Project Case Study:
A Complete Transformation of a 1960s Home for Aging-in-Place

These clients came to Better Builders with the goal of taking their 1960s home and transforming it into what felt like a completely new house. The vision was to take the existing room-by-room layout and create an open floor plan for an aging-in-place, forever home.

The first challenge was removing the fireplace, mechanical closet, and chimney. Also, we opened up a large span of the wall, which separated the future dining from the living area. Both structures were load-bearing, which required the installation of a new glulam beam in the attic. We were immediately faced with the additional challenges of the attic being rat-infested and only two feet high at the peak. After extermination, major cleaning, and repairs, we maneuvered the new beam to open the entire south end of the house.

Creating a Seamless Flow

The new kitchen and dining rooms flow seamlessly into the living room, allowing for a ten-top dining table for lavish entertaining. Between the dining and living areas, we installed two sliding doors leading out to a future patio entertaining area. Lacing new oak flooring to the existing and adding fresh paint and baseboards throughout, the space was complete.

From Kitchen to Laundry and Powder Room - A Sustainable Renovation Project

Lastly, we transformed the old kitchen into a new laundry room and added a new powder room, all within the original square footage. Embracing the Use and Reuse philosophy, all the original cabinets and countertops remained in place and found a new purpose for craft work and storage. By reusing these materials, we were able to create a high-impact space with a low impact on the client’s budget.