We’re back with another look at the creative problem-solving that Candy’s Dirt Approved Builder Key Residential put in to practice for a home built in 1929. The old brick colonial had undergone multiple renovations during its lifetime and had too much of a piecemeal layout after all the disparate projects.
The goal? To create a cohesive living space with modern upgrades on the interior and upgrade the exterior so it meets the same standards as the revamped interior.
The result? A sophisticated airy plan with vintage finishes that honor the 1920s era of the original home.
The biggest change was to the kitchen and living room. With a few load-bearing walls and some fir downs that needs to be reconfigured, the challenges were significant, but Key Residential made it happen by removing all the unneeded electrical, plumbing, and mechanical fixtures leftover from prior renovations. Then they had to completely re-wire the rooms so they would meet modern standards.
We love the perfectly proportioned living room pictured above. The designers managed to create a long living room with a focal point, but didn’t waste the space at either end of the room. That’s not easy to do with design! One end of the room is the perfect place for the writing desk and the other end has the benefit of that glass-filled wall so it can have a seating area focused on looking outdoors without feeling like a disjointed part of the room. The built-ins and mantle also create a nice frame so that the flat screen television can fit over the fireplace without dominating the room.
The kitchen finds that balance between being its own defined space but also being open enough to the adjacent living rooms that it doesn’t feel like it is sequestered from the rest of the home. All the cabinets are custom and come with recessed lighting to shine brightly over the quartz countertops. The deep sink is a design choice that shows up several times in the house. It matches the off-white trim, which is a nice counter balance to the sophisticated blue of the living room.
One of the most adorable customizations we’ve ever seen is this made-to-order dog door. Leaded glass just like the cabinets, and set inside a hardwood border.
The laundry room makeover is one of the best examples of how Key Residential came up with a way to match form with function. The narrow space still has room for a full size washer and dryer, folding counter, and ample storage. Brighter colors for the backsplash and wallpaper make the space seem bigger. Note how the sink is the same style as we have seen elsewhere in the house to keep a consistent theme from one room to the next.
Just to compare we have a shot of the laundry room before the renovation.
The rear of the house did not escape a major overhaul either.
From dated French doors that stood out against the brick to more contemporary full walls of glass windows that blend in, the back of the house now matches the renovations on the interior and provides a much better view to the backyard and pool.
One of the most amazing additions to this brick house is an exterior elevator that not only looks like it is supposed to be part of the exterior house but raises the boring level of the brick exterior to one that is architecturally interesting. Here’s what it looked like before:
Here’s the final product. Designed to look like a European castle turret, the stone and brick has three faux windows made with a slate inset and steel grid so they complement the real windows on the home.
Of course we have to show you what it looks like on the inside of the elevator. Deep, luscious, mahogany-colored wood on the inside walks out to an identical setting with the addition of a gold-framed mirror that adds a touch of lightness to the surrounding wood.
Check out more Key Residential Projects on their website here.
