2009 Home Improvement Challenge: Additions Winner and More Favorites

As these examples show, a successful addition blends so seamlessly with the original structure, it seems to have always been there.

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Additions Winner: Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Breakfast Area

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Range

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Cutting Board

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Storage

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Murphy Bed

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Overview of Kitchen

More Additions: Gracious Southern Style

Gracious Southern Style, Back of House

Gracious Southern Style, Back of House Before

Gracious Southern Style, In-Law Suite

Gracious Southern Style, Dining Area

Gracious Southern Style, Kitchen

More Additions: Refreshing the Ranch

Refreshing the Ranch, Roof Detail

Refreshing the Ranch, Den and Kitchen

Refreshing the Ranch, Kitchen

Refreshing the Ranch, Den

Refreshing the Ranch, Office

Refreshing the Ranch, Exterior

More Additions: Always Room for One More

Always Room for One More, Before

Always Room for One More, Family Room

Always Room for One More, Family Room Before

Always Room for One More, Butler's Pantry

Always Room for One More, Exterior

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Additions Winner: Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience

The 364-square-foot addition to this California home is more than a nice, new kitchen. It represents a commitment by homeowners Pam Schutz and Clark Dikeman to building and living green. Clerestory windows and glass telescoping sliding doors open the house to light and breezes, and operable transoms on all windows provide excellent cross-ventilation and natural cooling. Solar panels on the roof generate more electricity than Pam and Clark use, so they sell the excess to the utility company and bank credits for cloudy months.

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Breakfast Area

White cabinets with flat frames and recessed panels offer a happy medium between contemporary and traditional style, providing the look that Pam and Clark wanted--retro but not kitsch. Pam chose a cabinetmaker who uses plywood boxes with no formaldehyde. The red linoleum floor has a vintage look (linoleum was invented 150 years ago) but is considered a green building material because it's made from natural and renewable materials--linseed oil from the flax plant, wood or cork powder, resins, and ground limestone. A white Parsons table makes a sleek and simple foil for metal 1930s-style chairs.

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Range

This 1950s Wedgewood range came with the house; instead of tossing it, Pam and Clark made it the focal point of the new kitchen. For the backsplash, Pam chose eight colors of ceramic tile and asked the contractor to install them in a random pattern, making sure that two tiles of the same color never touched. Manufactured quartz countertops--made from quartz and polymer resins--resist stains, scratches, and heat, and are easier to care for than marble or granite.

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Cutting Board

Space-saving amenities include a pull-out cutting board hidden behind a false drawer front.

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Storage

Pull-out shelves turn hard-to-reach corner space into functional storage. Planning ahead for aging in place, Pam chose handles rather than knobs for the cabinetry. Handles are easy to grip.

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Murphy Bed

The couple wanted a guest room but didn't have the budget, time, or space to add one, so they improvised. A wall bed tucked behind cabinet doors in the kitchen folds out when needed. The breakfast table and chairs are light enough to move easily out of the way when guests come. The bed also addresses the couple's plans for aging in place by providing space for an overnight caregiver.

Kitchen with a (Green) Conscience, Overview of Kitchen

The clerestory windows are fitted with energy-efficient custom dual-glazed low-E glass. To find recycled wood for the ceiling, Pam searched online and found old-growth Douglas fir in the form of discarded bleachers from a local high school.

More Additions: Gracious Southern Style

Sensitive additions and remodeling of this 1907 eclectic Colonial Revival house harmonize so well with the original structure that people often can't tell what's old or new. That's just what Tom and Julie Foster of Norcross, Georgia, hoped for. The new mother-in-law suite and garage at the rear are barely noticeable from the front of the house, which was left intact and provided the cue for changes to the back of the house.

Gracious Southern Style, Back of House

The garage and mother-in-law suite and a breezeway connecting them to the main house were built during phase 1 of the project. Phase 2 removed a deck, enclosed the screened porch, reconfigured interior space, and restored symmetry to this portion of the house with a second story, a new porch, and twin staircases. Repeating the roofline, dormer, and arched window from the front of the house maintained historical style.

Gracious Southern Style, Back of House Before

A contemporary deck, screened porch, and tacked-on second-story room gave the back of the house a somewhat muddled look.

Gracious Southern Style, In-Law Suite

The apartment over the garage includes an open living-dining area and kitchenette. A bump-out with three windows adds a sense of space without adding square footage.

Gracious Southern Style, In-Law Suite

Like the living-dining area, the 16x12-foot bedroom is carpeted for warmth and comfort. Deep baseboards and wide window frames link the addition architecturally to the original house.

Gracious Southern Style, In-Law Suite

Natural light from multiple directions brightens the bath, which is outfitted with a petite claw-foot tub. Another bump-out provides a shelf for toiletries and expands the sense of space.

Gracious Southern Style, Dining Area

For phase 2, the Fosters removed the wall that had separated the old kitchen from the screened porch to create a large, open kitchen-dining area. New glass doors with transoms connect the dining area to the new covered porch at the back of the house.

Gracious Southern Style, Kitchen

The original kitchen cabinets had been moved to the back porch during a previous owner's remodeling. The Fosters reclaimed them and installed them in the new, enlarged kitchen. Vintage light fixtures found in the basement were reused to keep the period feeling of the house. The hardwood floors, which had been covered with vinyl, were restored to their former beauty.

More Additions: Refreshing the Ranch

A new covered patio and three-room addition on the back of this 1955 ranch house in Scottsdale, Arizona, gave its architect owners Jennifer and Aaron Smithey a new outdoor living room, office, laundry room, and den--and greatly enhanced the looks, comfort, and function of their home. The addition harmonizes with the original structure's ranch style but updates it with contemporary sensibility. The patio roof is supported by a 30-foot-long steel I-beam that stretches beyond the roof to rest on white-painted steel columns. The effect is almost Asian in appearance and makes the columns seem more a part of the yard than of the house. Low-voltage adjustable lighting and speakers extend the use and function of the patio. The sloping roof covers the new den and office.

Refreshing the Ranch, Roof Detail

The angled end of the steel I-beam repeats on the angled ends of the joists, which were stained a light color. The corrugated metal roof is aluminum-zinc alloy-coated sheet steel painted white on top to reflect sunlight thus minimizing heat buildup.

Refreshing the Ranch, Den and Kitchen

Removing a 15-foot-long exterior structural wall on the west side of the kitchen allowed the couple to add a new den. (The bar marks the location of the old wall.) The sloped roof makes the den feel larger and enhances the sense of space in the adjacent kitchen and living room.

Refreshing the Ranch, Kitchen

The addition provided a good opportunity to remodel the outdated galley kitchen. Cabinetry from IKEA mixes solid and sandblasted-glass doors for a custom look at a fraction of the price. The U-shape layout maximizes storage with lazy Susans in the lower corner cabinets and 45-degree upper cabinets. Although the room is at the center of the house, it's now well-lit with the addition of a tubular skylight, six halogen downlights, and five low-voltage pendants. The old cabinetry and sink moved out to the new laundry/utility room.

Refreshing the Ranch, Den

Two sets of French doors connect the den to the covered patio and expand the sense of space with light and views. In good weather, the couple opens the doors to take advantage of the breeze. The built-in 8-foot-tall closed cabinets behind the sofa keep CDs, DVDs, and the children's toys and games out of sight.

Refreshing the Ranch, Office

Jennifer is principal for In Tandem Architecture, PLLC, and Aaron owns Aaron Smithey Architectural Imaging, so they needed plenty of counter and storage space in their shared office. The new room includes 22 linear feet of deep countertops to accommodate large architectural drawings. Cabinetry above the counters and file drawers on casters provide flexible, convenient storage. The concrete floor was stained with a locally made, soy-based concrete stain and sealer called Soy Sauce. In addition to a tubular skylight that funnels daylight into the room, the office boasts a large corner window overlooking the patio and generous French doors with clear glass panes.

Refreshing the Ranch, Exterior

New paint, a new roof, and new landscape considerably enhanced curb appeal. The low-pitched roof over the addition adds variety and interest to the roofline without detracting from the long, low lines and proportions of vintage ranch architecture.

More Additions: Always Room for One More

That's the family motto for Carol and Roger Pandel of New Tripoli, Pennsylvania. And their new kitchen addition was designed with entertaining in mind. Building over the old concrete patio at the back of the house gave the Pandels space for a large eat-in kitchen with a peaked ceiling and ceramic tiled floor. Custom windows and skylights flood the addition with light and brighten the adjacent family room. Low-voltage electric radiant heat keeps the tiled floors warm in winter. New cabinetry and energy-efficient appliances wrap two walls, leaving floor space free for a large island that provides work space and room for casual dining.

Always Room for One More, Before

The old kitchen was stuck in the 1970s, Carol says, with vinyl flooring, brown cabinets, and appliances in various stages of dying.

Always Room for One More, Family Room

The new kitchen opens to the family room through a wide opening. This room received a facelift, too, with new hutch-style cabinetry that matches the kitchen cabinets, a mantel, ceramic tile flooring, and painted drywall for a light, fresh look.

Always Room for One More, Family Room Before

Fake beams, brown paneling, and an overwhelming wall-to-wall brick fireplace and hearth made the family room dark and gloomy. A single beam for a mantel did nothing to help proportions or scale.

Always Room for One More, Butler's Pantry

The old kitchen now encompasses a wet bar and butler's pantry as well as a place for games and casual dining.

Always Room for One More, Exterior

From the outside, the kitchen addition, perpendicular to the main house, blends seamlessly with the original structure.

2009 Home Improvement Challenge: Additions Winner and More Favorites

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