This project renovates and expands a 1910 home that had fallen into disrepair, with the goal of preserving its historic character while adding significant space for a family of six. The challenge was to introduce a substantial addition without overwhelming the scale of the original four-square house or the surrounding Ashton Heights neighborhood. Careful attention was given to massing, architectural style, scale, and materials to ensure compatibility with the historic structure.
The renovation includes a new kitchen and family room on the first floor, a primary suite and sitting room on the second floor, and a fifth bedroom/office on the third floor. The existing onecar garage was retained for use as a storage shed. The addition takes the form of a smaller hipped-roof pavilion connected to the original house by a distinct linking element. This connector preserves the legibility of the original foursquare while opening the interior toward a southfacing terrace and side yard. The massing and detailing were designed to maintain the scale of neighboring homes despite the expanded footprint.
Exterior colors reflect the early-20th-century period of the original house, and interior details—trim profiles, millwork, and antique heart pine flooring—were restored or replicated to match the historic fabric. The connector uses wider lap siding and wood panels to subtly differentiate old from new and visually reduce the bulk of the addition. French doors link the new kitchen to the terrace beneath a preserved mature oak tree.
The result is a seamless, contextsensitive addition that respects the home’s historic architecture and the neighborhood scale while meeting the needs of a modern, growing family.
Project team includes
- Contractor: Clairestone Construction
- Photography: © Hoachlander Davis Photography LLC
