renovate! :: the new series

The short version about the new series: I want to gather and show you inspiring exterior and whole house renovation projects.  Is it that simple?  Not exactly, but that is where I am going to start and I will go from there.

The first in the series is one of my favorites and is a whole-house renovation.  What I mean by whole-house is after the renovation the house looks very different on the outside than it did before.  It is not just a room-by-room interior renovation.  Thought is given to the exterior envelope as well as all the interior rooms.  Platt Dana Architects from New York renovated Hope Dana's Connecticut family home.   They took a banal and uninteresting home that had good 'bones' and was on a nice property and made it into a modern version of a 5-bay (5 windows across the front) farmhouse.  You may have seen this featured in Domino last year.

Look at the changes to the exterior of the house.  Note the different window proportions/sizes, they scrapped the bizarre brick corners for simple horizontal wood siding.  The vertical lines in the standing seam metal roof adds a bit of height to the roof.  They also recessed the front door slightly so that you have a bit of cover when entering the front.

photo from Domino article, October 2006

photo from Platt Dana Architects

Photo from Platt Dana Architects

Look for the subtle changes in the floor plan.  There are quite a few of them that when totaled together have a huge impact on the feel and function of the house.

floor plan image from Domino article

floor plan image from Domino article

And because I can't bring myself to deprive you of great interiors... Note the simple but quality materials on the inside.  They carry the horizontal wood paneling through the house and use the same wood floors in every room to tie them together.

photo on left from Domino, photo on right from Platt Dana Architects

living room before photo from Domino

living room after photo from Platt Dana Architects

photo from Platt Dana Architects

photo from Platt Dana Architects

Comments

[Bethany]

That house is gorgeous now! The wood paneling is really cool-- I don't think I've seen anything like this before. I love the roof now too. It doesn't seem like they did any huge changes or additions but what they did totally changed everything about the feel of that house! Thanks for sharing this!

[Michelle]

Wow - what a transformation!

[Sarah]

That is beautiful. We've thought about re-doing the exterior of our very blah ranch house, but we think we might just upgrade houses in a few years instead.

I love big old farmhouses. I especially like this one because even though it looks so big on the outside, the interior looks cozy.

[agota]

Wow, beautiful work! Thank you for sharing those images with us.
I love your blog too; so glad I bumped into it! Keep up the good work.

[Whitney Johnson]

It's so amazing what a good eye can do with good bones. Really, really amazing!

[Aimee]

that's a great idea. i love looking at before and afters of peoples homes. can't wait to see what you collect. :) it looks like you are already off to a great start.

[Lyz]

I love it! The house is sooo beautiful. I love to see people renovate rather than build something new. Kudos.

[kathleen]

Yes, that roof is something. What is it called when it is the silver color? It's perfect for that house.

[Liz.]

Wow. What a gorgeous home!

[Hooked on Houses]

This was a fun post. Loved seeing how beautifully the house turned out. Look forward to seeing more in your renovate! series. I've bookmarked your site and will be back. Thanks! -Julia :-)

[Bhavna]

Such an incredible post! I absolutely love 'before and after' pictures..of anything, but specially homes and spaces! Thanks for sharing Erinn! :-)

[visalia self storage]

I like it how it was conceptualized.

[Brendan Gertner]

Within a few years, you've managed to get your already beautiful house renovated to up the ante. This makes me wanna renovate my house in Vancouver in a few years' time, but I have to prioritize the repair of my roofing with the help of the contractors, to keep this house safe from storm for many years to come.

[bella]

cool!

[Kalona Mincey]

Awesome transformation! Its modern and a bit classic interior presented the drama touch really well! I love how it is renovated, especially the roofing design! It looks lovelier and I think it would look even more vibrant if painted with lively colors.

[William]

Beautiful transformation. Great idea to start with. Thanks for the post. I really like it.

[Double Glazing Birmingham]

Many home floor plans are centered on entertaining and welcoming guests the minute they step through the front door. A wide foyer opening into an open floor plan living and dining room and meandering to the outdoors would be perfect for guests visiting.