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Renovation + Addition – Kitchen, Entry + Primary Suite

A renovation and addition concept developed to make an existing rural home work better for family life, daily entry, kitchen use, storage, and private suite function.

Renovation + additionDesign developmentKitchen + dining reworkPrimary suite improvements
Rendered view of the proposed renovation and addition in an open rural setting

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Renovation Design · Home Additions · FAQ

Project type

Kitchen renovation, entry addition, and primary suite design

Existing problem

The home had useful space, but the kitchen, entry, pantry, dining, and bedroom suite did not support daily family life.

Design response + deliverables

Improve the first-floor family spaces, create a better entry sequence, increase pantry storage, and refine the second-floor primary suite.

Existing/proposed floor plans, exterior concept imagery, site/drone context, and renovation-focused residential drawing coordination.

The challenge

The home had space, but the layout did not match how the family lived.

The existing house had several everyday pain points: a small kitchen, limited pantry storage, no comfortable family dining area, and an entry sequence that did not match how visitors actually arrived.

Most visitors entered at the sliding door near the driveway instead of the formal front door. Upstairs, the primary bedroom, bathroom, and closet arrangement was too tight for the homeowners’ needs.

Design priorities

  • Create a clearer entry and mudroom connection
  • Expand the kitchen into a more functional work area
  • Provide a dedicated family dining space
  • Increase pantry and everyday storage
  • Improve the primary suite with larger closet and bath function

Existing conditions

Photos that show the function problems behind the renovation.

Click any image to enlarge.

Existing front exterior of rural home before renovation and addition design
Existing front elevation before the proposed renovation and addition.
Drone aerial view of the existing rural home and driveway approach
Drone aerial view showing the existing home, driveway approach, and site relationship.
Side of house where the driveway and sliding door created an informal visitor entrance
Driveway and sliding-door access created an unintended visitor entry point.
Existing kitchen showing limited work area and storage constraints
Existing kitchen conditions showing limited working space and flow.
Existing pantry and storage area next to kitchen
Pantry and storage needs exceeded the available space.

Before + after planning

First-floor changes focused on entry, kitchen, dining, and living space.

The design reorganized the main level around how the family and visitors actually use the home.

Click either plan to enlarge.

Existing First Floor

Existing first-floor plan before renovation and addition
Existing layout with small kitchen, limited pantry space, and an entry sequence that did not align with the driveway approach.

Proposed First Floor

Proposed first-floor plan showing living room addition, expanded kitchen, dining area, pantry, and entry improvements
Proposed layout adding a living room, converting the former living area to dining, expanding the kitchen, improving pantry function, and creating a better entry/mudroom sequence.

Primary suite improvements

Second-floor changes focused on privacy, closet space, and bathroom function.

The upper level was reworked to improve the primary suite without losing sight of the overall family layout.

Click either plan to enlarge.

Existing Second Floor

Existing second-floor plan before primary suite reconfiguration
Existing second-floor layout with a tight primary bedroom, small bathroom, and limited closet space.

Proposed Second Floor

Proposed second-floor plan showing expanded primary suite bathroom and walk-through closet
Proposed layout converting an existing bedroom into a walk-through closet and reconfiguring adjacent walls to create a larger, more functional primary bathroom.

Design response

A renovation focused on function first.

The proposed design did not simply add square footage. It rebalanced the home so the main living areas, kitchen, dining area, entry, and primary suite worked together more naturally.

The main level gained a new living room addition, allowing the existing living room to become a dedicated dining room. The kitchen expanded into the former dining area, while pantry and entry functions were improved to better support everyday use.

Project outcome

This design study gave the homeowners a clear way to understand how targeted renovation and addition work could solve multiple daily frustrations without starting over with a new home.

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