A Cause for Renovation in Bryn Mawr

Have you ever felt “stuck” in your home? Maybe you love your neighborhood’s charm and convenience but dislike your home’s layout and flow. Or you adore your backyard but long for a quieter street. Whatever the reason, you know something needs to change. I hear this sentiment most often from people with older homes. While these homes typically ooze character, they often lack functionality.

I’m thrilled to share with you how a Bryn Mawr family overcame that dreaded “stuck” feeling and wound up with the home of their dreams. This growing family felt frustrated by their 80-year-old home’s cramped, awkward layout. But the thought of leaving their beloved neighborhood was unbearable. Duddy Construction, Foley Beam Architecture and our on-staff designer Marie Stark worked together to give this family the open layout and extra space they needed to make their home a true haven.

Here’s a short video detailing the renovation process:

First on the family’s wish list was an open floor plan. They also wanted a large kitchen island, first-floor powder room and mudroom. Creating an open floor plan and adding multiple rooms can be tricky in an older colonial, but our team was up to the challenge.

Here are the design boards Marie created for the living room, dining and kitchen areas and mudroom/front entryway:

To create an open floor plan, we widened the opening between the living room and kitchen/dining area from four feet to about 12 feet.

Next, we removed the wall between the dining room and kitchen. To make room for the kitchen island, Marie moved the dining table in front of the built-in bench along the shiplap wall. (This also gives the family easy access to the sliding door and back deck.)

Replacing the hinged basement door with a sliding barn door was another creative space saver! Red oak flooring was installed throughout the living room, dining and kitchen areas as well.  *The stain used was Jocabean.  We did one coat of stain and three coats of saint finish polyurethane.*

I was lucky enough to tour this home several times throughout the renovation process. Viewing the finished project, I’m struck by how the remodeled spaces blend seamlessly into the rest of the home, as though they’ve always been there. To me, this is a hallmark of great design–when every square foot serves a purpose, and the entire space flows well. Remember, you don’t always need more space; sometimes you just need to make better use of the space you already have. It’s clear that this family achieved that (and more!) with this renovation.

Collaborating on this project was such a pleasure for our team. If you’re feeling “stuck” in your home and want to explore renovation options, call us today.

Cabinetry: Sterling Kitchen and Bathroom, Havertown PA.  Countertops were Quartz. Backsplash tile is carrara marble. Wall color: Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams  Shiplap, painted white.The sofa and two swivel chairs in the living room were purchased at Vintage Home in Paoli, one of our all time favorite local stores for furniture.  The ottoman, console table and entry table were purchased at Ballard Design in King of Prussia.  Rug is from Pottery Barn.  The twin lamps and pillows in the family room were purchased at Home Goods.  The farmhouse table was a custom table made by Vintage Home in Paoli.  The chairs for the table were purchased at Restoration Hardware.  Pillows on window bench are from McGee and Co. The counter stools at the kitchen island were purchased at Ballard Designs. The wallpaper in the powder room is Thibaut. All photos by Perfectly Paired Photography.