Views may or may not be important to everyone, but when a home is situated on a beautifully wooded lot, and the homeowner would rather be outside than inside, the views are paramount.

PROBLEM

This was a simple, little house built on a concrete slab. There is no basement, and the furnace and water heater (A) consume space on the first floor. The living room (B) has only one window and is also the center for all traffic.

The master bedroom (C) was great in the 1960s and ‘70s, but the fact that it has tiny closets and no separate bathroom is a liability for resale.

Two other bedrooms (D & E) have the best views of the house, which is a shame. The hall bath (F) is the only bathroom in the building and is also used for guests. The daily functioning area of the house, kitchen (G), dining (H) and laundry (I) are cramped and difficult.

The kitchen is short on counter space and the portable dishwasher presents its own problems.

The laundry area (I) is shared with the back door and access to utilities. There is no room for laundry baskets or sorting and folding, let alone ironing.

Without a garage, the cars stop somewhere beside the house (J). There was an exterior pump house that either needed to be re-built or addressed in some way.

This family wanted an up-to-date master suite but worried that it would consume the view. They wanted a great open kitchen, along with a family friendly home.

It was clear that they wanted to take advantage of the views of their large lot and let the sunshine in.

A big item on their priority was an attached two-car garage. SOLUTION

The bedroom and the kitchen competed for the back of the house location to add on. There simply was not a good way to do both there; so I suggested a second floor to create a private master suite with views all around. With that established, we could concentrate on the first floor.

The garage (L) really had only one place to be added. We made the garage large enough to incorporate the pump equipment (M) and add storage space for outdoor equipment.

The family entry (N) is large and centrally located. The living room (B) opened up and the stair (O) to the new second-floor consumes some of the dining area (H).

The addition off the back is 16 feet deep and has a cathedral ceiling and two skylights. This makes for a very sunny family room (P) and open kitchen (Q). There is even a corner pantry!

A wrap-around counter (R) will keep the laptop computers and will function as the “To Go” shelf.

The former laundry area (I) converts to a half bath (S), utilizing plumbing that is already there. Notice that the utility area (A) didn’t move. The office (E) became a laundry room (T) and a hallway. All bedroom closets turned into remaining bedrooms. The living room (B) now becomes a cozy conversations room (U). The new second floor features an opened ceiling stairway with a railing. This space will be used for the office (V). The cathedral ceiling master bedroom (W) has nice views and a private bathroom (X). This bathroom has everything including a bidet. A generous walk-in closet (Y) also has a view. Since there is no basement or attic, we created a badly needed storage room (Z) for Christmas décor, etc.

Marcia Lyon is a professional remodeling designer and freelance writer, producing projects locally and several other areas across the U.S. and Canada. Her new book on remodeling design, “The Essential Planner for Home Remodeling,” is available at www.creatingspaces.net. You may contact her at Marcia@creatingspaces.net or at 515-991-8880.