This new home office space opening onto a deck replaced an existing screened porch that lacked direct access to the backyard. In addition to creating a dedicated workspace, the owners wanted to better connect their home to the outdoors—providing space for outdoor living and allowing their dogs to safely enjoy the yard off leash. Above the new office, a second-floor deck creates a private outdoor retreat for the upper unit of this two-family Victorian home.

Finished back yard view.  Photo courtesy Peter Boyajain, Real Estate 109.

Almost finished office and decks.

 

A gently sloped ramp wraps around the main deck, providing easy access for pets of all sizes and ample width for convenient snow removal in winter. The deck’s traditional character is achieved through a thoughtful blend of classic wood detailing and durable, high-performance materials.

If you’d like, I can also create a combined version that flows seamlessly with the previous paragraph so both sections read as one continuous project description.

Almost finished office, decks, and dog ramp.

Before: screened porch views

Converting the second-floor screened porch to an open deck helped reduce the visual mass of the addition, allowing it to extend farther into the yard without overwhelming the main house. This change also made it possible to restore the original roof eave line and enhance the views from the third-floor dormer.

Finished main deck with awning. Photo courtesy Peter Boyajain, Real Estate 109.

New office. Photo courtesy Peter Boyajain, Real Estate 109.

Interior details reflect a simplified interpretation of traditional trim, including classic-style window casings and baseboards, along with hardwood flooring selected to match the existing home. An antique radiator relocated from elsewhere in the house adds character, while modern shades complement the energy-efficient windows and door.

The office and deck addition was completed in conjunction with renovations to the first-floor unit, including a reconfigured kitchen layout, updated hall bath fixtures and finishes, and an enhanced primary suite featuring a new bath and dedicated laundry area. The project was completed in 2023.

 
Our clients and their two children lived in a one story 1950’s Bungalow in a hillside neighborhood with a beautiful water view. They loved the informal village feel of the neighborhood and the easy access to outdoor activities but they needed more space for their growing family. They also needed office space for telecommuting days, upgrades to mechanical systems, and improved energy efficiency
 

View of South side
 

The addition of a second floor provides space for bedrooms, bath, laundry and primary suite, and views of the lake to the front and south side of the house. The south facing roof allows for future solar panels. Generous windows with wide, flat trim, angle brackets at the eaves and front entry roof, and the natural fir doors add interest to the straightforward shape of the house.

Project completed in 2016. Built by D.B. Schroeder & Co., Inc.

The owners of this south facing mid-70’s garrison colonial had always wanted a front porch to sit out on in the evenings, to unwind and enjoy their view.  The porch addition changes the style of the house to a Federal look.  The project also includes taller first floor windows to bring the view inside, and new front yard landscaping.

 Federal Front Porch Addition
 

Federal Front Porch Addition, before and after views
 

Federal Front Porch Addition, side view
 

Farm House Breakfast Bay adds ease and eat-in space to an existing kitchen and also relieved and enlivened a long straight facade facing the drive.

The clients had a relatively new kitchen that had worked well for them, but the only eat-in space was seating at an island which didn’t work as well for their young children. Adding the Breakfast Bay allowed space for a family table and increased the daylight and views for the kitchen. It also eased the circulation at the bottom of an adjacent stair to the second floor and increased the sense of connection from the kitchen to the family room beyond the stair. 

Farmhouse Breakfast Bay detail with bulkhead door at right
 

At the exterior the new Breakfast Bay is detailed with panel and pilaster trim suggesting an enclosed porch that might have evolved over the years. It sits comfortably between the house and drive replacing a covered stoop that had seemed too small for the expanse of the house and had created confusion about the actual side entry location. The basement bulkhead entrance with a custom wood door cover was reconfigured to tuck in at the end of new bay and blend into the landscaping.

Gables and layered shed roof forms enliven a relatively compact building volume. Traditional New England shingle siding and double hung windows blend with Arts & Crafts style elements such as the deep roof overhangs.

Front View
 

Front View
 

Construction—Living room corner
 

Back View – living room, kitchen porch roof, breakfast area with corner deck, family room over garage, primary bedroom (with box-bay window) above family room
 

Kitchen and Breakfast Area view

The kitchen opens to a covered porch that overlooks the backyard and meadow.  The tall casement windows at the sink area reaching down to the countertop, the adjacent French door, and skylights in the porch roof allow ample daylight light into kitchen. Traditional cabinetry is set off by granite countertops, glass tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances. The glass backsplash tiles appear again as an inset detail on the newel posts of the nearby stair.

Living room fireplace view

There are many built-in bookcases and cabinets throughout the house, from mud room to Living room.  A wood mantle and cabinets give the Living room fireplace a traditional look with convenience of a gas insert that can provide plenty of heat when wanted. 

Stair hall view

Arts & Crafts style details appear throughout the interior from finishes such as art tile and light fixtures, to wainscoting and flat panel doors.

Stone wall along drive
 

Deck railing detail with lamp

Eave details

The clients’ building lot was mostly lightly wooded slopes bordering a meadow previously cleared for the septic system of a house that was never built.  An outcrop of ledge at one side of the meadow dropped into a ravine that opened out at the lower side of the site onto an antique cart path and stone boundary wall.  Hillside House was sited at the edge of the meadow, adjacent to the ravine.  Ledge stone that was removed for the construction was used to create landscape walls of large rocks preserving the lower part of the ravine and supporting a circular drive hugging the shoulder of the slope.

Gables and layered shed roof forms enliven the relatively compact building volume, and work along with the slope of the site to allow the entry façade to present a modest 2-storey appearance.  The 3-storey façade on the opposite side of the house offers plenty of exterior wall area for natural lighting, including a light-filled corner with direct outdoor access for a basement office space.

Traditional New England shingle siding and double hung windows blend with Arts & Crafts style elements such as the deep roof overhangs with cedar roof support brackets made by the homeowners themselves. 

Storage space in the basement walkout area became a garden workroom connecting the greenhouse to a new exercise room. The cork flooring and eucalyptus paneling in the exercise area, along with the stone and stucco walls at the greenhouse, enhance the feeling of connection to the earth.

Project with DSA|Dewing & Schmid, 2005

 
Nestled into the mature landscape adjacent to the clients’ existing Victorian home is a new 2 car garage and workshop with studio, kitchenette and bath above.

The slope of the hillside allowed for a private entry to the studio from the upper lawn with a stone stair down to the driveway. The lower level garage is connected to the house by a curved covered walk through a perennial flower garden. The project also included reorganizing the entry, mudroom, WC and laundry areas of the existing house.
 

 
Chestnut Hill Garage driveway view
 

 
Chestnut Hill Garage view from house
 

 
Chestnut Hill Garage view from lawn toward covered walk and house
 

 Chestnut Hill Garage lawn view with studio entry

 

Project with DSA|Dewing & Schmid, 2003
 

Expanding to accommodate a growing family.

My clients’ existing split-level home with colonial details had a 2-car garage, home office, and bath on the lower level, the kitchen, dining, and living areas on main level, and 3 bedrooms with 2 baths on upper level.  Built in 1960, it had been well maintained, and has a nice private, though steeply sloped, back yard.

WDS|A designed a master suite and home office space in a new 2^nd floor above the existing main living level of the house.  The new 2^nd floor office space at the front of the house provides more natural light that the clients wanted, and allowed the lower level office space to be converted to a suite for a live-in caregiver.
 

 Windows in the new home office space, almost done.
 

Rear view from below in back yard, in progress and almost done.

At the back of the main level an existing screened porch off of the dining area was replaced with a sunroom with sliding doors opening onto the new decks overlooking the steeply slopping back yard.  New French doors bring more light from the sunroom into the dining area.  The existing living room picture window was replaced with sliding doors for access to the new decks as well.

At the front of the house a larger entry porch was created to provide a sitting area and balance the larger new volume of the house. Small square windows in the top of the tall porch space were designed to allow more natural light to reach the front door in the day time, while a hanging lantern fixture creates a warm glow after dark.   Both the new front porch and the back decks will have cable style railings and guards for a contemporary look.
 

 

 
 
 

Construction by Stevens Burke, LLC, completed 2019.