All kidding aside, we are getting older.  And we want to stay in our homes.  Why?  Selling is hard in many ways and the market isn’t helping.  Relocating and leaving friends is not easy either.  And moving is expensive,  a cross-country move for a three-bedroom home can cost as much as $8,000, which is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you remodel your home to support you as you gracefully age, then you have a choice of remaining in your home.   You retain control over your situation and you have more choices. 

There are three key areas to think about when designing your home for longevity:

• Level Entry-  The pathway from the car-parking to the interior of the home should be level or use ramps.
• Kitchen-  A kitchen that has rollout storage cabinets, counters with seating, and easy to use appliances and sinks can go a long way towards continued enjoyment preparing your food and cleaning up after.
• Bathroom- At least one bath in the home should have a safe way to bath with seating; seating at the counter and plenty of grab bars.    The look can be very clean and classy with a walk-in shower.

There are more details to consider, from widen doorways, all the way to adding a suite for a potential caregiver. You could take this step by step, or develop a master plan with your spouse or family.  First you must decide how long you intend to occupy your home.  Sometimes a crisis will force a short term home modification, which may be temporary.

Kitchen remodel by WrightBuilt with soapstone and butcher block counters

What is the perfect counter top?  The home improvement boom saw a multitude of solid surfaces with granite and man-made quartz counters leading the charge.  Out with tile and grout, in with granite!  But there’s another choice:  soapstone.

Soapstone is a natural, metamorphic rock also known as “steatite”.  There is artistic grade soapstone, commonly found in California, which is softer and can be used for carving.   Architectural grade soapstone is much harder and suitable for countertop usage.

Benefits of Soapstone

Soapstone is very dense and non-porous.  Nothing will stain or etch soapstone.  Other natural stones such as granite or marble must be sealed periodically and are vulnerable to staining.  Soapstone is often used in chemistry labs because it is inert and does not react with acidic or corrosive chemicals.

Maintenance of soapstone is minimal and not required.  Some people prefer to darken the natural gray soapstone by applying mineral oil.  Mineral oil only darkens the stone and enhances it’s natural beauty.  The mineral oil is not sealing the stone, only darkening the countertop surface.

Kitchen remodel by WrightBuilt with soapstone table and counters

Unlike granite or quartz countertops you can set hot pots or pans directly on the soapstone counter.  Soapstone is often used in the manufacture of wood stoves and masonry heaters because it can withstand high temperatures.  Setting hot objects on your soapstone counters will not crack, discolor or harm the countertop.

Soapstone is very hard, but it can be scratched.  Usually an application of mineral oil will make the scratch disappear.  Scratches can also be buffed out with standard sand paper.  Over time soapstone develops a patina which enhances the natural beauty of the stone.

Soapstone is also the most germ and bacteria resistant natural stone surface available.  Cleaning your counter can be done with mild soap and water.  You do not have to worry about avoiding ammonia based cleaners, like you would with granite or marble.

When a home is built with a large crawlspace, there is usually some attempt to provide reasonable access.  Many builders will excavate a reasonably level pad in the crawlspace and provide a full size door to access the space. A light and outlet are required by code.  Sometimes moisture is present, but can be addressed with good waterproofing and proper drainage.

Unfortunately, some issues that are usually overlooked are routing of plumbing pipes and heating and air ducts.  Some of these can be expensive to relocate later.  The floor system is usually supported by a series of posts and concrete piers, but beams can be installed to open up the space.  Headroom must be greater than seven feet, preferably at least eight feet, after subtracting the thickness of a concrete slab floor.

Sometimes it is possible to find solutions to these challenges with a little engineering savvy.  We recently built a new downstairs space with a family room, office and a bathroom where the initial headroom was not sufficient.  The crawlspace sloped from head high to crawling on hands and knees.

The plan involved using a Bobcat tractor to excavate beneath the house.  We cut a hole in the back of the house and removed a section of the foundation so the tractor could excavate and remove the excess earth from the lower half of the crawlspace.  This new grade was lower than the foundation, but we engineered a solution by pouring concrete retaining wall or buttress to support the existing footings.
In many building projects an intrusive element, like the 18” high concrete buttresses sticking out of the floor, can be adapted into a useful or pleasing feature.  Although the original plan called for a false wall to cover the buttress, our lead carpenter suggested we create a built in bench to run the length of the room.  With the owner’s approval we built the bench and installed a cherry laminate countertop against the window wall in both rooms to disguise the protrusion.  The result is a very useful, interesting family room and office with built-in work counters located in front of windows.  For this multi-generational family, it is a perfect room for the grandkids including wiring for TV, phone and computer.

Another key to a converting your crawlspace into a successful living space is to provide interior stairs to connect the two levels.  The stairs should connect from common space on the main level, such as a living room or hallway.  This can be a difficult proposition, as a straight stairway requires a three-foot by twelve-foot footprint.

Since this home was designed with future stairs in mind, we were able to remove some closets to do the job.  We installed a single run of stairs with a generous width of 44”, which makes moving furniture easier.  Other homes may use an ell-shaped stair run to do the trick.  Spiral stairs should be considered as a last option.  They are five foot in diameter and not very functional.   If this just isn’t possible in your home, you may consider an outside set of stairs that can provide a more separate living space.

A bathroom downstairs will greatly enhance the usefulness and value of your home.  We added a bathroom to this project, but the main sewer line for the home was above this level.  We solved this problem by installing a sewage pump.  I warn clients that during power outages they should use a different bathroom as the pump requires electricity, but the pump tank will handle one or two flushes until power returns.

This home now has a daylight basement with windows installed on the downhill wall of the house.  Adequate light and ventilation is required for living space.  The Uniform Building Code requires 8% of the floor area be represented in glazing (windows) and 4% for ventilation, excluding bathrooms, closets and hallways.

This means that a ten-foot by ten-foot room must have at least a two-foot by four-foot window, which is operable for ventilation.  We have occasionally solved this issue by installing a light well, which involved retaining the earth away from a below grade window.  These are common on the East Coast where basements are the rule not the exception.

Another reason this project was successful is that it did not take away from the original house design or site.  The owners had pondered various additions to the home, but did not want “tack on” an addition, or lose landscaping or trees adjacent to their home.  Converting the crawlspace was very effective use of space and gave them what they wanted conveniently.  The downstairs appears in every way to be a part of the original home, which I consider one of the measures of a well-executed remodel.

Before we left the project, a slumber party with grand kids had already christened the family room.   At end of the every construction project there is a transition from being building environment, which is often noisy, dirty and sometimes smelly to a comfortable home environment for family living.  With a smile we appreciated the fun this family will have as we leave and the family begins to enjoy their new downstairs.  They have gained two additional rooms and a bathroom.  With the downstairs for grand kids to play, the adults have a quieter space upstairs at the same time.
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Andrew Wright, CR is a regional and national award winning remodeler and a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Kitchen & Bath Association.  He may be reached at WrightBuilt Home Remodel & Design at 530-272-6657.

We recently completed a project for a couple in Alta Sierra who had a nicely appointed home with spacious living areas, but a very small master bedroom. Typical to many homes of the ’70s and ’80s, the master bedroom was only slightly larger than the secondary bedrooms. The ensuite bath was also a convoluted maze of tiny corridors serving a several closets and bath. The headroom was limited by 8-foot ceilings making the space seem even smaller.

We explored the concept of an addition, but after looking at the expense to benefit ratio we took a second look at what could be done within the existing space. We could gain 2 feet by taking over the closet in the adjacent guest bedroom. This would expand the width from a minimal 12 feet to a more reasonable 14 feet. We considered adding a bay window for even more visual space, but that idea did not get included in the final design.

Eight-foot, flat ceilings; or as we say in the trades, 8-foot lids do not create much drama. They can squash the apparent space within the room, making a room feel smaller than it really is. I addressed this by using engineered lumber to install a new ridge beam, which structurally allowed us to remove the existing ceiling joists and create a new vaulted ceiling.

The result is now a bedroom that is both wider and taller than original space. The impact is significant. By the numbers, the volume of the room has been increased almost 50 percent and the vault is nearly 12 feet tall.

Most important is the sense of the room when you walk into it. It feels roomy and spacious. Another reason I am excited about this technique is the structural work can be done from within, leaving the roof undisturbed. It is often possible to vault specific rooms in either truss framed homes or traditional rafter framed homes by using this technique.

The new master suite is sweet. Forgive the pun, but when you walk into the vaulted bedroom with built-in gas fireplace and arched opening revealing a beautiful bathroom, it is stunning. The bedroom is finished with solid oak floors to match the rest of the house and the bath has travertine marble floors and shower walls.

Travertine continues to be a very popular choice. It has a warm, organic feel with neutral colors that work with many different palettes. The shower floor and the countertop backsplash are shiny, ebony black pebbles with black grout, which adds contrast and texture.

Working with a very artistic owner can open opportunities to break tradition and create exciting looks. The plumbing fixtures and light fixtures are old world styling with black finish. The cabinetry is a rich burgundy with raised panel doors. There is an abundance of drawers, set three deep, which allows for deep drawer boxes. We built in plug strips into several drawers to for extra convenience and to streamline the looks.

The walk in shower has freestanding thick glass panels with radiused corners, which soften the look. The type of glass is called starlight, which projects a pale blue tint, instead of showing a deep green color on the edges. Oval mirrors were used at the double vanities to continue the traditional look of the cabinets and fixtures.

The closet was reconfigured as a walk-in with built-in shelves and organizers in a dark mahogany finish. We used a small pair of doors so they can swing open without taking too much space. The owner selected an obscure glass and after looking at both sides, chose to put the textured side facing out which looks much better than the reflective surface of the smooth glass.

The owners are very happy with the end result. It is so different from where they started, yet was achieved without going outside the footprint of the house. This saved them money and shortened the duration of the project.

Their original assumption that they needed to add on was replaced by a successful expansion within the home. The master suite has been upgraded to match the rest of their home without building outside the box.

The author was provided with this undated photo of the original Willow Valley Schoolhouse that was burned down in the 1940’s. The new building was designed from this photo

Historically Nevada County had many one-room schoolhouses.  Transportation back then was by horse or by foot so each small neighborhood had it’s own schoolhouse.  The DesJardins bought their home in 1989 on the same property where the Willow Valley Schoolhouse had been located until burning down in the 1940’s.

They had a dream of creating a second unit on their property that recalled the original schoolhouse.  Phil worked for a high tech company that was willing to let him work from home via high speed Internet.  Since I had done several remodels for them before, the DesJardins called me to design and build the project.

This computer generated perspective shows a hip roof covered entry porch and proportions of the new building.

Before designing the building Phil and I researched the historical records at the Searls Historical Library in Nevada City.  Although we were able to get a census of the number of students who attended the school we found no photos or plans.

Conversations with neighbors yielded more details.  I met a wonderful older lady further up the road while biking the Snow Mountain Ditch one day.  She shared her stories with me of going to the Willow Valley School as a little girl and waiting for her father to pick her and her brother up by horse carriage.  She remembered the school bell ringing from the top of the building.  The bell disappeared after the fire and has not been located to our knowledge.

With luck another neighbor came forth with a grainy black & white photograph of the building.  I extrapolated the dimensions of the building by measuring some of the features and determined the rough dimensions to be 27 feet by 18 feet with a four foot by 14 feet covered porch.  We permitted the detached building as a workshop, which allows for a bathroom but no working kitchen.

The site work involved relocating the overhead power and phone lines, which crossed the clearing where the building would be built.  We coordinated with PG&E to “swing” the original power lines to a new service panel located on the schoolhouse from which we ran underground utilities to the family home.  This improved the aesthetics of the site and provided greater privacy to the home.

The finished schoolhouse as viewed from entry to main home. Red painted lap siding and white trim sets just the right tone. The building was oriented to fit among the large pines and firs without removing major trees.

Although the original schoolhouse inspired the design, it was not intended to be a historical replica.  We used Hardiplank lap siding for it’s cost effective fireproof and highly weather resistant qualities.  The DesJardins chose nostalgic colors, schoolhouse red with white trim for the exterior of the building.   A cupola graced the steep roof awaiting the installation a bell.  The lead carpenter and I discussed how we could provide a rope down into the building to ring the bell while keeping the weather out.

The windows are double hung divided lite windows, true to the original building, but with modern thermal performance and maintenance free cladding.   We installed a gas furnace with a programmable thermostat instead of a wood stove, which probably heated the school.  The bath is simple yet functional, with pedestal sink and neoangle glass shower enclosure.  I suspect the bath facilities were a bit more primitive back then.

The DesJardins wanted a vaulted main room and a loft so I installed a structural ridge beam at the top of the twelve in twelve pitched roof.  The vault is 18 feet high and airy.  The ceiling and walls are finished with a smooth hand troweled texture.  We used the vault to create a loft in the rear half of the building with surprisingly comfortable headroom and a window for ventilation and light.  To access the loft we built a ship’s ladder with dowels for rungs and vertical grain douglas fir rails.   The wood windows and french door have a clear finish on the pine and fir which looks great with the clean white walls and white painted trim.

The red schoolhouse is nestled among the huge pines and fir trees just a few steps from the family home.  It provides a separate modern workspace, yet is a tribute to the history of the area.

Today there is no bell hanging in the cupola, but someday we hope to return the original to ring out once again.  I imagine the neighbors might wonder at the sound, but one lady up the road might pause to remember her childhood days at the old schoolhouse.

If anyone has further information about the Willow Valley Schoolhouse please give me a call.  The DesJardins and I would enjoy learning more of the history of this lost treasure.

Andrew Wright, CR is a regional and national award winning remodeler and a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Kitchen & Bath Association.  He may be reached at WrightBuilt Home Remodel & Design at 272-6657.

As the saying goes, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.”  I see this dynamic when remodeling homes where existing walls and other assumptions limit the vision of what can be done.  It’s not just that most people can’t visualize or haven’t the experience of reconfiguring rooms, sometimes it is simply too hard to grasp a three dimensional space and the potential for change.

The solution is to draw up plans and get an overview of the floor plan.  The next step is to eliminate all but the exterior walls to create a blank canvas.  It is amazing what new possibilities present themselves when preconceived notions are set aside.  This could be considered an analogy for life in general, I think.

Walk-in shower is partially enclosed by sloped half wall. Thick glass partition controls shower spray without adding structure. Cherry vanity floats from wall to wall with plate mirror above.

The challenge was to transform a master bath in a Alta Sierra home built in the eighties.  The homeowners had challenged me at the beginning of the project to do more than simply update the bath.  They wanted something artistic and out of the ordinary.

The original bath was chopped up into small cubicles.  A high vaulted ceiling combined with the small spaces resulted in tall dark “tunnels” lit by dated swag-mounted lighting.  The doorway from the bedroom forced all foot traffic between the sink and opposite vanity leaving little room to pass.  Although a generous closet flanked the rear wall, the hallway in front was largely wasted space.  Most odd of all was the doorway into the adjacent bath where a tub/shower was shared with guests.  The master bath had no bathing facility of it’s own.

As we developed the design some constraints need to be considered.  The bathroom was on the second story.  Moving the toilet would have been difficult and disruptive to the living space below.   We designed the new bath around the existing toilet location to work with this limitation and to save costs.   The end result was a plan for a spacious bathroom with interesting angles that was created by knocking down a number of partition walls.

Kohler Iron Bell sink sits on granite slab countertop with wall-mounted Kohler Stillness faucet. Deco tile details on backsplash add just the right touch.

One key element in the new bath is the vanity with vessel sink.   The cabinet is only a foot thick including the drawers and “floats” from wall to wall. The counter is a granite slab with a Kohler Iron Bell sink.   The Kohler Stillness faucet is mounted in the tile splash that has Zen-like black engraved deco tiles.  It’s a beautiful combination of function and art.

We also installed a 36” high cherry cabinet with granite top to shield the toilet and provide additional storage.   The original design called for a 42” high cabinet which looked ok on the drawings but in real life was too big, so we ordered a second cabinet to fit the room.

Moen Asceri valve allows transfer from fixed showerhead to Grohe personal shower with slide bar. Note: pebble accent strip in corner with cubby.

The signature piece of the room is the walk-in shower. It is partially enclosed by a half wall wrapped in ceramic tile with a ½” thick trapezoid glass panel on top.  The glass is thick enough to be mounted without a supporting frame and looks spectacular standing free of any structure.  The shower is bright and well lit with a new vinyl frame window installed at just the right height for a view but without compromising privacy.

The shower has dual showerheads that are controlled by a Moen Asceri transfer valve, which allows temperature control and adjusts water flow to two locations.  The shower features a Grohe personal shower with slide bar and a corner-mounted fixed showerhead.

The shower has large wall tiles that were chosen for ease of cleaning. The pebble floor is made of real stone and provides plenty of safe traction.  We ran an accent strip of pebbles up the corner to meet the wall cubby for shampoo storage.   A tile seat spans the corner and provides a useful function.  The rest of the bathroom flooring matches the wall tiles.

A walk-in closet fills the rest of the room with lots of to shelves and cubbies provide adequate storage to replace the ten feet of closet that was lost during the remodel.  The closet flooring is light bamboo floor that is warm underfoot and looks great against the tile floor of the bath.

The finished space offers an interesting open view with subtle angles on the ceiling, walls and partitions.  The closet wall is angled similar to the slope of the shower wall.  The eye picks up small repetitive details like this, which brings a pleasing overall feeling to the space.

The newly remodeled space is several months old now and has become a part of the home.    The owners report that shower is very easy to maintain without an enclosure to keep clean.   They shared with me that the enjoyment of using the new space is something they appreciate every day.  That is the part of my job I like the best, when the finished project has successfully enhanced the quality of life for my client.

Andrew Wright, CR is a regional and national award winning remodeler and a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Kitchen & Bath Association.  He may be reached at WrightBuilt Home Remodel & Design at 272-6657.