In 2014, contractor Bruce Fyfe and I completed an addition and remodeling of a 1970s home located in Hillsdale, New York. The original structure was built as part of a series of Scandinavian-themed, ranch-style homes.
The interior was dark and murky, and its small windows brought in hardly any daylight. Additionally, the interior of the house was trimmed in pine boards, contributing to its sense of gloom.
The bathroom and lighting fixtures were outdated; a few unfortunate changes during the original construction had resulted in awkward, barely usable spaces; and the walkout basement was completely cut off from the rest of the home.
At the time, the house had been abandoned for a few years. We found an interior column full of mice carcasses — a built-in mouse trap! — but that’s a story for another time.
Even before I was involved, the very hands-on clients had begun to remove the interior partitions to open the floor plan. They called us when they got to the point where the removal started to present some structural concerns.
To create a large open space with a vaulted ceiling, we installed a structural ridge beam, supported on one side by a structural post in the exterior wall and on the other by a “feature” wall.
The “feature” wall is clad in “mushroom” wood sourced from The Hudson Company in Pine Plains, New York, and screens the kitchen from the entryway. This provides a visual anchor for the stairs leading to the lower-level family room and patio. We used a glass railing for the stairs to increase visibility and continuity.
We rebuilt the living room wall facing the yard using Andersen windows, with large fixed glazed units set above vent awning windows at the floor level to bring in more light and ventilation.
Balanced and layered lighting is an important element contributing to a pleasant space. At the gable end, LED Wedge sconces by Belfer Lighting offer slick contemporary and energy-efficient uplighting. The room edges are accented with an alternating pattern of LED light shelves and spotlights.
The new open-plan kitchen cabinetry is by IKEA, with some custom detailing and a soapstone counter. The cherry bar counter screens the kitchen from the living space and creates a spot for a “quick snack” or a conversation during prep time. The horizontal cherrywood slab adds to the rich pallet of materials: soapstone countertop, “mushroom” wood wall, glass-tile backsplash.
One of the original rooms was unusable because of the low, sharply sloping ceiling. We solved that by introducing a series of “flat-roofed” volumes, starting with the raised ceiling at the carport, and accented with recessed LED light strips.
The existing exterior walls (accented with original “Scandinavian” wood carved trim) were painted black. When we altered (or added) the exterior wall, we used weathered wood siding to break up and accent the existing volume.
An entry porch replaced the exterior basement stairs and culminated in a large dormer that transformed the dark, useless space into a tandem bedroom for two boys, with an integral playroom.
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