Bde Mke Ska Remodel & Addition
“The twin-gabled, board-and-batten cottage looks so natural sitting next to its larger Victorian neighbor that a casual passerby might fail to notice that the two structures are attached”. But look closely and you’ll find a generous glass link connects the two.
The program for this turn of the century Victorian was a family room, attached garage and a graceful way to the basement. The addition had to be attached but done in a way that wouldn’t destroy the traditional foursquare. The owners wanted a more modern aesthetic and a more open way of living and to do this in a way that would respect the character of this home and those of the neighborhood.
Over the years the owners had called upon Meriwether to undertake remodels and renovations. They called upon her again and explained what they hoped to achieve. Meriwether “delivered in spades, with a solution that works brilliantly, inside & out.”
Although the addition took up the rear yard, equal space was gained for a side porch and yard by reorienting the garage entry to the alley. This drops the level of the garage from the house and sets up a series of small steps from the garage to the mudroom, the mudroom to the family room and the family room to the kitchen, the last of which becomes the transparent interstitial space which creates the link between the old and the new. The side porch and patio become s perfect space for relaxing and connecting with neighbors on their way to the lake.