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Pro Spotlight: 3 Smart Ways to Add More Space to an Older Home
A D.C.-area contractor shares tips for getting the most out of your remodel
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Who: Jesse Smith of J. Allen Smith Design/Build
Where: Ijamsville, Maryland
In his own words: “Design what you can afford, and look for architectural solutions.”
Perhaps the greatest challenge in remodeling an older home is figuring out how to gain more space as part of your update. Limited budgets and small lots are common constraints, but there are ways to use space more effectively in your remodel. “Good design is the key,” says Jesse Smith, the owner of J. Allen Smith Design/Build in Ijamsville. “And a close partnership of the client, the designer and the builder is essential.”
Where: Ijamsville, Maryland
In his own words: “Design what you can afford, and look for architectural solutions.”
Perhaps the greatest challenge in remodeling an older home is figuring out how to gain more space as part of your update. Limited budgets and small lots are common constraints, but there are ways to use space more effectively in your remodel. “Good design is the key,” says Jesse Smith, the owner of J. Allen Smith Design/Build in Ijamsville. “And a close partnership of the client, the designer and the builder is essential.”
Lifelong craftsmanship. Under the guidance of his grandfather, Smith got his start building tree forts. By high school, he was crafting antique reproduction furniture using hand tools. He worked in high-end cabinet shops after graduation, and working on kitchens inspired him to become a general contractor in 2004. Though much of his work has been in the D.C. area, he now focuses on home remodeling in Northern Virginia and Maryland. “I like being challenged with interesting situations where I really have to think outside the box and find a solution to problems,” Smith says.
Transforming the old. Dreaming of a large, modern kitchen and adding a second bath to your home? Smith says those projects, often done in tandem, are typical solutions for families with older D.C.-area homes. “These houses have one bathroom and the kitchen’s tiny, and that isn’t working for young families,” he says. “Adding a first-level kitchen and great room and a second-level master suite is an option. But you can also use existing space to achieve some of your remodeling goals.”
Smith offers some ideas for better ways to go bigger — and better — in an older home.
Smith offers some ideas for better ways to go bigger — and better — in an older home.
1. Preserve the Ceilings
If you’re remodeling an older home with elegant ceilings, you may be tempted to lower them or install bulkheads to find space for new plumbing in an upstairs bath. Or, you may be dealing with a previous remodel, where a bulkhead was installed in the ceiling as a “quick fix.” Smith says there are more attractive ways to find space for internal systems.
For this Victorian-era home in Northwest D.C., Smith’s team raised the floor of the third-floor bathroom, concealing modern plumbing underneath. “Now there’s one step up from the hallway to the bath,” he says. “This defines the hallway and enabled us to restore the ceilings one floor below, including putting back in the original crown molding.”
See more of this project
If you’re remodeling an older home with elegant ceilings, you may be tempted to lower them or install bulkheads to find space for new plumbing in an upstairs bath. Or, you may be dealing with a previous remodel, where a bulkhead was installed in the ceiling as a “quick fix.” Smith says there are more attractive ways to find space for internal systems.
For this Victorian-era home in Northwest D.C., Smith’s team raised the floor of the third-floor bathroom, concealing modern plumbing underneath. “Now there’s one step up from the hallway to the bath,” he says. “This defines the hallway and enabled us to restore the ceilings one floor below, including putting back in the original crown molding.”
See more of this project
2. Focus on the Kitchen
If your kitchen gets heavy use as the place where you cook, eat and entertain, make maximizing that space a remodeling priority. If your budget doesn’t cover an addition, Smith suggests transforming an underused area, such as a formal dining room, into additional kitchen space.
“Kitchens are the space people really use and want to invest in,” Smith says. For this colonial home in Northwest D.C., he moved the formal dining room, rarely used, out to a sunroom some distance from the kitchen. Incorporating the old dining room into the new kitchen made room for more counter space and more storage, as well as an island and a small table.
See more of this project
If your kitchen gets heavy use as the place where you cook, eat and entertain, make maximizing that space a remodeling priority. If your budget doesn’t cover an addition, Smith suggests transforming an underused area, such as a formal dining room, into additional kitchen space.
“Kitchens are the space people really use and want to invest in,” Smith says. For this colonial home in Northwest D.C., he moved the formal dining room, rarely used, out to a sunroom some distance from the kitchen. Incorporating the old dining room into the new kitchen made room for more counter space and more storage, as well as an island and a small table.
See more of this project
3. Open the Stairs
If your older home is small or narrow, consider redesigning your staircase to free up space. An open staircase can create the impression of more space by improving sight lines and letting more natural light into the home.
For this two-story, 800-square-foot home in Northeast D.C., Smith’s team got creative as they looked for more space — they even exposed the home’s brick walls, gaining 2 inches of floor space in the narrow rooms. “Getting rid of the walls surrounding the old staircase was what really opened up the downstairs,” Smith says. The new, open stairway on a steel mono stringer becomes part of the kitchen cabinetry run at the bottom.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Jesse Smith and examples of his work, visit J. Allen Smith Design/Build’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
If your older home is small or narrow, consider redesigning your staircase to free up space. An open staircase can create the impression of more space by improving sight lines and letting more natural light into the home.
For this two-story, 800-square-foot home in Northeast D.C., Smith’s team got creative as they looked for more space — they even exposed the home’s brick walls, gaining 2 inches of floor space in the narrow rooms. “Getting rid of the walls surrounding the old staircase was what really opened up the downstairs,” Smith says. The new, open stairway on a steel mono stringer becomes part of the kitchen cabinetry run at the bottom.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Jesse Smith and examples of his work, visit J. Allen Smith Design/Build’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
J Allen Smith Design Build works with homeowners to design and build many types of home remodeling and renovation... Read More
Review by emilycreighton:
We have been so impressed with Jesse and his team from initial meetings discussing the scope of our project to the beginning stages of construction. We have never before embarked on a large constructi...More