Smart Renovations That Use Reclaimed Materials

The “tiny but mighty” structure—as Grizzle describes it—packs a wealth of uses into a compact footprint.

A few elements of the original home were preserved, such as the brick fireplace in the main living room, where an existing beam was repurposed to act as the mantel. The wood flooring is made of reclaimed fence boards, treated with a black finish originally employed to prevent horses from gnawing on the boards. “We all walk around barefoot, so it’s nice to feel the texture of the wood and all the history that was put into those boards. Over time, the dents and bruises will be put in there by our family, so it’s going to weather with us, which is nice,” says Michael.

The kitchen island is a mahogany museum display case containing the clients’ inherited snuff-box collection. Now topped with salvaged iroko hardwood from a school science laboratory, it has also been adapted to hold a sink and washer.

There were numerous design parameters to consider, from adding space to staying within budget to matching the scale of the neighborhood's housing stock, all while remaining as green as possible. (Cue open cell foam insulation at the roof, reclaimed longleaf pine at upstairs bedrooms, metal roof, reclaimed travertine pavers at porch, tankless water heater, 2-speed furnace and condenser, Andersen 100 Series composite low-E windows.) The addition can be seen from the exterior, where Schmeil rotated the roof 90 degrees so the gable faces the street, and stepped the second floor back at a dormer that brings light into the upstairs bathroom and music room. Photo by Whit Preston.