If you live inside of the DC beltway, there’s a good chance your neighborhood is well established, public transportation is nearby, and your house is a small traditional colonial. It’s a tradeoff between a modern, spacious home and a tolerable commute.And so it was for family living in this cute little Cape Cod. To keep the location they loved, they sacrificed functional living space. They approached me in hopes of gaining space, light, and liveability without diminishing the homey, colonial feel of their neighborhood.

When you look at this red brick Cape Cod from the front, it looks just as tiny as all the other houses on the street.

But walk around to the back of the house and you face a stunning, contemporary home addition that still manages to look like it belongs. An abundance of glass fills the addition with natural light and provides an unobscured view of the golf course adjacent to the property. We extended the roofline to shade the deck and protect the interior dining area from the heat and glare of direct sun.

Before the addition, only one person could even fit into the kitchen. It was barely functional. It lacked counter and storage space. Cooking was never a joy. The addition provided enough space for a beautiful open galley-style kitchen with storage, counter space, and full-sized appliances. The open style means more light and makes it feel even bigger than it is.

The dining room almost feels like an eat-in kitchen because of the openness. The custom storage along the wall doubles as a buffet and additional kitchen storage. The open floor plan makes the space ideal for entertaining.

The other half of the open concept addition is used as a family room. Sliding glass doors open onto the back deck when the weather cooperates. The spacious addition completely transforms the home from its former small dark single-purpose rooms to bright, cheery multi-use zones.

Space is at a premium in a Cape Cod home. MARK IV Builders installed custom shelving along the main hallway for both storage and design. We replaced the wall of the original living room with sliding glass to allow natural light from the rear addition to filter in. It makes the space feel larger than it is.

The addition to this little Cape Cod transformed the home in appearance and functionality. I think we did a great job of retaining some colonial features along with adding clean, contemporary lines for a truly transitional design that really works.