Although most of us know in our minds eye what the final product of our restoration will be its often hard for others to see what the end result will look like.
Architectural models, even simple ones like this one made of foam core and paper can give you a different perspective of just how roof lines and additions will match up. Its something you just cannot get from a floor plan.
In our case, aside from the restoration of the main historic structure we are planning some 'phased additions" that will provide additional space and make our little 1800 square foot cottage more livable. In fact part of the history of our cottage was an expansion circa 1887 when the original cottage was expanded in two phases. The first being a one story addition on the rear of the house to accommodate what we "think" was a family dining room that at the rear of the house would have just been 3 steps away from our kitchen called the "summer kitchen" which was a separate structure built at the rear of our house. This was a common occurrence in the Victorian era as the kitchen was kept separate from the main house in order to keep one the 'fire' out of the main house and two to keep the smoke and cooking fumes out of the house. Meal prep was hard work in the day with huge wood stoves and water supplied by well. We know when water was added to the main house that the addition, at that point a single story was built . We also know that addition was expanded up to include a third bedroom with bath, when city water was added and that the sewer and water lines went to the addition and the summer kitchen when city water and sewer reached the area. The kitchen was eventually moved into the addition space. We know at some point the summer kitchen was taken down and new garage was built (probably on the late 1950's).
Our expansion is in 3 phases. The first is the "tower addition. the Tower addition is designed to add an additional parlor (music room) off the main Formal parlor. This addition will be 12x12 foot square and slightly stepped back to create an additional porch which will be accessed by a 'Pocket window" that opens to allow access to what is a private out door sitting space. The second floor of this space provides a sitting room off the second floor master bedroom and a spiral staircase for access to a roof top deck built on the roof. This will provide a great view toward Westwood. In fact you have a great view of the Westwood water tower from there and because of out height, our entire neighborhood. The tower is designed to blend with the main house using similar materials and roof lines and the goal is for it to look like "its always been there".
Our expansion is in 3 phases. The first is the "tower addition. the Tower addition is designed to add an additional parlor (music room) off the main Formal parlor. This addition will be 12x12 foot square and slightly stepped back to create an additional porch which will be accessed by a 'Pocket window" that opens to allow access to what is a private out door sitting space. The second floor of this space provides a sitting room off the second floor master bedroom and a spiral staircase for access to a roof top deck built on the roof. This will provide a great view toward Westwood. In fact you have a great view of the Westwood water tower from there and because of out height, our entire neighborhood. The tower is designed to blend with the main house using similar materials and roof lines and the goal is for it to look like "its always been there".
Phase two is the most ambitious: We need a garage and working with our site we are limited so our plan is a two car ,mansard roofed carriage house design which will have a home office/family room space above it. This expansion is connected to the main structure by a room off the Kitchen which will function as a small 'family room /tv room with a back covered porch for entertaining. Our goal is to keep the historic front rooms but make the rear rooms less formal and set up for everyday use. You will NEVER see a TV in the formal rooms of the main house! This will be place to relax and will be off the kitchen which is really the hub of the house these days. Above that room is a full bath which will be shared by the home office/family room and the back bedroom of the house. The other BIG change is the "up addition" which will be mansard roofed to blend with the main house style . This "up addition" is stepped back over the back 2/3 of the house and provides another master suite which will have spectacular view of the city from a rooftop deck that will be over the second story of the carriage house and views to Price Hill and the west from windows on the south and west walls. This suite will have a full bath. Which means that we wind up with 3 1/2 baths and 3 bedrooms. 4 maybe 5 bedrooms, if you convert the room over the carriage house from a home office to bedrooms. We also add a two story Veranda on the west side of the house which will overlook the brick side courtyard.
The third and final phase will be the addition of a Conservatory off the back off the kitchen space
which will be two rooms a cathedral ceiling keeping room and a solarium space which will have the hot tub surrounded by plants. In total the additions add 1550 square feet to the house PLUS the basement gets finished out in the main house with a bar and home theatre space which makes the grand total of our "little cottage" of 3800 square feet Folly you say? Not really. When our neighborhood is turned around we will have a great house with great amenities and spectacular views and we have homes on our block that have upwards of 3500 square feet and some homes in our neighborhood have as much as 7000 square feet so it puts us in perfect place.
A great place for us to live in or maybe a Bed and Breakfast down the road?
Restoration planning: Using Architectural models
Reviewed by citra
Published :
Rating : 4.5
Published :
Rating : 4.5
