OPEN FLOOR PLAN OFFERS IDEAL
SMALL SPACE SOLUTION FOR FORMERLY CRAMPED INTERIOR
BEFORE The old family room was cramped and narrow. Sun Design showed the Borers that a mid-house bearing wall could be removed to allow more natural light into the area.
BY JOHN BYRD HOME FRONTS NEWS
Like many homeowners, Cindy and Chris Borer of Burke assumed the only way to gain more usable living space on the main level of their circa-1980s center hall Colonial was to build an addition. At just over 800 square feet, the existing plan was something of a paradox—restricted, yet curiously underutilized. A formal dining room and den on opposite sides of the front-facing foyer were scarcely used. On the other hand, the rear family room was dark, clutter-prone and cramped. “Everything was dated,” Cindy Borer said, “including our early American-style furniture. I just wasn’t sure what kinds of changes I was looking for.” Considering options, the retired teacher speculated on which rooms might feasibly be enlarged. She also wondered if some of her home’s interior walls could be modified to allow for more natural light. It was at this juncture that Craig Durosko, founder of Burke-based Sun Design Remodeling, was called in to discuss possible space improvement scenarios. 6
Home & Garden
In short order, Durosko pointed out that the main level’s square footage was less of a shortcoming than its poorly configured space plan. The constraints imposed by a traditional center-hall floor plan meant rooms that were cut off and, thus, likely to be used less often. This, in turn, accounted for traffic patterns that didn’t work as well as they might. He also confirmed that the mid-house, floor-to-ceiling bearing wall dividing the front and rear sections of the home
AFTER The plan implemented by Sun Design Remodeling reconciles traditional architecture with the spatial freedom of an open floor plan.
Special Supplement to The Fairfax County Times | April 2014