Elm Residence

Interior remodeling and a new patio addition reinvigorated this 1950’s ranch, opening up the interior with light-filled spaces for these homeowners who love to cook and entertain.

LTBa was initially brought in to look at the kitchen layout, but discussions with the homeowners turned into a broader review of the house’s issues—room layouts, material finishes, lack of natural light, and circulation/flow. The existing kitchen, eat-in kitchen, and family room were all on one side of the house but compartmentalized and cut off from each other, and also suffered from low ceilings and limited natural light. An existing covered patio adjoined all of these spaces and had great potential as an outdoor ‘room’, but the patio was sunken down and the roof overhead clipped views from the inside. As a result, the patio felt dark and claustrophobic.

LTBa conducted strategic reviews of how these rooms were used and prepared a new layout to unify the kitchen, eat-in kitchen, and family room and improve flow. The ceilings were vaulted, and a new skylight over the kitchen island and a large sliding door out to the patio brought abundant natural light into the new spaces. An existing fireplace wall was extended up to the ceiling and covered in limestone, creating a dramatic statement and visual anchor for the new rooms.