Where we started
- Deanna
- Mar 25
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 27
We came across this beautiful home in our own neighborhood of Lost Creek in November of 2024. It was a cute home on a beautiful tree-filled lot on a quiet street. It seemed like the perfect home to start our business with. It was small-ish for the neighborhood at 1800 SF and had 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths but only one living area and a small kitchen. We purchased with the intention of renovating and doing a small addition to add another bedroom, bathroom and second living area.
We worked with a fabulous architect for about 6 months to develop a redesign of the home. We also began the demo process knowing that all the major systems would need to be replaced in the 40 year old home.
Design Development
We had several goals for this project including our non-negotiable: hire an architect to design this home so that it functions well for a modern family. In addition...
Not-so-big concept: everything you need but nothing excessive (size/scale/scope);
Quiet luxury: great sustainable materials that are timeless
Design with flexibility for the changing seasons of life (a forever home)
Preserve the trees: we love trees for their beauty, the shade they provide and the character they add to a home and neighborhood
Inside/outside connection: large windows and doors to take advantage of the outdoor environment allowing the homeowners that sense of being grounded
A home that resonates with people, the space feels 'good' and 'right'
Remodel/Additions Plans
We were able to come up with some beautiful plans with our architect, plans that we were really excited about. The next step was to get the plans bid with a few builders. We received a variety of comments and suggestions from both builders and realtors about the viability of our plans and potential resale value of the home if built per the plans. The reality set in that what it would cost to remodel the existing home would exceed the market value for a remodeled home in our neighborhood. This was so disappointing!
What next?
After much deliberation (and prayer!), we decided the best option was to build a brand new home on the site. This would eliminate any limitations of the existing structure and allow us to build our dream: a newly imagined Mid Century Modern home! This part was quite exciting. The less exciting part was the fact that the new build would be twice as expensive as what we hoped to spend on the remodel/addition.
We engaged with a local Lost Creek architect, Erin Kant to develop our new plans. Erin had extensive experience in designing homes and building in our neighborhood. We also engaged with a local builder, Trevin Peterson, of Lyte Custom Homes to work alongside Erin in crafting this dream home.
In about 6 months we were able to complete our plans and get our site ready for full demo of the home. It was sad to be tearing down a home that served a family well for over 40 years.
Worse before Better
And so, let the new construction begin!
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