This 1911 home began life as a 1200 square foot variation on a bungalow. The owners wanted a home for their family that would live modern but have an older feel about it. They also wanted a home that felt family-friendly, with a warm, light quality. Eight months and a lot of hard work later, they had transformed the too-small bungalow into their dream home - a light-filled white cottage that blends in with the neighborhood, carrying echoes of tradition while accommodating their modern lives.
Five feet were added to the south side of the house and nine feet to the back, plus a 1250 square foot second floor, for a total of nearly 3400 square feet. You enter into the older part of the house, with its lovely intimate spaces. Beyond the formal dining room, however, the home opens up and you are in a modern open kitchen, informal eating area, and family/play room. White walls and lots of natural light make the visitor feel right at home.
Visible modern benefits include: lots of new storage, a large pantry, a laundry room on the second floor with the bedrooms, and walk-in closets. There are also benefits you can't see: energy efficient touches like spray-foam insulation, furred walls and on-demand water (a heating system that only heats the water you use).
The second floor packs a lot into 1250 square feet. Rather than feeling crowded, though, it feels close and intimate. A lovely walnut staircase leads up to a central space that is bathed in natural light. Four bedrooms, the laundry room, and a bathroom open out onto this space. The children's rooms are painted bright spring-like colors. The master bedroom has a regal feel to it with its blue walls and coffered ceiling. The master bathroom is also very generous with a separate tub and shower and a separate toilet room. Limestone floors and antiqued marble counters give the room a luxurious, elegant and relaxing air.
Look for more Wash Park Cottages in the neighborhood soon. The owner had so much fun on her own house that she's gone back to school to change careers!
