Budget Breakdown: A Raleigh Colonial Is Reinvented For $260K
A suburban colonial home in Raleigh, North Carolina, is filled with light and garden views after a renovation and addition by the architect homeowner.
In order to convert his 1981 colonial into a sun-drenched home, architect Don Kranbuehl started by removing the garage. "The goal was to transform a closed-in, inward-looking colonial box and transform it into an open, transparent volume connected with nature," said Kranbuehl, a principal at the firm Clark Nexsen.
| $4,000 Demolition & Disposal | $12,000 Brick Foundation & Retaining Wall | $29,700 Framing for Addition |
| $23,000 Windows | $12,440 Steel Stair & Bridge | $3,600 Plumbing |
| $14,000 HVAC | $6,200 Electrical | $2,800 Lighting Fixtures |
| $2,220 Plumbing Fixtures | $5,700 Sheetrock Work | $13,700 Painting & Trim |
| $5,950 Wood Floors | $14,015 Metal Roof | $17,175 Exterior Siding & Insulation |
| $13,790 Kitchen Cabinets & Appliances | $1,250 Bathroom Cabinets | $5,200 Kitchen & Bath Quartz Counters |
| $2,000 Doors | $5,000 Front Canopy | $7,000 Front & Back Deck |
| $2,380 Driveway & Concrete Steps | $9,800 Excavation & Site Work | $4,600 Labor & Cleaning |
| $4,200 Tile Floors | $38,000 GC Fee, Overhead & Profit | |
| Grand Total: $259,720 | ||
The subtraction of the little-used attached garage made way for a two-story, 1,200-square-foot addition. Kranbuehl then proceeded to conduct a complete renovation of the 2,100-square-foot interior.
A fiber cement "wrapper" clads the addition and the renovated home, which now totals 3,300 square feet. A translucent plexiglass canopy defines the new glassed entry. The front right corner, finished with contrasting local Atlantic white cedar, denotes a work room that serves the storage purposes of the previous garage.
Photo: Mark Herboth
The first floor of the addition is now home to a cedar-wrapped work room. Newly opened-up living spaces are lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the garden. Kranbuehl installed a master suite on the second floor of the addition, and then connected it to the other second-floor bedrooms and a staircase via a steel bridge.
The view from the entry now encompasses open and airy living spaces that connect to the garden via floor-to-ceiling glass.
Photo: Mark Herboth
A new steel staircase with wood tread and a cable railing does not block views outside. The double-height window systems used at the front and back of the home are glass storefront units from YKK.
Photo: Mark Herboth
The double-height glass is layered over with a brise-soleil at the upper floor which screens sun, adds visual interest to the facade, and creates lovely interior shadows.
Photo: Mark Herboth
The renovated kitchen features quartz counters and natural maple cabinets, and it flows easily with the rest of the renovated open plan.
Photo: Mark Herboth
Views of the newly landscaped garden can be appreciated from two walls of glass in the living room.
Photo: Mark Herboth
A steel bridge connects the upper level master suite (to the left) with the existing bedrooms to the right.
Photo: Mark Herboth
Kranbuehl landscaped the previously forested backyard with a "grass terrace" and masonry walls, so that the exterior felt of a piece with the interiors. Trees and hedges still stand on the perimeter to create natural screening from the neighbors.
Photo: Mark Herboth
The exposed Douglas fir timber framework supports the addition.
Photo: Mark Herboth
Related Reading: A Minimal North Carolina Home Built for a Tech-Forward West Coast Couple
Project Credits:
Architect of Record: Don Kranbuehl
Builder: Aiello Builders
Structural Engineer: Stewart Engineering
Cabinetry Design and Installation: Lowes
Glass: Brinn Glass, Mary Brinn
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