A true relic of the 60’s, this 1200 square foot home was literally sinking into the landscape and lacked appeal, access and imagination.
The goal of this complete home renovation was to turn the existing space into a more open livable plan that also took advantage of underutilized exterior areas.
Removing overgrown trees and vegetation, creating a new river-like walkway through a simple Japanese garden and entering onto a ground-level deck area compliments the simple form of the exterior.
A closed in and dark kitchen area was transformed to open into the living area and out onto the deck. It features the clean lines of slate counters, high gloss cabinets, pendant halogen lighting and gourmet appliances. The old fireplace has forced the living area down 5”. A centered high-efficiency gas fireplace with plasma TV above, hidden stereo components and floating shelves maintains the open feel of the home. The master bathroom featured 2 sinks and a toilet at bedside. A reconfigured floor plan allowed for a large ensuite with separate sinks and walk-in shower and a completely new main bathroom.
Floor to ceiling windows and doors continued the desire to open the space to the deck and garden.
Other features included rearranging the hall and laundry to add in storage, an office space and to unify the feel of the home using laminated glass doors and moving the new high efficiency furnace into the crawl space.
This complete home renovation featured a small house with a big open feel, an ideal retreat offered as an alternative to condo and townhouse living.
Before the renovation, this house had an entry walkway that went through the carport, no defined exterior living spaces and overgrown and disorganized plantings. Using clues from the simple West Coast Japanese look of the home a simple Japanese-style garden with new fencing and custom screen design ensured an instant feeling of privacy and relaxation.
A busy roadway intruded on the limited yard space so the garden area was also redefined with fencing. The new river-like walkway moves the visitor through an odd number of vistas of simple features of rock and moss and strategically placed trees and plants – features critical to a true Japanese garden.
The single front driveway and yard was overrun by vegetation, roots and large gangly trees. Stamped concrete, simple block walls and small garden beds provided much needed parking and created interest in the streetscape.
Large cedars with tall trunks and heavily topped umbrellas were removed to provide light and to allow the construction of an outdoor living space that effectively doubled the living area of this complete home renovation.
Strategically placed walking stones, minimalist plantings and low maintenance yard plantings eliminated the need for heavy watering while providing an oasis for its visitors.
