House of cards

Yesterday, my architect dropped by to meet potential contractors. I wasn't around, but when I got home this cardboard model was sitting on my dining table. I've posted pictures before, but now that the process is further along I can give you some more details. You can see that our planned renovation won't be too obvious from the street; it just peeks over the roofline.


The side view offers a better view of what's going to happen We're building out as far as we can within legal parameters. That means the additional space will be this weird, angled thing. The house has a history of various additions in different styles, so we're not worried about keeping a certain look--craftsman or bungalow, for example. In fact, we're going to accentuate the new space by using totally different materials. Probably metal.


The furthestmost section will open up into a patio that meets the existing stand-alone garage. Our lot is pretty small, so we want to utilize outdoor space if we can. As for the structure, it seems to be sized for a Model T and is full of holes. We're going to patch that up and turn it into a space for me to store toys, comics, media, posters, skate and snow gear, and other treasures. (And if there's room, a lawn mower and some gardening stuff.)


An aerial view offers a nice look at the roofline, which was partially inspired by Mazinga's spiky head. I'm serious! The square thingy in the top center is central air and heating. What you can't tell is that we're also going to do some internal work--moving some walls to add an extra bedroom and bathroom.


In the end, our house isn't going to be huge (2+2) but it will be suitable for a family of three and allow us to stay in our neighborhood forever. I'm under the impression that construction will begin in May. How long will construction take? How much will it cost? Who knows, but everyone is invited to the housewarming party when it's over.