Open vistas are great if there is something worthy to see, but if your view is linear and stretches from one end of the kitchen, through dining into living, that’s not so good. Ranch homes frequently have this “open” look, but sometimes it’s not well thought out.

PROBLEM

The real problems with this house in Pinckney have to do with views, yes, but more importantly, proportion. The kitchen (A) is essentially bigger than the living room (B). With the configuration of the stairs (C), the dining area (D) is actually too long. The living room (B) space is small and extremely difficult for furniture placement. This house had the ‘bowling alley’ look that was present on both sides of the stairs. The beautiful sunroom (E) doesn’t look original to the house and must have been added. Notice that the volume of space trumps any other space in the house. This room is the desired space to spend time in, however, it feels cut-off because of the door (F). The hall bath (G) and master bathroom (H) were up for grabs since they were way overdue for a makeover. The problem as I saw it (beyond the obvious) was the oversized hallway (I). This was a place to start. SOLUTION

Clearly an addition was called for to add volume to the living room (K). We bumped out eight feet (J) along the back wall of the dining/living room. The sunroom (E) was begging to be opened up to the main living space, so we converted it into a combined lounge/dining space (L). The former window opening (M) in the kitchen was also opened up and a higher level counter (N) added (to hide kitchen clutter). The kitchen island was redone and moved closer to the sink counter (O) for cooking efficiency. Stools were added to a new, curved countertop.

Now there is more width to the path from the garage. To brighten up the darker part of the kitchen, we added a skylight (P). I took part of the front hallway (I) and put it to use. It was important to move up the back wall of the living room (Q) to make that room feel right. The homeowner requested a wet bar and we found the perfect place for it, especially since we were extending plumbing into that area for the bathrooms. I created more of an entry (R) by adding a coat closet (S) and another skylight (T) for light. The space behind that new closet was added to both bathrooms. The hall bath (G) now looks more like a powder room with the bath tub tucked in its own space (U). The overly narrow master bath (H) got a much larger shower and double sinks, bringing it up to today’s standards. Marcia Lyon is a professional remodeling designer, producing projects locally and across the U.S. and Canada. Her new book on remodeling design, “The Essential Planner for Home Remodeling,” is available at www.creatingspaces.net. Reach her at Marcia@creatingspaces.net or at 515-991-8880.