On July 23rd, 2009, Reel Construction received a call to board up a home that had a major fire. Though only part of the roof and walls were extensively damaged, the entire home was stripped to the framing to remove all of the heat, soot and smoke damage. The disastrous fire created an opportunity to make major energy improvements, add more usable living space as well as some much needed updating.
Since unplanned, many options were considered and developed as the project progressed. The silver lining was that much of the expansion costs were covered by insurance by incorporating the added space into the design of the repairs. The little used front porch was enclosed to create the larger dining/kitchen area as well as increasing the entry way and laundry rooms. Additional cabinets and granite counters were installed in the kitchen and living area with a large island in the new kitchen as the center piece.
The electrical and HVAC systems were improved by adding brushed nickel lighting and dimmer controls, network wiring throughout, and the HVAC system designed for the larger space is now better balanced with separate thermostats for the future when the kids move out. The tile and plumbing fixtures throughout the home were updated with a lot of bargain hunting and a design “as you go” approach. With the homeowners “want list” and Reels’ past experience with budget crunching, the “want” became “real”.
The Thompsons’ have always had visions of what they wanted their home to be and the end result is a home that looks and feels enough like the original home, but with the open feel and contemporary features that the owners had been hoping to eventually do someday. Though the disaster was a lot of work, that someday is now.
Before
After
