Nest Notes

Home Transformed from Livable to Lovable

June 19, 2024

A Lititz, Lancaster County family is seeing double, thanks to a recent renovation by the Garman Builders Renovations Team. The goal of the project was to reinvent their 1930s home giving this growing family more living space and increasing the home's functionality. We doubled the interior square footage for this remodeling project and transformed their home from simply livable to absolutely lovable.

Our process always begins with a lot of listening to ensure we capture the homeowners' vision, hopes, and dreams. For the Woodcock family, the priority was to build upon the existing home to create a more functional space to accommodate their expanding family and four-legged pal, Scout. Their vision included adding additions to the side and rear of the home. Remodeling the kitchen area to create a larger, more modern space was also high on the priority list.

During our collaboration, we traded ideas and created design concepts. Given the age of their home, the first challenge was to develop a design-build plan that would allow us to blend the additions with the existing structure. Pre-planning during the design stage was paramount. When working with older homes, evaluating the structure to identify and mitigate potential problems helps ensure the project and the price tag stay on target. Due to the small footprint of the home, we knew excavation would be a daunting task. After several meetings and some creativity, we landed on a game plan to transform their home.

Two-story Rear Addition

The two-story rear addition took the place of an older sunroom that had seen its days, to say the least. Following the vision and plans we developed, this addition included a full basement, a first-floor great room with an attached half-bath, and a spacious second-floor owner’s suite. The owner’s suite includes a full bath and a large, shared walk-in closet. In the bathroom, the Woodcocks choose a comfort-height double vanity with a cultured marble vanity top. Brushed gold fixtures accent the vanity and the shower, which features subway tile. Larger windows in the owner's bedroom allow plenty of natural light and views of the mature rear yard.

Bright and spacious living room with wood flooring, a large flat-screen TV on a white entertainment unit with glass doors, a small red children’s chair, a green velvet sofa, and a brick accent wall. The room is well-lit with recessed lighting and natural light from a large window

Modern bathroom with a white vanity, brass fixtures, and double sinks. The vanity has two arched mirrors with brass frames, each topped with three light bulbs. The room has white walls and a door leading to a bedroom with a wooden bed frame.

Two-Story Garage Addition

Connected to the rear addition was the two-story garage addition. To create a finished garage, we demolished and removed the existing one-car garage and attached a breezeway. Above the fully finished and insulated garage, we added a new bedroom. Adjacent to the bedroom is a second-floor laundry, for added convenience to their growing family. By adding the new bedroom and Owner’s suite, the house was transformed from a two to four-bedroom home. Cozy nursery with a black metal crib, a green blanket, and three framed animal illustrations on the wall. The room features a large window with green curtains, a wooden changing table with drawers and shelves, and soft gray carpeting.

Knowing the kitchen is the heart of the home, the Woodcocks envisioned creating a more modern and inviting space for friends and family to gather. They also wanted the kitchen to seamlessly blend with the newly created dining room. To create this, we completely gutted the existing kitchen and dining room, taking both spaces down to the bare studs. By removing the wall between the dining room, kitchen, and existing living room, we created an open-concept floor plan and doubled the size of the kitchen.
Spacious kitchen with green cabinets, white countertops, and a large farmhouse sink. The room features pendant lights, wooden floors, and an adjacent dining area with a round wooden table and chairs. The kitchen has a mix of open shelving and glass-front cabinets, with various decorative items on display.

The new kitchen features painted perimeter cabinetry with granite countertops and subway tile for the backsplash. A center island with seating for four creates the perfect spot for chatting when the cook is working in the kitchen. A porcelain farmhouse sink and pendant lighting above the island complete the look. Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring was used in the kitchen to match the existing flooring. Modern kitchen with green cabinets, white countertops, and a farmhouse sink. The kitchen features a white French door refrigerator, a white oven, a microwave, and wooden flooring. The room is well-lit with recessed lighting and a pendant light over the sink, with various decorative items and plants on the countertops and shelves.

Close-up view of green kitchen cabinets with black metal handles and white countertops.

When your home no longer works for your changing lifestyle, a home remodeling project can help you re-imagine your space to create a design that is uniquely yours. Garman Builders’ Renovations Team collaborates with you to design functional, beautiful spaces that reflect your unique sensibilities, needs, and style of living. If you have a renovation dream or you’re ready to move from concept to completion, contact the Garman Team to get the conversation started.

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