Bailey Walton

Photo: Alexandra Crafton © 2016 Houzz Wall paint: Aloof Gray, Sherwin-Williams; fireplace and moldings paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; rug: Stockholm Rug, IKEA; couch: IKEA (now discontinued); chairs: One King's Lane; white chairs: Ikea (now discontinued); wooden desk: Campaign Desk, World Market; desk lamp: Gumball Desk Lamp, Urban Outfitters; floor: Exotic Walnut laminate, Eternity Floors; bookshelves: Ikea

Family Room in the basement of a Lake Home. Ceramic Tile Flooring that's water friendly and mimics hardwood allows for fun out on the lake without worrying about flooring being damaged.

Jenn Baker

These clients reached out to Hillcrest Construction when their family began out-growing their Phoenixville-area home. Through a comprehensive design phase, opportunities to add square footage were identified along with a reorganization of the typical traffic flow throughout the house. All household traffic into the hastily-designed, existing family room bump-out addition was funneled through a 3’ berth within the kitchen making meal prep and other kitchen activities somewhat similar to a shift at a PA turnpike toll booth. In the existing bump-out addition, the family room was relatively tight and the dining room barely fit the 6-person dining table. Access to the backyard was somewhat obstructed by the necessary furniture and the kitchen alone didn’t satisfy storage needs beyond a quick trip to the grocery store. The home’s existing front door was the only front entrance, and without a foyer or mudroom, the front formal room often doubled as a drop-zone for groceries, bookbags, and other on-the-go items. Hillcrest Construction designed a remedy to both address the function and flow issues along with adding square footage via a 150 sq ft addition to the family room and converting the garage into a mudroom entry and walk-through pantry. - The project’s addition was not especially large but was able to facilitate a new pathway to the home’s rear family room. The existing brick wall at the bottom of the second-floor staircase was opened up and created a new, natural flow from the second-floor bedrooms to the front formal room, and into the rear family hang-out space- all without having to cut through the often busy kitchen. The dining room area was relocated to remove it from the pathway to the door to the backyard. Additionally, free and clear access to the rear yard was established for both two-legged and four-legged friends. The existing chunky slider door was removed and in its place was fabricated and installed a custom centerpiece that included a new gas fireplace insert with custom brick surround, two side towers for display items and choice vinyl, and two base cabinets with metal-grated doors to house a subwoofer, wifi equipment, and other stow-away items. The black walnut countertops and mantle pop from the white cabinetry, and the wall-mounted TV with soundbar complete the central A/V hub. The custom cabs and tops were designed and built at Hillcrest’s custom shop. The farmhouse appeal was completed with distressed engineered hardwood floors and craftsman-style window and door trim throughout. - Another major component of the project was the conversion of the garage into a pantry+mudroom+everyday entry. The clients had used their smallish garage for storage of outdoor yard and recreational equipment. With those storage needs being addressed at the exterior, the space was transformed into a custom pantry and mudroom. The floor level within the space was raised to meet the rest of the house and insulated appropriately. A newly installed pocket door divided the dining room area from the designed-to-spec pantry/beverage center. The pantry was designed to house dry storage, cleaning supplies, and dry bar supplies when the cleaning and shopping are complete. A window seat with doggie supply storage below was worked into the design to accommodate the existing elevation of the original garage window. A coat closet and a small set of steps divide the pantry from the mudroom entry. The mudroom entry is marked with a striking combo of the herringbone thin-brick flooring and a custom hutch. Kids returning home from school have a designated spot to hang their coats and bookbags with two deep drawers for shoes. A custom cherry bench top adds a punctuation of warmth. The entry door and window replaced the old overhead garage doors to create the daily-used informal entry off the driveway. With the house being such a favorable area, and the clients not looking to pull up roots, Hillcrest Construction facilitated a collaborative experience and comprehensive plan to change the house for the better and make it a home to grow within.

From kitchen looking in to the great room.

A mix of fun fresh fabrics in coral, green, tan, and more comes together in the functional, fun family room. Comfortable couches in different fabric create a lot of seating. Patterned ottomans add a splash of color. Floor to ceiling curved windows run the length of the room creating a view to die for. Replica antique furniture accents. Unique area rug straight from India and a fireplace with brick surround for cold winter nights. The lighting elevates this family room to the next level.

Photo by Kerry Kirk

Photos by Ashley Avila

large open family room adjacent to kitchen,

Homeowner painted, made hardware updates from brass to nickel throughout the house. We staged it with a Home Manager, and the home sold in one month for full ask.

©Tessa Marie Images