This couple chose their ranch house in Garden Oaks/Oak Forest, close to the Heights, for the location. For a while, the size was something they could make do with, three bedrooms and two bathrooms under eight foot ceilings, an older, modest footprint. But they were ready to turn it into the forever home that could actually hold their future.
They also wanted to keep the backyard as it was, since the dogs needed the room and the pool got real use. Beyond that, plenty was changing. They wanted kids. They both worked from home and needed real, separate office space instead of sharing one guest room that was supposed to double as both. Her mother visited often enough that a proper guest space mattered too.
In the kitchen, the sink, the range, and an oversized refrigerator sat on three different walls of an awkward U, with the main path from the front door to the backyard cutting straight through the middle, so cooking dinner meant dodging foot traffic the whole time. Down the hall, an odd little nook outside one of the bedrooms wasn't a sitting area or anything else. It was just a space people walked through on the way somewhere else.
A Second Story That Solved Everything
We popped the top, adding a full second story while keeping the original front elevation's charm intact, since a small addition on the back wasn't going to cover what this family needed.
Downstairs, we gave the kitchen a completely new layout with a real working triangle and a kitchen island the house never had before, this one in warm natural oak under a honed dark countertop, with olive green cabinetry, a pearl tile backsplash, and nickel pendant lights overhead, plus a pantry tucked under the new staircase for storage they never had. What used to be the main kitchen area is now a bar with glass front cabinets and a wine fridge tucked below.
The open living and dining space next to it didn't need a single wall moved, just a vaulted ceiling to let it breathe. Shifting the garage gave even more space. The warm, welcoming room at the entrance has room to sit, play music, and space to spread out board games. They also gained a spacious mudroom and laundry room. Most importantly, they now have a comfortable place for guests like her mother to stay when she is in town, and a home office for one downstairs too.
Upstairs, the primary suite includes a bathroom that stops people in their tracks, with a soaker tub visible through a set of double doors. Next to it, the closet is really a dressing room, easily double the size of what they had before, with a full island topped in marble, custom black cabinetry, and a chandelier overhead that makes it feel like a room of its own. Down the hall, a nursery, a second office, and a spacious bonus room round out the floor, with room for the family's dogs to sprawl out right along with everyone else.
What started as a house they could have made do with is now a family home with the space to grow into, without losing the yard, the pool, or the charm that made them fall for it in the first place.
Rest assured with our Greymark Guarantee. We stand by our work, offering warranties for every aspect. We warranty our work for one year for workmanship, two years for all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, and six years for structural. However, our goal is that we’ve built your project where the only calls we get are ones where you are gushing about your home. Your investment in us is reciprocated with our commitment to excellence.
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