vague idea of wanting to spruce up their front door area, and while at the house I saw a friend with a gaggle of kids arrive and try to get in out of the snow. A porch would have been a perfect haven.

It's a place to take the prom pictures, let the teenagers romance, play your music and best of all, it says “Welcome Home!”.

Some Interior Remodeling Tips

A friend and great interior designer, Lisa Furey, now becoming known as the Barefoot Designer (!) recently sent out some great tips to consider when looking at interior remodeling. Enjoy, and check out her site www.lisafureyinteriors.com, 610.688.4201.

Looking at remodeling?

No one likes to cut a budget, but when it comes to planning a remodeling project, you need to establish a realistic budget...and actively manage it. Believe it or not, there are ways to stretch your budget while still ending up with stylish results.
- Be creative - discuss your design objectives with your contractor, then come up with multiple solutions in varying price points.
- Paint, rather than make structural changes to a room, if all it needs is a facelift. Changing the room's color is the easiest way to revitalize it on a budget.
- Install heavy or textured wallpaper to a slightly damaged wall rather than replace it. If there is existing grasscloth, consider whitewashing it for a fresh, sophisticated look.
- Faux finish minor wall damage - the texture will hide imperfections where flat paint could not.
- Do not move windows unless absolutely necessary.
- Borrow space from an adjacent room rather than add square footage to your home. - -- Linen closets are often good spaces to start with, as are spaces between wall studs for niches of bookshelves.
- Optical illusions are another way of borrowing space - installing bow or bay windows, skylights or vaulted ceiling creates great transformations.

If you are going to expand the footprint of your home, consider a bump out out of 2 to 4 feet - this may allow you to cantilever your floor joists and eliminate the need for excavation. Be careful not to extend beyond your roofline as this may require the addition of a new roofline to your job.

And don't forget, if you are adding space, be sure to consult with an HVAC contractor to help determine if your system will accomodate it or if a new system maybe required.

Planning ahead ideas

As I have said before, this is the best time to be planning, so you can hit the ground running when the weather breaks. So, while you are planning or dreaming, consider the following ideas. They apply to both renovations and new construction.

• A welcoming and functional entry is important. Don’t just pour visitors into the living room; give them some sort of arrival. It also helps with departures, giving you a step between an activity and leaving, to say goodbyes, get the coat, and remember what you brought…
• Consider fewer walls and less compartmentalization: For instance, develop a great room and eliminate the formal living room and dining room spaces, or in renovations, open up between the two. A word of caution: This suggestion is aimed at increasing the usefulness of the spaces you have. Sometimes, being too open can result in losing privacy, or not being able to “get away”.
• Try to include a “respite” space, or what architect/author Susan Susanka calls an “away space”—a room outside of the great room that allows for alone time. This could be a family room where the kids can go if the living room is being used, or a private space to get away to;
• Create flex rooms that are multifunctional and can be used in different ways such as an office or as a den—depending on styling and furniture.
• Be careful about wasting too much space for circulation.
• Don’t sacrifice warmth-inducing touches, such as built-ins and fireplaces. Think about special details like a window seat or special windows to add natural lighting and create the illusion of space.
• Consider visually interesting ceiling treatments—beams, coffers, lighting or just a paint color other than white;
• Look for storage opportunities using wasted space, such as under the stairs, for storage. Try extending kitchen cabinets to the ceiling, with smaller units at the top for rarely used items.
• Don’t neglect outdoor areas, from the porch to the patio. Look at those spaces as a way to expand the living area. Many older homes have poor connections to wonderful back yards.
• Rather than a passé U-shaped kitchen, remove cabinets from one side and add a center island, which can create a gathering place in the kitchen, while keeping visitors out of the cook’s way, or allow them to help in preparations.
• Use color: White walls don’t inspire and make small spaces feel dull.
• Above all, don’t be boring or cookie cutter. There is always room for amenities and luxurious touches. Just design them in carefully.

Reasonableness, Restraint and Value

Architects frequently get accused of pushing for design uniqueness at the expense of reasonableness or cost control. While I am certain that happens, I would justify it, sometimes, as seeing opportunities and benefits that are worth the additional costs. Some energy efficiency details, or special windows or doors, taking advantage of a great view or some built-ins are like that. Doing a 2-story stone-faced fireplace in a budget family room is not.

I prefer to look at my designs as if I had to pay for them and live in them, and ask, is the value there? And conversely, is it not there? Meaning, you are spending all this money for fees and construction, it had better be special in some way!

This is why close interaction and communication, and your preparation before had, is so crucial. We get one chance to do this, let's do it right!

Which brings me to my hint:

One of the most helpful activities you can do while considering or beginning a project is to collect images of things and places that inspire you. There are a host of influences that we are all subject too, from early memories to a great vacation place, which set the stage for the character we are after in our design.

Collecting images, and even objects, helps bring all this out. It is especially helpful where there are two people involved, since this stage can bring out the differences as well as the similarities, and helps find common ground before the big decisions have to be made. The end result should tell an over-arching story, as well as giving us details to fill in that story. For instance, are you looking at just an enhanced kitchen, or a family room, or master suite, or new kid space, a better connection to the outside, a great porch, a cozy nook for winter, a grand façade to tell the world you are here?

Keep in mind that the design should start with the big picture, and the details fill in later. A good design is a work in progress that evolves as we go along, and you may find that the initial pre-conceptions fall away as we progress! So, start with a gathering of influences and let the ideas develop naturally.

Fixer-uppers, renovations and old houses

I was reading an article in the Inquirer the other day (Dec. 9, section E (business)) about fixer-uppers being where you will find value in this market. A couple of points rang very true. First off, we should realize that in this mature area, we are more likely to be in an older home than new, but the points should be considered if shopping for a new home or considering renovations.

First, you can often buy "more home" since it should be priced to sell for less than a corresponding new or freshly renovated house, and can put your personal stamp on it more easily. Actually, you will probably have to put your own stamp on it, since there is always work to be done! This may not be a pro, depending on how handy you are.

The character issue: the styles are often historic or common to a community, ie, the bungalow styles common to our area, Victorian, older colonial and even the split levels so endemic to the region. With a 4th floor, there is tons of room for familys in the splits. Older homes often have more interesting windows, rooms, trim, porches etc, than cookie-cutter production homes. You can often buy a smaller home on the bigger lots (parts of Rydal and Roslyn are like this), letting you add on at ground level. And you will be part of an established community, sometimes with several generations of families still there. And best yet, you may be closer to a town center and all the amenities than out in the boonies.

With all that said, you still have to weigh the amount of work requried with the benefits. Look carefully at the electrical and other utilities service, condition of the HVAC, windows, water damage, roof, and other critical components. Just run-down or older can often be fixed up with a new kitchen counter or coat of paint, or light fixtures, where the big stuff is what will be expensive.

Lastly, live in a place for more than a year before you add on, just to really understand the flow of the house and what the real needs and opportunities are. It may surprise you,and end up putting its stamp on you!

New Years Resolutions and Accessibility

Happy New Year! Let's hope this is a better one, which signs seem to indicate it will be.

One of my resolutions is to pay more attention to accessibility. I ended up getting glasses when the ADA came out, trying to read all the fine print, but as is often the case, it remained a technical abstract, radii and reaches to be complied with, but not fully understood.

Until my back went out. I had hurt my back before, but this time it siezed up totally, then progressed into severe sciatica. I could barely walk, sit, or get back up and getting into or out of a car was torture. I was becoming the poster child for wizened. One day I stood up and it had all re-centered, and I am back to regular mobility, but more careful now.

This wake-up call has led to a greater understanding and compassion for folks who have to live with physical conditions, permanantly or not, since some day we will all need help. Provisions have to be built in at the start of a project to allow adaptation as time goes on, especially if you see yourself aging in place or having older relatives live with you. These could be as simple as putting plywoood blocking behind the walls in the shower or next to the toilet for grab bars and wider space to allow for the bars, wider doorways for future wheelchair or walkers, watching out for thresholds, lower thermostats or switches, or more in-depth such as adaptable counters and cabinets, sloped walkways, direct access from a garage, or a wider stair to allow for a mechanized climber.

Some provisions are general and can be simply built in without fanfare. Others are specific and need to be discussed early in the project. Whatever your needs, give it a lot of thought before you design and build, and let us help you make your castle work right for you.