USA Houzz Tour: A 1960s Home Revamp Marries Old and New
A two-storey extension has been seamlessly integrated into an old house thanks to repeated materials and tonal colours
Two years ago, a couple in the USA’s Chicago area bought the husband’s 167-square-metre childhood home and gave it a refresh. But as their family quickly grew from two to six, they needed more space. To remedy the issue, they added a 65-square-metre two-storey extension, which includes a living area and boot room on the ground floor and a bedroom suite and laundry on the first floor.
USA-based interior designer Alessia Loffredo carefully balanced splurges and savings when designing the spaces in the extension, updating the existing kitchen and giving the rooms in the original house a refresh.
USA-based interior designer Alessia Loffredo carefully balanced splurges and savings when designing the spaces in the extension, updating the existing kitchen and giving the rooms in the original house a refresh.
The designer also added new lighting, taps and quartz benchtops that have the look of marble. “I love natural stone, but quartz was better for the budget,” she says. It’s also a more durable finish for a busy family.
A small but striking new detail is the cabinetry hardware. “I chose oil-rubbed bronze, because it feels natural and will patina over time, which gives it personality,” says Loffredo. “And this is a big family – this finish will never look dirty.”
In a kitchen renovation, Loffredo recommends splurging on lighting and taps. “These really elevate a space and are worth the investment,” she says. The brass tap is from Rohl. The clients already had great appliances, including the Wolf cooktop, which allowed for some of the splurges. “If you have the money, put it towards appliances, especially [an integrated fridge]. It’s worth the investment,” says Loffredo.
A small but striking new detail is the cabinetry hardware. “I chose oil-rubbed bronze, because it feels natural and will patina over time, which gives it personality,” says Loffredo. “And this is a big family – this finish will never look dirty.”
In a kitchen renovation, Loffredo recommends splurging on lighting and taps. “These really elevate a space and are worth the investment,” she says. The brass tap is from Rohl. The clients already had great appliances, including the Wolf cooktop, which allowed for some of the splurges. “If you have the money, put it towards appliances, especially [an integrated fridge]. It’s worth the investment,” says Loffredo.
Across from the sink in the living area, Loffredo dressed up a built-in cabinet with a splashback and benchtop. This allows it to serve as an elegant bar. She used the same benchtop quartz and splashback tiles she included in the kitchen to connect the spaces.
Timber beams add a natural touch to the ceiling. The glass doors, meanwhile, provide an easy flow out to the deck.
Redesigning your home? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz for custom solutions that respect your project’s budget
Timber beams add a natural touch to the ceiling. The glass doors, meanwhile, provide an easy flow out to the deck.
Redesigning your home? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz for custom solutions that respect your project’s budget
The opposite side of the kitchen opens up to the existing dining room. Loffredo gave this space a light makeover with paint, a statement chandelier, new chairs, new curtains and a new rug. “Using a rug here helps lend a feeling of separation from the kitchen,” she says. She kept her client’s dining room table, but brought in caned chairs.
“We kept the colour palette consistent throughout the house for a cohesive feel, but each room has a twist of its own,” she says. In the dining room, this comes from the colourful, floral curtains and the glass-bead chandelier.
“We kept the colour palette consistent throughout the house for a cohesive feel, but each room has a twist of its own,” she says. In the dining room, this comes from the colourful, floral curtains and the glass-bead chandelier.
Previously, the timberwork and cornices had been painted white and the walls were in colour. Loffredo flipped this around, painting the panelling a soft grey and the walls ivory.
“We kept the colour palette the same throughout the house, but you have to test the colours in each room in natural light and at night,” she says. “We will often adjust a white paint to suit the light that’s specific to each room. It takes a lot of time to get this right.”
“We kept the colour palette the same throughout the house, but you have to test the colours in each room in natural light and at night,” she says. “We will often adjust a white paint to suit the light that’s specific to each room. It takes a lot of time to get this right.”
Across from the dining room is the original living room. The space to the right of the bench in the passageway used to be a coat cupboard.
“Because the owners were getting a new [boot room] in this addition, we were able to close off that coat closet and use the space as a pantry for the kitchen,” says Loffredo.
“Because the owners were getting a new [boot room] in this addition, we were able to close off that coat closet and use the space as a pantry for the kitchen,” says Loffredo.
The pantry is just large enough for U-shaped shelving. Loffredo repeated the use of tongue-and-groove panelling inside it. There are power points in here as well, as the homeowners prefer to use the coffee machine in the pantry rather than leaving it out on the kitchen benchtop.
“The builder we used is an excellent carpenter,” says Loffredo. “This is wonderful when you’re doing something semi-custom. He built these shelves, the [range] hood, the island additions, the locker system [pictured below] and more on-site.”
Loffredo had a niche cut into the wall to the right of the pantry to create an unobtrusive space for the fridge.
“The builder we used is an excellent carpenter,” says Loffredo. “This is wonderful when you’re doing something semi-custom. He built these shelves, the [range] hood, the island additions, the locker system [pictured below] and more on-site.”
Loffredo had a niche cut into the wall to the right of the pantry to create an unobtrusive space for the fridge.
The new boot room is spacious and has open sections for each child to hang coats and bags and to stash their shoes. There’s a coat cupboard on the opposite side of the room that the parents use.
The cubbyholes near the door serve as a landing zone and provide storage for the parents’ shoes, boots and bags. A mirror hangs above them. The wood on the top and the timber bench for the lockers bring in natural warmth. The door leads out to the deck, which runs to the driveway.
“We needed something affordable and durable for the flooring in here, so we chose slate,” says Loffredo. “My clients loved the idea of a [chevron] pattern, but it wouldn’t have looked right with the way the pattern met different elements in such a small space.”
Instead she used a herringbone pattern, which meets the corners and lines up with the elements in the room in a way that’s easy on the eye.
The cubbyholes near the door serve as a landing zone and provide storage for the parents’ shoes, boots and bags. A mirror hangs above them. The wood on the top and the timber bench for the lockers bring in natural warmth. The door leads out to the deck, which runs to the driveway.
“We needed something affordable and durable for the flooring in here, so we chose slate,” says Loffredo. “My clients loved the idea of a [chevron] pattern, but it wouldn’t have looked right with the way the pattern met different elements in such a small space.”
Instead she used a herringbone pattern, which meets the corners and lines up with the elements in the room in a way that’s easy on the eye.
Upstairs, the extension includes the parents’ bedroom suite and a laundry. Loffredo matched the mouldings to the original part of the house for a cohesive feel.
She used a mix of soft textiles in a range of neutral colours for a relaxing vibe in the bedroom. “Their bedroom is not large and they wanted to fit a king-size bed in here. Keeping things neutral helps it feel bigger,” says Loffredo.
She used a mix of soft textiles in a range of neutral colours for a relaxing vibe in the bedroom. “Their bedroom is not large and they wanted to fit a king-size bed in here. Keeping things neutral helps it feel bigger,” says Loffredo.
The homeowners’ must-haves for their new ensuite included a bath, a separate powder room and a double vanity unit. A splurge was the underfloor heating, which was well worth the investment given the long winters in the Chicago area.
Loffredo balanced the flooring budget by finding affordable marble tiles. She continued the use of tongue-and-groove panelling in here to create cohesion with the rest of the home.
Loffredo balanced the flooring budget by finding affordable marble tiles. She continued the use of tongue-and-groove panelling in here to create cohesion with the rest of the home.
The designer sourced a beautiful readymade walnut vanity unit to save on the budget. “This one is beautiful and it’s very well-made,” she says. She splurged on the taps and lighting. Arched mirrors, cylindrical and globe-shaped light fixtures and the bath add soft curves to the space.
The mirror’s reflection offers a glimpse of the room’s cathedral ceiling. A large wooden beam runs along its peak.
Browse more beautifully designed bathrooms for inspiration
The mirror’s reflection offers a glimpse of the room’s cathedral ceiling. A large wooden beam runs along its peak.
Browse more beautifully designed bathrooms for inspiration
The new laundry is cheerful and spacious. “I love the potential in a smaller space. You don’t need a big budget and it’s a good chance to do something interesting,” says Loffredo. “We had some fun in here, like with the penny mosaics on the floor.”
The colour palette inspiration came from a building she’d admired and photographed in Montreal, Canada. “It was this beautiful pale grey and ivory stone and all the trims and mouldings were senape [Italian for mustard]. I just loved the way it felt,” says Loffredo.
The colour palette inspiration came from a building she’d admired and photographed in Montreal, Canada. “It was this beautiful pale grey and ivory stone and all the trims and mouldings were senape [Italian for mustard]. I just loved the way it felt,” says Loffredo.
“My client loved their top-loading washer and wanted to keep it, which meant we couldn’t cover it with a benchtop. So I designed a benchtop space next to the machines,” says Loffredo. She left the bottom open to make room for a laundry basket and reused part of the kitchen’s old benchtops for the surface.
Loffredo added tongue-and-groove panelling, with a beautiful botanical wallpaper above it. “This wallpaper was the right scale for this small space, and the colour palette was perfect, with its greys, ivory, blue and yellow,” she says. “My client loves to shop antique stores and thought this boy [in the artwork] looked just like her son. She originally wanted to put it in his room, but he didn’t like it, so we found a great spot for it here.”
For her daughter’s room, the mother chose the kaleidoscope-like wallpaper and Loffredo selected the bedding and rug to go with it.
Loffredo “shopped the house” to find the bedside table. “This had been handed down through the family and it adds a nice touch of wood in here. And it works well as a [bedside table],” she says.
Loffredo “shopped the house” to find the bedside table. “This had been handed down through the family and it adds a nice touch of wood in here. And it works well as a [bedside table],” she says.
In one of the sons’ rooms, Loffredo reused his furniture, but added a new navy quilt and a fun wallpaper. “There’s something soothing and peaceful about a hand-drawn design,” she says. “This one has firetrucks and police officers and all sorts of fun things on it. He loved it at first sight.” He also loves the vintage duck painting, a good replacement for the boy in the boat that wound up in the laundry.
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Your turn
What do you like about this family home? Share your favourite features in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Missed our last Houzz Tour? Catch up on more great global design here with this India Houzz Tour: A Brick Bungalow That Celebrates Light and Shade
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their four young children
Location: Near Chicago, USA
Size: Four bedrooms and two bathrooms across 232 square metres
Designer: Alessia Loffredo of ReDesign Home
Builder: David Ligman of Ligman Construction Group
“The biggest challenge of this project was to marry the new addition and the older part of the house,” says Loffredo. The floors had been refinished within the past few years and the homeowners were happy with them, so she matched them in the extension. “The floor stain was the starting point for the colour palette of neutrals and greys,” she says.
The kitchen, in what was previously the back of the house, was now situated as a central space between the existing dining room and the new living space. This made it the most important space within the overall scheme. The peninsula bench marks the spot where the extension begins – the new living area is on the other side of it. Loffredo used elements such as timberwork, the colour palette and lighting to create cohesion between the new spaces and the original house.
The kitchen was in pretty good shape – the homeowners had put in new cabinetry and appliances a few years ago, and they wanted to leave the layout intact. This was a huge help budget-wise. But the space needed a more sophisticated look to set the tone of the home’s fresh new style.
Loffredo had SemiHandmade, a local cabinetry company, reface the cabinets and she added the two cabinets on either side of the stovetop for symmetry. She also designed a bespoke range hood. “This helped establish the range wall as a focal point,” she says. The splurge-worthy splashback features hand-glazed tiles from Clé.
Loffredo also had her carpenter add legs to the existing benchtop and wrap it in tongue-and-groove panelling. “This dressed it up and made it look custom,” she says.