Project Story | Family Bungalow Revival
This bungalow, located on Third Street, Ann Arbor, was built in the 1950s by the current owner’s grandfather; he is the third generation to own the home.
The current owner wanted a place located in town that was close to the stadium. He and his wife went to Michigan – was in the marching band – and is a big fan of Michigan sports. He loves to tailgate for football games and attends most of the home basketball games.
While the entire first floor was remodeled (including the two bedrooms and bath), the primary goal for the homeowner was to set up the home for entertaining, with the biggest focus on the kitchen. It was a U-shaped galley kitchen, which wasn’t conducive to entertaining. The dining room was small and the den’s square footage was under-utilized.
The kitchen was relocated which open up the rest of the house. The kitchen features cherry cabinets, granite countertops and a unique handmade glazed terracotta backsplash which gives the space a mid-century bungalow feel that our client was seeking.
BEFORE
The client was also sentimental about modifying the fireplace and built-ins, as it was original to the home. We showed how a few subtle adjustments could be made that would allow natural light to brighten up the space and create better traffic flow.
AFTER: By removing one of the two built-in shelves, the circulation of traffic flow improved, as did the amount of natural light streaming to the room.
Additionally, the door to the backside of the house was adjusted slightly which provides better traffic circulation to the outside, and new windows and insulation were installed to increase the efficiency of the home.
BEFORE
The other aspect of this whole house renovation was the second-floor addition. As it existed, it was two “bonus room” areas that couldn’t be fully utilized because of the slanted ceiling. We added to the backside of the second-floor to create more headroom and space and added a new bathroom. The interesting element about this second-floor addition is that it wasn’t carved into bedrooms. Instead, it was intentionally left as one big, open space guests could “camp out” upstairs during big game weekends.
AFTER: Plenty of open space for family and friends to "camp out" during their visits.
The results are that our client received a fully remodeled home that preserved the integrity and nostalgic charm of the original structure that his grandfather built nearly 70 years ago.
