Renovation Portfolio

Voted Best Custom Home from The Harrisburg Home Builders Association. This custom design-build project in Dauphin County is a showstopper. The project included the demolition and removal of the existing home and structure to create a modern two-story, 3,950 sq. ft., farmhouse-style home. The scope also involved renovating the existing 5,280 sq. ft. barn. Because the new home is located next to the barn, it was important to select exterior materials that complemented the original home and stone on the vintage barn.

Like many custom home projects, the homeowners came to Garman Builders with an inspirational photo found online and a list of desired features. Two of the most important aspects were to create a home that allowed the family to take full advantage of the beautiful views and create spaces that helped bring in the surrounding nature.  Essential design elements included openness, natural light, and easy access to outside living areas.

After reviewing the inspiration photo and completing our discovery with the homeowner to fully understand their vision and how they intended to use their home, our architectural team began planning to make the homeowner’s dream home a reality. Our work also included positioning the house on the property to maximize the views and ensure the space allowed for an in-ground pool to be added in the back of the home.

The design created a 4-bedroom home with a large open-concept kitchen that seamlessly flowed into the great room. With four children, the kitchen would be the heart of the home. Design elements included Medallion semi-custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, and a large island with a sink facing the great room and plenty of countertop seating to stay engaged with the family.

While the owners are building a home for their needs today, it is also important to consider the future and the possibility of caring for their parents. To accommodate this, the plans included a 14’ x 35’ owner wing complete with a first-floor bedroom, a luxury bathroom with a large walk-in shower with wood tile flooring, and a large walk-in closet. For added convenience, the home has first- and second-floor laundry rooms.

The great room boasts large Anderson windows and doors, engineered hardwood floors, and an oak ceiling with matching beams. The centerpiece of the room is stone a stone wood-burning fireplace. To accomplish the family's desire to have easy access to outdoor living areas, the doors at either side open to patios.  The back patio, which serves as an ideal place to watch the sunset, is designed with a phantom screen to transform the covered patio into a screened-in outdoor room.

To create space for the kids, we added a loft on the second level. With three additional bedrooms and 2 baths, the home has space for an active family. As an added feature, the loft opened to a balcony designed with DuxxBak® Dekk, a revolutionary water-shedding deck system that channels water away from the foundation and prevents dripping to the space below.

As our work to the home wrapped up, we shifted our attention to the barn. Our work included a rebuild of the entire front of the barn, new windows and doors, and new siding. When addressing the siding, we took great care to salvage as much of the material as possible to maintain the original patina and weathered look of the barn.

Do you have a custom home project in your future? Contact our custom home team to learn how Garman Builders can make your dream home a reality.