Saltbox Transformation—Design Awards 2015 Gold, Whole-House Over $750,000

Whole-House Over $750,000
Laughlin Homes & Restoration, Fredericksburg, Texas

Project goals: To convert a cramped 1970s saltbox into an inviting space suitable for entertaining, while honoring the original building.

Solutions: Additions were designed to blend with, rather than overpower, the surrounding historic neighborhood. The remodeled home sports a distinctive modern vernacular design.

The raised, stone-clad pool offers additional seating for entertaining. Historically styled stone walls provide privacy and mute traffic noise, while creating a layering effect from the street that gives the home depth and interest.

The gourmet kitchen was designed around locally acquired historical apothecary casework.

The stairwell is flooded with natural light, giving it the feel of an outdoor space. A local blacksmith designed and forged cast iron  and hand-wrought steel into a beautiful and functional railing. Discarded 1-by-1-inch weathered oak slats were used for the interior  pine wall siding.

The master suite features a large walk-in closet, an elegant bath, and a sleeping area with a balcony that overlooks the spa and pool. The clients’ teenage daughters each have their own bedroom suites. The use of reclaimed materials includes handmade brick, the iron for the balcony railing, lumber, and lighting fixtures. A quirky, yet stylish, aesthetic played a key role. For example, the fixtures over the dining-room table are repurposed tornado sirens that were assembled on site.

What the judges said: “A spectacular example of adaptive reuse from the amazing wall in the grand stair to the open-concept kitchen to the extension of living space to the exterior. Everything about this house says Old World charm, with modern living in mind.”