When these sweet clients contacted us about a possible expansion, we were more than happy to put our heads together with our amazing architect for this fun collab. I think it was last fall, {September} when we were able to share a little bit on this project. And we’re thrilled to show you the finished {construction} shots today! It’s crazy how far this house came in the process, and we loved creating a new space for this family. 

If you’re unfamiliar, you can see the intro post here, demo + framing here, and drywall and progress here. You can see more details in those posts, but basically, this project collab {with our fabulous architect} involved adding an extension to the left side of the house on both the upper and lower levels. We also added square footage on the front since the house was a traditional split level, and they needed more of a foyer entry. 

So, though the winter photos won’t do anything for the front of the house, we took it from this {above} to the look below.

Here’s a view of the entry before… this family definitely needed more square footage here so that it felt like a real entry. Spoiler alert: This and the laundry room are probably my favorite parts. 

And here’s what we added below. Our architect, as usual, had some amazing suggestions, and we loved changing it over for this sweet family. 

This space now serves as more of an entryway, and we love these subtle changes that have made a major impact. This light alone, from Kichler, added so much character to the space. {The most adorable outdoor hanging light in the front is also Kichler!}

A wall was actually added above to close off the view from the kitchen and give them square footage in valuable real estate, but we’ll head upstairs first so you can see all the changes made to this project. 

Once upon a time, this side of their upper level contained a kitchen + living room. So we knocked down those walls {and ceiling} expanding out of one side of the house. It gave us this: 

And it feels like an entirely different house. 

This view was once the main dining area of their kitchen, which didn’t leave much space for storage in the hub of their house. The wall to the left was also wide open into the foyer below. It felt like a waste. closing off the wall to the left and expanding to the right made room for an entirely new configuration with an island for their family to gather. The middle section will be a dining area in the future. 

This is one of my favorite views. The subtle beauty of the white tile meets the gorgeous wood-toned oven and hood combo. The kitchen is now ready to work hard for this family!

This side holds the kitchen sink and some appliance garages to help control countertop clutter while still providing easy access. 

Their large kitchen sink + Delta Faucet combo is a winner for this new kitchen. 

When everything is moved back in, this island will be perfect for gathering. Here’s another before-and-after.

This wall was knocked back, and now it holds this. 

One of the space’s show-stoppers is this china cabinet in the middle of their room. It will be the centerpiece of their dining area and hold a generous amount of items for hosting. 

To give you some perspective, the previous view was this…

We loved bringing all the fabulous lighting to this kitchen with Kichler. Here are the pieces that were used: 

These Ellerbeck Wall Sconces were used across the space for a great placement on those walls. 
The Morrigan Chandelier was used as pendants over the island. 
This fantastic Pallas Chandelier {shown below} now holds court over their dining area. 
And they requested a fan in their living space, so we were glad to incorporate this one for a cleaner look.

One feature that we really love about their kitchen is that we hid all the plugs under the cabinet so that they didn’t interrupt that timeless feel. This tile has an understated elegance, and we loved adding undercabinet lighting, too. 

Here’s an up-close look at that tile. We love the feel + subtle variations in color for a handmade appeal. 

The fabulous hardware used here is D. Lawless, our go-to for anything hardware. We loved pairing their Brightened Opulence Pull {available in various widths!} with their matching knob – both in champagne bronze!

This space is vastly different, and we’re excited about their home’s fresh start. 

There isn’t much to say when we have so many photos since we’re usually at the absolutely exhausted stage by the time we get to this point—the view from the kitchen is great before and after. We’re just happy that this family gets to move back in!

Their fireplace is a great size now, definitely anchoring their living space. They opted to mount their TV here, which is perfect for arranging all things furniture. 

Here’s a glimpse of their before, and I know they’re so glad to have this larger piece as an anchor in the room. 

Here’s the before on this wall, where they opted to add a window. This will be their future window seat area, with more storage, to boot. 

Such a great, multifunctional space. 

But wait until you see the subtle changes made to their basement! 

Arriving downstairs before, they held a small foyer area with one bedroom {another across} + a bathroom in the middle, and their laundry. Knocking out the wall to the left made room for a common area, a new bathroom, and bedrooms with small alcoves for individual entrances. 

Here’s that view now, with a bathroom here, {bedroom to the left} + laundry to the right. 

And a peek at this shared bathroom space: 

You may spy that D. Lawless hardware again, {handles / knobs} + this Kichler Menillo Mirror {perfect for a bath without windows} + Brinley wall sconce.  The vanity was handmade {same as custom cabinets upstairs}, + we love this tile combo. 

Originally, the downstairs held this shared bathroom space in the middle of the basement. It sits directly below their living room and kitchen area. So, expanding the house on this side made room for a new common area. Here’s the space before: 

And here it is now. The perfect gathering space for entertaining, gaming, movie nights… and more. 

We loved adding little details like these D. Lawless pulls + Kichler Azores Wall Sconces. 

Here’s another glimpse at the other side of the space. Unfortunately, we were a little limited on what we could photograph, but I think this gives you the idea. Two bedrooms across from each other on each side of this basement – each space holds a generous window and closet area, too. 

We also loved adding these Kichler Serca lights to the hallways for added charm + function. I am high-key obsessed with their simplicity. 

One of my very favorite transformations is in this simple space. I just know how valuable a mudroom can be, and we loved changing it over for them to use as a main entrance, along with a more functional laundry room. Here’s the before: 

And the after. 

These mudroom lockers will hold all their things with the help of these {you guessed it!} D. Lawless hooks. Some great, hard-working tile definitely helps. 

Lighting: This Elias Pendant serves as the anchor point in the room, and what I love about it, {other than that great brass detail inside} is that it’s convertible from a flush mount to a pendant, depending on what you need. We also love these sconces for added lighting and options, especially in the evening. 

You know I’m a big fan of laundry room doors that let light in without seeing all the things… I adore the way this one came together in a stylish but functional way!

Inside is their laundry room, which has space for another fridge and a sink with cabinets. Once an unused storage space behind the original laundry, it gave us room to knock it back and make it useful. There is now plenty of working space!

We are to the point where we share about 1/3 of our client design projects here as they’re complete for various reasons, so we were thrilled to get these photos. As always, thanks for dropping by. Let us know your favorite parts or if you have any questions, and we can point you in the right direction. Have an inspired day!

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Pssst… did you know that we take on design and renovation projects for clients? Check out what we do here and our portfolio here. 
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