There are many reasons people want to add a room to a home, yet surprisingly, these approaches are not always well thought out. What I mean by that is that the function of that new room might not be clear or have a clear identity. It should ‘not be just a duplication of rooms you already have - will it be another living room or another family room? It should be different in function and unique in character.

PROBLEM

This house, situated on a corner lot in Des Moines, Iowa, had a lower level (basement) garage with a flat roof. On this roof was a deck (A) with direct access (B) from the kitchen (C). The homeowners always envisioned the deck enclosed to create a room but they had no idea if they wanted a two, three, or four season porch. The latter is simply a full-time room with lots of windows. I tried to help them define their needs. Their living room (D) was formal, their family room (E), darker and cozy. I pointed out to them that when the room is constructed beyond the kitchen (C) and dining room (F), those rooms will be darkened. It is on the south side of the house, and the main entry to the backyard. The grilling function had to be addressed because now, grilling (G) is just a step away. At this point, the kitchen layout was up for grabs since it was tired, worn out and ready for an update. Their desire was to make the kitchen/dining area more cohesive and make it an open and comfortable place to hang out in. SOLUTION

We settled on an all-season room with a porch like feeling … essentially a sunroom (H). Enclosing the entire deck would make the room too big and not fit in with the proportions of the existing rooms. The positioning was important. It was essential to hold the room back to keep the kitchen sink window (I) exposed. The existing exterior door (B) needs to be moved over (J) for three reasons. One, to not conflict with the new exterior door (K) and two, to provide more counter space (L) next to the sink in the remodeled kitchen (M). The third reason is to make the room accessible without going through the kitchen. The new exterior door (K) opens out onto the deck, close to the intentionally broad steps (N) to the extended (and now stone) patio (O). Broad steps can act as a bench or places for potted plants. The deck (P) angles out, with a place for the grill (Q), still convenient to the kitchen. The balance of the deck brings people out into the center of the backyard. The new sunroom (H) is surrounded with operable windows and glass doors. The roof is shed style so we created some ceiling interest by drywalling a big portion of the slope, leaving widely spaced joists exposed. They are spaced perfectly to frame two square skylights(R), and repeat the pattern. The slope ceiling comes down to a point where it levels out flat. In true sunroom style, the floor is tiled. The new kitchen (M) has an improved layout by rotating the location of the refrigerator. To allow enough clearance for an island, the old refrigerator wall is decked with two shallow pantry style closets. This keeps the appliances in an L shaped layout, and public traffic goes outside of this path. The island is expansive and extends into the dining room (S) space slightly with a gentle curve. MARCIA LYON is a professional remodeling designer and freelance writer, producing projects locally and several other areas across the United States and Canada. Her two E-books on remodeling design are available on her web site www.creatingspaces.net. Reach her at marcia@creatingspaces.net or at 515-991-8880.