FINDING THE HIDDEN HOME
Once dark and inaccessible, the new space is a fine fit for family of five
Reno unlocks its potential
Ideally, aspiring homeowners can take the time to search for a space that fits their needs. They view a selection of homes in various locations and eventually decide upon one that speaks to them.
For a family in Nepean, this wasn’t the case. They were forced to select their home quickly because of a sudden work move. They made it work for a while. However, when their family grew from two to five, it just wasn’t reasonable anymore.
Their house in the Baseline and Merivale area was dark, cluttered and inaccessible. Among the problems were a dreary, sunken living room, poorly shaped dining room, inefficient kitchen and a strange multi-purpose space adjacent to the kitchen. There was a lack of storage and organization which, with three young ones, led to very dysfunctional spaces. The rooms themselves weren’t intuitively designed and promoted isolation with obtrusive walls and impractical layouts.
The homeowners hired Amsted Design Build to help transform their house into a true home; a place that fits their needs as a family. They were confident that an addition was the only solution to their space needs. However, Amsted’s design team analyzed and considered the spaces and recognized that there was already plenty of room in the home — it was just hidden by a poor layout. Within weeks of their first session, the local renovator presented them with three potential design layouts, all of which included their must-haves.
“Amsted took the time to sit and listen to us. We had some very specific requirements for our main floor, including a more efficient use of our existing space, a separate place for the laundry (out of the kitchen) and maximizing storage for us and the children. We did not know where to start, or what we could achieve with our existing space and our budget,” said the homeowners.
Amsted worked with the owners to craft exactly what the family needed. They repurposed the dining room into a much-needed mud room, designed with plenty of storage and bench seating.
The kitchen’s location remained the same, but the issues of layout and darkness were addressed by the addition of a twin window and the replacement of a full-height pantry with a new eat-in peninsula.
The homeowners worked with Deslaurier for the kitchen and mud-room cabinet layouts. Since the two rooms are the heart of the home, it was imperative to avoid clutter and have the spaces be child-friendly.
In the living room, an intrusive fireplace was removed and replaced by a full wall. There’s now an organized computer area on one side of the wall and a foyer closet on the other.
Amsted also relocated the dining room and removed the wall to the living room to create an open concept layout, which fit the family’s needs for flow through the home. And, best of all, with the savings from a more creative and efficient layout design, with no need for an addition, the couple was able to treat themselves to an updated ensuite.
“Throughout the whole process they were respectful, accommodated our concerns and ideas and treated us like we were part of the team. Amsted found a way to translate our ideas and vision into reality,” said the homeowners.
Once back in their house, the family said that they immediately felt at home and made use of their new space. Six months later, their spaces have a natural flow and the entire main floor is used. And, of course, everything has its place, just as it was designed