Can a house shed its coat and emerge as something new? Can something as large as a house be transformed? Can one place become another? Yes. As stout and permanent as they may seem, houses are malleable -- capable of change -- proficient at flexing and shifting, stretching and growing, just like people.
Many of us live in houses we're not really happy with. The rooms are too small, the ceilings too low, the exterior lacks character, and the appliances, the fixtures, the tile, the hardware -- you name it -- are outdated, worn out, beyond repair. You've talked to your spouse, your friends, you've even called in carpenters and general contractors. "Replace the siding with maintenance-free vinyl," offers one. "It'll feel like a new home." "Tear it down and start over& it'll be easier than renovating," says another. You know that a new siding job won't solve your space limitations in the kitchen. And completely rebuilding your home, well, that seems overwhelming.
But what about another approach? What about transforming your home into something altogether new? OK, I can hear you say, that sounds like rebuilding. Well, that's partly true, but completely rebuilding is at one extreme end of the transformation spectrum. Through many years of practicing architecture and helping others remodel their dark or cramped homes, I've found that just as there seems to be an endless amount of home types and styles, there are just as many ways to change these homes.
At the friendlier end of the spectrum, a successful transformation will involve the logical, practical adjustment of the floor plan: opening walls between rooms to create shared space, creating better walking paths through the house and eliminating "dead-end" spaces, or even finding new uses for rooms that are seldom used. Another level of house transformation involves rethinking how windows bring light into the interior of the home, and where exterior doors are positioned to allow uninhibited movement to the outdoors. But this is just the beginning. The character of your home can be transformed as well through the use of new materials and by thoughtfully creating exterior details that are expressive of the type of home you desire....
