I don't know exactly what we expected going into the process of having plans drawn for our renovation, but this process was MUCH longer than we anticipated, more difficult than we imagined and absolutely amazingly time consuming. The journey was disheartening and frustrating at times, but we learned a tremendous amount about what we wanted (and needed) in a house and in the end we feel the outcome was worth the strife and we are building the perfect house for us.
When we began thinking about the renovation we thought going up and adding space vertically would be best to save the most backyard space possible. However, we faced a challenge initially in that there is a restrictive covenant for the neighborhood which prohibits homes from being more than 1 story in height. Our first architect, my uncle Stanley (who is an amazing architect) drew us some gorgeous plans that included adding a half story, a study, workout room, wonderful kitchen and beautiful open feel to the house.
Here is the initial front elevation:
However, when we began talking to builders it was evident that these plans far exceeded our budget for the renovation and we needed to go back to the drawing board and start over.
So, we were now 5 months into the process, just weeks away from our wedding and back at square one. Frustrated, disappointed and unsure of what was going to happen next we went to Atlanta, got married and enjoyed an amazing honeymoon and didn't think about the house (very much!) We came back from the honeymoon and enjoyed the holidays with our families and decided we would start the new year with a new outlook and renewed focus on the house. The break was good for us. We had the chance to really think about what we needed and wanted in this home.. not only how would we use the space, but how did we want the house to feel. We knew the house had great bones and just needed some updating and we figured that with a little maneuvering and re purposing of space we could make it work within our budget and still get the aspects of the home we truly wanted.
We had pretty much decided on our builder during the first drawing/bid process and we talked with him about this new course of action. Bob (yes, our builder is Bob, the builder) was excited about the new direction and agreed that we were making a good decision to scale down the project but still believed we could achieve everything we wanted. We met with his architect and in a rather quick process we went from "what are we going to do?" to "these plans are perfect, let's get started!" Please get this straight, it wasn't completely painless and it was still completely time and thought consuming at points, but in the end we love the plan and know it's the perfect outcome for us. So, by this fall (goal is August, but I am okay with anything before the holidays) we will have a home that has a wonderful, usable floor plan with an amazing kitchen, open living and entertaining space, a laundry room, pantry and butler's pantry that I dreamed of and a garage and workshop that makes James so very happy. We will have a master suite with an amazing closet, three bedrooms and two and half baths for guests and lots of room to enjoy family and friends for many years to come. It's absolutely perfect and I cannot wait to get started!
So, here are the final plans..
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Front Elevation
(notice the addition to the west side of the house) |
Now, let's knock down some walls and tear out some tile!
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