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.
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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.
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.
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.
The renovated kitchen features quartz counters and natural maple cabinets, and it flows easily with the rest of the renovated open plan.
Views of the newly landscaped garden can be appreciated from two walls of glass in the living room.
A steel bridge connects the upper level master suite (to the left) with the existing bedrooms to the right.
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.
The exposed Douglas fir timber framework supports the addition.
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Project Credits:
Architect of Record: Don Kranbuehl
Builder: Aiello Builders
Structural Engineer: Stewart Engineering
Cabinetry Design and Installation: Lowes
Glass: Brinn Glass, Mary Brinn