This project will go down in history as a forever favorite for two reasons. First because these were dream clients and the whole process flowed as a beautiful collaboration. And second because we were able to use many principles of small space design and the result truly maximized the functionality of this home. 

This busy family of three were outgrowing their existing two bed, one bath home.  With a baby on the way, it was time to add another bathroom and bedroom. The second floor was already maxed out, but the first floor garage had a storage room at the rear. The homeowners were happy to simplify their belongings and trade extra storage for a more functional home. 

We asked for a full wish list of everything they could possibly want to make this the best use of space for their family. The list included the priorities: a bedroom, full bathroom, and closet. It also included a laundry room, access to the rear yard without walking through the bedroom, a music room, and storage. We love this kind of puzzle - how to fit in all of the wish list items, with limited space available, and keep everything feeling light and flowing?

Before & After Floor Plans

Before & After Photos

Stairs to Second Floor (Item F on the floor plan): As you can see in the before photo below, this is not the most pleasant entry experience! If you can believe it, the stairs in the after photo are the same stairs, just cleaned up and painted. This little entry area now connects the garage to the hallway, to the second floor. A super functional and pleasing space with light streaming in from the rear yard. 

Hallway / Yard Access (Item I on the floor plan): This is one hardworking hallway! We needed to keep this access to the rear yard, but also add more functionality and brighten up the space. We replaced the door with a full glass lite door. The existing storage room on the left became the bedroom and we added double pocket doors to open up the entire space and let the light flow. The laundry area in the before photo became the music room from the wish list. We designed a closet space with custom wood slat doors that opens up to a built-in standing desk and music equipment. The coolest part about this, is that when the master bedroom doors are closed and this music closet is in use, this hallway turns into a full private music room! 

Storage / Closet (Item L on the floor plan): This corner of the garage was previously piled high with all kinds of stuff. The homeowners did a major clean out of everything they didn’t need and this area became a large master closet with plenty of additional storage space for linens and bathroom supplies.

Some ideas for putting this into practice in your own home: 

• How much do you really need? If you had less “stuff” that needed to be stored, how might that change how you use your home?

• If you are planning a remodel, take the time to make a full wish list and consider everything, because you never know, it might just all fit in!

• Prioritize the space planning / interior architecture. Especially in a small space, function trumps all. New finishes and fixtures are the icing on the cake, but they don’t mean much if the space itself feels cramped, dark or non-functioning.

• Get creative with doors and windows: consider larger openings, pocket doors, and more windows.

• Keep that creativity flowing and reconsider your bathroom. From the size of your vanity, to the location of the tub, play around with what feels good in the space you have available. (See more small space solutions for bathrooms here.)

We hope this example project provided some inspiration for your own home. Is there a remodel topic you would like us to cover? Contact us and let us know!