In planning for this project, it was important to Hilson and Katherine to make sure that the house looked like it belonged in the neighborhood and not like a modern new build. With that in mind, the couple decided that the American foursquare architecture would fit in with some of the other homes on the street that were of the same style.

An important component of the renovation was keeping the original stone foundation. All of the new homes being constructed had a simple split faced cinder block foundation, which took away from the character of the home. Keeping the original stone foundation and incorporating that stone into the new retaining wall along the drive, gave the renovated home characteristics of an older home and not those of a new build.

The renovation included adding 2,000 square feet to the existing home and adding a second story. The floor plan included adding a first-floor full bath and incorporating a space into an office area. The open kitchen adjacent to the living room and wet bar created a fabulous space for entertaining. The only original parts of the home are the front exterior wall of the front of the house, the fireplace, and the original footprint foundation. We even added the front porch to add to the dimensionality of the façade. In staying true to making this not look like a new build, it was important to us to use the original brick on the home. We repurposed all of the brick, and we were able to have all of the visible areas of the renovated home’s brick veneer be from the original brick.

A Cape Cod design can often be very simple, so we created visual interest by selecting varying textures of materials and fixtures. For finishes, we wanted to use timeless colors, patterns and textures. Chrome and marble throughout the master bathroom and penny round tiles with subway walls are classic features that never got out of style. With a nod to the past, we included cross handles on the fixtures of the master bathroom vanity and shower.