Our intention was to preserve the second floor ensuite guest room, but plans continued to evolve. We relocated the powder room and the washer/dryer to create a true mudroom and laundry room off of the back entrance. Along the way, our primary suite gained a tray ceiling, window seat, and a unique bathroom layout. Kate’s Pinterest board had run amok by this point. We envisioned a grand foyer with a huge vertical window to let in the maximum amount of light. This also aided in the balance of the exterior and created a strong central focal point. With changes to the ground floor ceiling heights, we started over with the second floor. Now our second floor guest room has soaring ceilings, a new bathroom, and a small loft space overlooking the foyer. It's Kate’s favorite corner of the home and a place to really enjoy the two-story window.
powder room
We broke ground in March of 2021. Neighbors took turns guessing about what was to come. With a giant hole in the ground, many were betting that we were adding a pool and were surprised once the framing began above ground. The home continued to evolve and transform. We were grateful to be on the opposite coast and not present when the sun shone and the wind blew between the existing and new sections of the house. There may have been a few moments of questioning, “what have we done?” But the two sections were tied together and rough in’s for electrical and plumbing began. As Evan and his team continued to build, we worked with Jerry and Rachel on the next set of details: cabinetry in the mudroom, trim in the office, foyer, and primary bedroom and bathroom. We repurposed some fixtures from the previous second floor bath and ground floor powder room. In the end, we have 4 full baths and 3 half baths. We never planned on so many toilets in one house but this was part of working with an existing footprint. We vacillated by the hour between pure excitement and decision overload. In July 2021, we made the move from California to New Jersey. We lived in an AirBnB and readied the boys for the new school year.
before
new basement kitchenette
laundry room
There were a few elements in the home that changed after seeing it in person. We struggled with the framing of the new foyer and loft area. There was a beam over the staircase that didn’t meet code requirements for height. We also wanted a very open feel to maximize the new height of the foyer and large window. We solved it by pushing the loft back, creating a much more open foyer and adding a vertical beam for support. The staircase design that we fell in love with on Pinterest proved challenging but not impossible. Who knew that a railing with no posts and only balusters was extremely difficult to assemble!? Our incredible stair craftsman figured it out but not without many extra days of labor on-site.
RESOURCES
new basement rec room
Benjamin Moore Paint colors: Foyer and Living Room: Swiss Coffee Laundry Room: Old Blue Jeans Office: Deep Royal Powder Room: Galapagos Turquoise Primary Bedroom and Bath Panels: Silver Fox Flowers by Wildly Floral Special thanks to RE/MAX Broker Owner Robert Oquist for the "before" images of the home and the "before" floorplan