Built in 1921 as a one story cottage, this house suffered from a series of mediocre alterations over the years. The goal was to expand the living space on the first floor and completely rebuild the second floor to be fully functional.
It was decided that an ell addition would obscure the original details of the house and cut off light to the interior, so in order to gain more living area, the screened porch was enclosed to become part of the living space. A deck was added to take advantage of the sunny yard.
On the inside the first move was to add a real staircase above the basement stair to the second floor. This flowed right into the living/dining room. The new second floor layout now includes two generous bedrooms and a full bath. Dormers and skylights provide plenty of light and air flow. Slightly elevating the sill plate and modifying the roof pitch allowed enough headroom to make use of the whole second floor without destroying the “cottage” feel of the original house.
