What Should we do with the Back Room?
At Renovation Design Group, we love hundred year old homes! They’ve got so much character that you just can’t duplicate with modern construction. But with all that character comes some unique challenges that we regularly have the opportunity to improve.
If you live in a turn of the century neighborhood, it’s likely that you, or someone you know, has a “room” off the back of their home. I use the term “room” loosely because these spaces rarely meet our 21st century criteria for livable space. And yet, when every square inch counts, they tend to get used, a lot!
Originally, these homes had steep outdoor concrete steps leading to the mechanical room under the house and a concrete patio. At some point, the home’s occupants decided it would be nice not to have to walk outside in the winter to get to their furnace, so they enclosed the patio with walls and windows. What they did not do was add a proper concrete foundation, wall insulation, roof insulation, or heat to these rooms, which means the space is always too hot or cold and therefore never comfortable.
The East Central Expansion project, like so many others we’ve done, involved tearing off the back room and replacing it with many of the same functions it had before, but nicer! In addition to the upgraded stair, laundry, mudroom, and storage, the client’s favorite feature of their new space is a small seating area where they can enjoy the natural light and the view to their beautiful garden!
Interior:
The new interior is divided into three areas. The first is the main level laundry, the second is the ground level mudroom, and the third is the lower level storage room.
In the laundry room, we maintained the location of the doorway to the kitchen as that space was not being remodeled and was likely the original back entrance of the home. We then added an alcove for the washer and dryer, custom storage, and plenty of room to walk through.
For the mudroom, we placed the exterior door as well as the first portion of the u-shaped staircase in-line with the door to the kitchen. This creates a direct path from the kitchen to the yard for easy access. By locating the door to the backyard on the staircase landing, we saved space and eliminated the need for a second set of stairs on the exterior. It also helped define the mudroom as a separate space from the laundry room (two functions that don’t actually go too well together if you think about it). We continued the cabinets down the stairs for a cohesive look and designed the landing with enough room for multiple people to be taking on/off shoes and for seating. High windows on all three sides provide an abundance of natural light and views from every space and angle.
At the bottom of the second half of the u-shaped staircase is access to the existing mechanical room and crawlspace. Since the lot does not have a garage and there is not much space to add one without taking away from the yard, storage for bikes, holiday decor, and even yard tools was important for this addition. We decided to excavate under the addition to create a 100+ square foot storage room in the basement. The new space is large enough for storing items long term and easy access to the yard.
Exterior:
On the exterior, we carefully designed the addition to mimic the “feel” of the original back room but with a hip roof and large overhang that tie in better with the Bungalow style of the home.
The windows are larger and more modern than those of the original home, which feels like an appropriate variation on a theme and allowed for the natural light and views the homeowners wanted.
On the facade, we installed fiber cement siding in a gray tone that pairs well with the original brick and clearly differentiates the addition from the original home, similar to the addition that we replaced. The new siding is more durable and requires less maintenance than the wood siding of the old addition.
The timber pergola over the new patio creates a nice transition space between the new addition and the yard, helping to define a comfortable outdoor sitting area where the homeowners can spend time enjoying their garden.
Project Team:
Contractor: David Child and Jer Post, Solid Renovation Company
Interior Designer: Elise Post
Structural Engineer: Joel Whitmer, ATS
Windows: Mountain West Windows and Doors
Landscape: Landcurve and Ethos Landscape