This was a Renovation/Renewal to the Living/Dining/Kitchen area comprising approximately 1000 square feet of space in an existing 1960's ranch style home, and was the original remodel that gave rise to the Englewood Master bedroom Suite remodel.

The clients wanted to make their house more responsive to their own style of informal living and entertaining. After listening to the clients describe how they used the space in the past, how they anticipated its use in the future and the particular short comings inherent in the existing arrangement I set about planning the resurrection of their home. My first thoughts, proved to be prophetic. I suggested that they move the Entry from its central location, as this was a natural divider between the Living and Dining room. I also recommended that by removing the wall between the Dining room and Kitchen they could pull their Kitchen inboard from its north wall placement to give it a more central location allowing various activities to evolve around it. I also presented them with the idea of introducing more needed natural light into the space and the best way to accomplish this required pushing the exterior South wall in the dining room out from under the protective six feet deep overhang and to maximize the glazing that would go into this new wall and I also recommended installing a couple of openings into the West wall on either side of the living room fireplace for added light penetration.

As I developed the plans for the client's home, they began to challenge me with some of their own fabulous ideas. They wanted to introduce a second fireplace that would be closer to the activities of the kitchen. They also sensed the need to integrate as much of the new design into those areas of the house which we were not initially focusing on but would impact the new space by their proximity. This would later translate into redoing the powder room, converting a hall closet into a custom storage cabinet, widening the stairs to the family room, providing new hand railings and balusters and replacing all trim and doors to match the new. Ultimately, they saw the need to renew the fireplace surround in the living room and reusing their existing dining room table and matching wall- mounted sideboard.