Micro-additions make home upgrades affordable.
The average size of American homes is rising again despite the trials of the housing market.Many Americans just want bigger homes.Newly constructed homes aren't the only ones with this desire.Adding on to existing homes is something we architects are being asked to do.It is difficult to tell if people are looking for more comfortable and functional spaces or if they are attracted to the McMansion-era scale of living.You don't need a large addition to make your home a better place to live if you fall into the former category.Micro-additions can enhance your home's plan, with modest impact on your site and budget.
Examples of how a micro-addition can help to make a small master bath expansive or transform a cramped kitchen are shown here.You will be able to revise the most problematic areas of your home with these specific design solutions.
Micro-additions are usually small and intended to expand a master bathroom.I think of the micro-addition as adornment and look to do something special with the trim and window details.A large fan-light window above the tub creates a wonderful interior space and suggests to those outside that there is something special about this part of the house.To create a lighter and less massive architectural element, the addition is finished with fiber-cement panels and trim, instead of siding.The micro-addition is tied to the exterior trim details of the home.
This type of addition can either be supported or suspended.
Prior to the 1990s, the interior master bathroom was fairly basic.The toilet and tub/shower combo sat side by side.Our clients wanted a separate toilet compartment, two sinks, a walk-in shower, and a soaking tub in the master-bath.A minimum of 100 sq. was needed for the room to be expanded.ft. to 120 sq.ft.The micro-addition shown here is similar to a large bay window.
I want the kitchen addition to blend in with the rest of the house.I will use the same materials and colors on the rest of the house, as well as the window style and roof pitch.
I like to carry some trim lines, such as a water table or skirting, across the micro-addition.I align the window tops in the addition with the ones on the main house so that there is a horizontal continuity between the new and the old.
A kitchen with an island is a dream of many of our clients.Many kitchens in houses more than 25 years old don't have the width to hold one.Adding a micro-addition will allow you to accommodate a functional island.
We added a 25-ft. addition to the 1970s neo-colonial.There is enough space for a kitchen with a center island.
The micro-addition can be supported by the house's existing floor joists, instead of a traditional concrete foundation.This saves a lot of money.
The building codes for windows address both thermal and air transmission.
A simple jig made from an elastic band is all you need to build a deck railing.
Thanks to the FHB website, I have learned a lot.I expect to be a subscriber for the rest of my life.M.K.