Giving thanks for a remodel reality check

The guests arrived for Thanksgiving and valiantly lugged their contributions to the feast from their cars to our kitchen.

The perilous journey began at street level and continued down the steep driveway, down a set of steps, down a ramp and down more steps. Then they turned left and stepped up into the house victorious, exhausted and ready for a glass of Prosecco. They must really love us—or at least the way my husband can make an organic free-range heritage turkey taste even better than you dare hope. Regardless of the motivation, none of us is getting any younger, so we’re counting on the remodel to make it easier to get to our house.

The party kicked off with appetizers and architecture. My sister- and brother-in-law are building a house in Florida and shared their plans. We showed off the first draft of ours. Like us, they want a roof deck and a pool. They are also getting an elevator. Way cool!

The holiday underscored the need for an excellent architectural solution to our space problem. The “great room” simply wasn’t great enough!

The seven of us gathered around a folding table to break bread. The second-hand dining table, sans leaf, sat against the couch to serve as a sideboard. Once the high school- and college-aged nephews begin bringing girlfriends to family events… well, I’m just glad the “Manifesto” called for a dining zone that could fit a table for 10.

After the boys left for their next round of social engagements, the adults retired to the living area, providing another “reality check.” Confirmed: the wisdom of our desire for a long L-shaped couch situated so folks could enjoy the ambiance of a crackling fire and watch the swans on the lake whenever the game brakes for commercials.

It was a perfect Thanksgiving. Here’s a toast to holidays made even happier thanks to the power of good design.

First draft

There was a “wow” factor. On the table was a 3-D model of what our house could be, nestled into our hillside property, showing proper elevations.

A curved roof unifies the current mess of rooflines over the bedrooms. Two towers serve as passive solar collectors. There is a roof garden, a deck on the main level and “hanging out” steps in the back.

The drawings were compelling, too. The opportunity to experience what could be was topped off with a “tour” through a computer rendering so we could check out their ideas from several angles—including a fish eye-view up through the lake.

While we knew we didn’t agree with all the concepts, it was difficult to have any perspective until we left Anthony and Jimmy’s office. I had to resist yelling “awesome! Where do I sign?” My husband agrees the meeting was productive; what they showed us exceeded his expectations, particularly in the many ways they were able to present their ideas, from low-tech to high.

That weekend, we analyzed the plans with the help of our teenage nephew. We looked at them inside, carried them outside and walked around pondering and pointing. Later we put together a three-page memo to sum up our responses. Upon reflection, our comments were in line with the dream house “Manifesto.” It was critical the project make it easier to get from the car to the house. Also important was to quell the urge to fix what wasn’t broken, namely, the guest bedroom and the bathroom.

Bottom line: this was a better first draft than I dared hope. Now let’s see how the architects respond to feedback.

The waiting is the hardest part

The “Design Party” in October was great fun! Architect Jimmy Dumas and Designer/Project Manager Anthony Malara discussed Anthony’s beautiful “as built” drawings and we all talked about—and sketched—what could be. A soaking tub? A pool? A master suite? A guest suite? A “green” home? What would change? What could stay?

The next day, a sort of manic panic seized me. My mind raced with ideas. What had we missed? What are we getting ourselves into? My husband and I had some feedback and I put together an email for Anthony and Jimmy. But then I kept writing. And writing.

Luckily, my husband stepped in as the voice of reason. If I keep sending stream-of-consciousness emails to service-oriented people, I could derail the project by pushing the design in an unintended direction. So I wrote again: ignore my last message. Later we followed up with a few points we both agreed on and I sent off the “official” feedback.

We did our homework well before selecting an architect. Our subscriptions included dwell, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Metropolis, Met Home, House & Garden, Garden Design, domino, Design NJ and other shelter magazines for years. Our collection of books about buildings included Good green homes—Creating better homes for a healthier planet by Jennifer Roberts. We articulated our needs and desires in the dream house “Manifesto” and provided Anthony and Jimmy with a bound copy. We have met with, talked with and emailed the firm.

Now it is time to let go and let them do their thing.