Designed for a recently retired couple, this project is a remodel of a thirty-year old Parks Canada staff house in Newfoundland. Our clients wanted an open-living space to entertain friends that was centered around a functional kitchen. They love to cook and are lifelong self-described naturalists that harvest wild berries, mushrooms, grow a lot of their own food in their extensive gardens to process each autumn (freezing, bottling, drying). Maximizing daylight was critical, as they had a lot of houseplants (some over 40 years old), including flowering orchids and an orange tree. They love Newfoundland, their community, their home and their gardens and wanted to stay in their house as long as they can, so energy efficiency and accessibility were key concerns.
The result is an open layout with new bay windows and a sun room addition. To keep costs down, we reorganized the existing kitchen cabinets to create a new open cooking space. A mudroom with a work sink was added to the back entry and large main bathroom with walk-in shower create new functional service spaces. A welcoming covered front porch dramatically changes the street front, while a new deck extends their living space into their gardens to the east.
