Our clients’ 1960s split-level home in Chamblee was outdated in its appearance and the way it functioned for the family. Years of wear-and-tear were visible, causing our client to exclaim, “Our house is falling apart!”
As is typical of a split-level, the layout of the main floor consisted of four small rooms. These compartmentalized little spaces made the home feel disjointed and cramped. The very low ceiling also contributed to a perception that the walls were closing in. Numerous doorways and walls caused congestion points and prevented good traffic flow throughout the space. This design prevented the family from having sufficient living area where everyone could gather together for large family dinners. Our clients were not even using all of the rooms on the main floor, and they were quite sure that removing walls would make the space work better for them. One of the tiny rooms on the main floor was the kitchen. “The kitchen was not our style,” explains our client. “The floor was covered in white tile with white grout, which is completely unsuitable for an active family.”
With the Atlanta Design & Build design team and an expert kitchen designer, we were able to make our clients’ existing cramped and small space become an extraordinary and functional kitchen, dining area and family room. They always wanted a tall vaulted ceiling, but that wasn’t possible because their current ceiling framing was made of manufactured trusses which could not be manipulated or altered. So we had to literally remove and raise the roof. We captured the essence of what they wanted and provided their open floor plan.
“Dale listened to our issues and ideas,” our client states. “He provided feedback and guidance and came up with a great design to open up the space and make everything work better for our family. He worked with us to translate our needs into our dream space.”
Compare the before and after photos on Houzz.
“We did have some challenges along the way,” continues our client. “But the ADB team was able to come up with creative solutions. Sydney and the ADB team communicated with us through every step to make sure that our vision was realized. The kitchen is now a beautiful and functional space that I enjoy cooking in. There is space for the entire family to come together. We have already hosted several family gatherings and parties, and the whole design works perfectly. We couldn’t be happier with the way that everything has turned out.”
In addition to the interior, the ADB team also remodeled the back screen porch which overlooks the pool renovation completed several years ago. Not only are our clients able to see their pool from the kitchen, but they can finally have the opportunity for the stay-cation they had envisioned. “The ADB team did an amazing job,” declares our client. “They enlarged and screened in the existing porch and added a massive fireplace so that we can enjoy it almost all year long! We love to relax on the porch after work or on Saturday mornings. It’s a great escape at the end of a long day.”
Along with transforming the interior and exterior spaces, our team also worked on improving the mechanical systems of the house. The home needed to have all electrical brought up to current CODE with a new electrical service. The heat and air supply and comfort level in the home had always been problematic. We were able to provide our clients with much better supply and energy efficiency by running the system through the basement ceiling.
“I still can’t believe this is OUR house. It looks like one of those beautiful homes you drool over in magazines,” our client enthuses. “If someone is considering the services of Atlanta Design & Build for their project, I would say to them, ‘Go for it! You won’t be sorry! In fact, what are you waiting for?’”
Check out these links to follow this story from the start and see us raise the roof, the beginning stages of the interior, our ADB team hard at work, in-progress photos and a walk thru video. Watch all of the progress videos here.
