We are thrilled to announce that we have received the 2025 NARI Remodeler of the Year Regional Award for Residential Addition! See what can happen when homeowners decide to stay in the home they love by adding more space and functionality. They are over the moon with their new expanded home, and we were excited to bring it to life for them. See the dramatic transformation below!
Housing prices were skyrocketing as this young couple realized they were outgrowing their 700 SF starter home. They had become deeply attached to the neighborhood and after weighing their options, decided staying was the best choice, but they desperately needed more square footage!
This 2 bed 1 bath was not cutting it, especially working entirely from home. There was very little room to relax and spread out, no dining area, and certainly no room to host friends or family. The only area that seemed to have more than enough space was the backyard.
To the dismay of their rescue dog, Harriet, everyone enthusiastically jumped on board with a plan to build OUT and utilize a portion of the backyard for interior living space.
And with that, a design for a home Addition was underway!
Starting from the kitchen wall, the entire back exterior was removed. A supportive glu-lam beam and trusses were added to give the addition an open, vaulted ceiling visible from the new raised eating bar at the kitchen.
The addition boasts a spacious dining area, restful Primary Suite with a walk-in closet and breathtaking full Bathroom! A new glass sliding door, covered porch and patio invite you to enjoy a thoughtfully reimagined backyard you’d never know had been reduced in size. The owners are overjoyed at how this beautiful renovation has enhanced both the quality and function of their home!
Kitchen And Dining Room
A new pony wall with a raised quartz eating bar and exposed beam define the entrance into the Addition.
New backsplash tile to match the existing and a new matching cabinet panel were added for a seamless transition from the existing kitchen. Engineered acacia hardwood flooring adds warmth and movement, leading the eye to the backyard.
A new spacious and inviting dining area is perfect for hosting holidays and birthday parties for family and friends.
The multitude of windows allow light to flood into the entire Addition. The combination of the natural light and wafer LED cans dramatically brighten the home.
The sleek oak trim-less detail on the windows aligns with the overall style of this 1950’s home.
Bedroom
A light and bright Primary Suite boasts a whimsical vaulted ceiling and expansive walk-in closet with built-in shelving and LED lights. Transom windows in both the bedroom and closet bring natural light from unlikely areas, with added privacy.
The star of the show, a Full Bathroom, sits unassumingly off the Primary Bedroom, separated only by a pocket door.
Main Attraction – The Primary Bath
Bold wall-to-wall Blush Terrazzo tile transforms the Primary Bath from bland to beautiful.
Brushed gold accents from the Kohler Purist fixture collection decorate the vanity and shower.
Dual recessed medicine cabinets add hidden storage above the Arctic White solid surface counter with integrated sinks.
Milk glass geometric sconces add task lighting above the mirrors.
A fixed dowel rod creatively hangs from the skylight above, providing a way for plant-lovers to bring life and oxygen to the room without monopolizing valuable counter space.
A simple maple double vanity in Cinnamon adds warmth and much needed storage to the bathroom.
The morning routine just got easier with this purposeful sprawling countertop.
A large, operable skylight with tapered well floods natural light into the room for a burst of morning sunshine.
Large porcelain hex tile in a perfectly coordinating shade of pink feels soft and soothing under bare feet.
The tile installer showed great skill in setting the tile around the room, hitting critical grout joints for fixture alignment. Both the lead carpenter and installer did a fantastic job ensuring the design intent was carried out.
Frameless shower glass and a new bidet toilet add a touch of luxury.
A privacy partition wall between the toilet and shower is held off the ceiling to allow for natural light from the skylight to bathe both areas simultaneously.
Vibrant, confetti-like stacked Terrazzo tile creates repetition and continuity around the room, broken up only by a perfectly punched recessed shampoo niche that holds the necessities. Brushed gold shower fixtures and a separate handheld shower wand make for a luxury showering experience.
Reimagined Backyard
The new Addition allows for a charming covered deck with recessed lighting, perfect for a rainy Pacific Northwest day.
Partially tucked under the side eve, a new sunken concrete pad with surrounding retaining wall offers access to the garage. A French drain and covered area for grilling add function in the rainy season, while exterior skylights and the half-exposed patio offer welcome Vitamin D on sunny days.
The pointed pitch of the new gable roofline creates a dynamic focal point from the back fence.
Having retained much of the yard, everyone – humans & canines alike – are enjoying this well-utilized space.
Award-Winning Residential Addition – Challenges Met And Overcome
After signing the contract, we discovered that a decommissioned oil tank was in the way of our new foundation. We always prepare clients that we might find something unexpected, and in this case, we knew there was a tank somewhere on the property, but did not know where until we started digging.
Once discovered, we created a change order to remove the oil tank and to test the soil afterwards to ensure all contaminants were removed. This discovery, of course, affected our schedule, but we communicated regularly with the client and updated our schedule on our project management software for all to follow along.
Another unexpected challenge was the discovery of a foundation that was very out of level. Â Our standard process is to assess how plumb and level the existing structure is after demo, as often finishes can obscure the actual framing.
In this particular case, the foundation was not level at the doorway between the new addition and the kitchen. We were forced to pick one point to match up with the new foundation.
Down the road, when finishes came into play, the flooring sub-contractor then applied Level-quick to prep for the new flooring and feathered the old floor with the new floor and split the difference so there wasn’t an abrupt change. It took a lot of finesse and care to get it all to work out.
The last major obstacle was around the vanity cabinetry. The cabinet order was not submitted correctly by our supplier, and the cabinets, to every remodeler’s nightmare, were NOT ordered.
We were sent into a tailspin, and fortunately, found a local custom cabinet maker to fabricate the boxes of the cabinets at a moment’s notice so we could keep on with our countertop templating. We were able to use the originally contracted doors and drawer fronts when they finally arrived.
In the end, the owners are delighted with the beauty and function of the Addition. It has enhanced their quality of life, and we have gained lifetime ReCraft Clients!
Reach out to us here at ReCraft to tell us about your remodeling dreams!