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The new wing on this Nashville country home increases its living space by more than 2.000 square feet but looks as though it were always a part of the home. After photos by Peyton Hoge Photography |
Residential designer and remodeler Ridley Wills worked magic on this 1930s Georgian-style residence in Nashville, Tenn. increasing its living space by more than 2,000 square feet with an addition that blends seamlessly with the existing exterior architecture of the 80-year-old home.
"What made this project particularly challenging was that the homeowners were looking for a really big addition that would involve increasing their living space on both the first and second floors," says Wills. The scope of the project included replacing the existing kitchen with a home office and butler's pantry; adding an outdoor-oriented, dine-in kitchen more than twice the size of the original; and a three-season porch on the main floor, as well as a recreation room and exercise room upstairs. Also part of the plan was the construction of an attached, 2½-car garage to replace an open-air carport and a second, separate garage to increase storage opportunity for outdoor equipment.
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"It was very important to my clients that their new space would work with their home's existing style," says Wills, who has a degree in architectural history and whose 16-year-old design/build firm is a recognized leader in historical home renovation in his Nashville market. "They definitely did not want to have the addition dominate the house — to have the tail wag the dog so to speak."
Although the addition would not be directly visible from the street, Wills was no less diligent in developing a design that was architecturally sensitive to the style and scale of the original home. "I did not want it to appear as though a huge addition had just landed in their backyard."
From the rear yard and terrace, which were also relandscaped as part of the overall project improvement, the new kitchen resembles a single-story breezeway that connects the main body of the home with a two-story outbuilding. That contains the three-season porch and garage on the ground level and exercise and recreation rooms above them. The irregular massing of Wills' design minimizes the bulk of the addition when viewed from any direction.
"The home was built with 9½-foot ceilings," he says, "but my clients were looking for more drama in their new space. The challenge was to give them the higher ceilings they were looking for inside without having the addition overwhelm the primary structure from the outside."
Reclaimed pine paneling adds an element of rustic charm to the game room, which was designed to accommodate the homeowner's active family. |
Recreating the distinctive rooftop balustrade — originally used above of the home's solarium to accent elements of the addition — not only promoted visual continuity on the exterior but also allowed the remodeler to downplay the higher roofline created by an 11-foot, barrel-vault in the new kitchen.
"The balustrade made it possible to conceal the pitch of the roof above the kitchen," he says, "by hiding it behind the railing. At the same time, I could give the indoor space a much more dramatic ceiling treatment."
The inviting kitchen, with its oversized island, fireplace and conversation area, serves as the anchor for the home's new wing. The existing laundry room was also reorganized to create a modern service entry for the homeowners. A recessed side porch now provides access to a family foyer that connects directly to a separate laundry room and the secondary garage. A rear stair hall in the new wing provides another route to the upper floor.
The formal dining room was renovated and enlarged to create a curved back wall with a custom niche that accommodates a large sideboard. "This detail really added a lot of character to the space," says Wills.
Blending old and new
Wills used a number of techniques throughout the project to ensure a smooth transition between old and new. Inside, custom-milled trim; a walnut counter in the office; and reclaimed flooring and paneling recreate an old-fashioned look, he says.
Outside, the two-story portion of the addition features a hip roof and mousetooth cornice detail consistent with the home's original architecture. New brick required for the exterior finish was carefully matched to the existing brick, and the two were intermixed to downplay any variation in appearance. The remodeler also made sure that old and new materials met at right angles so that natural shadow lines would help to mask the transition.
"The addition appears as through it has always been a part of the house. The end result is that the remodeled home not only lives better for its owners, but it looks better than ever, too," says Wills.
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The right materials, detailing and architectural scale create a seamless 2,000-square-foot addition