This project had three distinct phases.

Porch conversion integrated into the Main House

While maintaining the “open porch” feeling, we enclosed and blended the exterior porch into a new breakfast nook and entertainment bar. The windows chosen for the new exterior wall are clean, elegant Marvin French Casement windows that do not obstruct the view.

Inside, we reframed the location of the former sliding glass door; now the new opening seamlessly links the old porch to the existing kitchen. Then we leveled and insulated the stone floor, continuing the quarter-sawn white oak of the main living areas. The wall-to-wall wet bar and shelving create an entertainment center with four refrigerated drawers, an under counter ice maker, and a dishwasher.

The lighting is discrete with 3” low voltage halogen in the ceiling and units under the lower shelving to highlight the counter, sink and splash – all dimmable. It was not possible to extend the existing ductwork into the new area without extensive demolition and cost. The designer, Nicholas Borrell of The Healing Home, chose a Mitsubishi split unit, wall-mounted high in a corner to augment heating and cooling. The unit is ultra quiet and programmable.

Link the Garage to the Main House by constructing a Bridge

The homeowners needed a more direct approach from the garage into the upper level of the house. They also wanted easy access the upper deck for entertaining. Originally, from the garage one needed to go down a steep flight of exterior stairs to enter the back door. The garage and the second floor of the home were nearly at the same height, so the creative solution was to construct a bridge to an existing deck (previously accessible only through the Master Bedroom). Now the traffic pattern flows smoothly through the garage over the bridge to the main house.

Upgrade the interior of the Garage

In addition to adding maximum storage, the garage now serves as a conduit to the bridge into the main house. Take a close look at the custom built-ins that demonstrate the fine quality workmanship throughout this renovation.