l . a .  p a u l  &  a s s o c i a t e s

Don-Campa Residence

Interior Remodeling and Attic Conversion

 

Exterior

Interior

Originally a two-story Victorian with a basement apartment, the small unused attic was converted into approximately 800 square feet of new living space by a total remodeling. To retain the original profile and character from the street, only the rear portion of the roof was raised. The main floor of the house was totally remodeled as part of the overall project as well.

A “great room” was carved out of the original attic profile and was designed to be a casual, free-flowing, multi-purpose space, functioning as den, home office and playroom to allow for living working and playing. Large, walk-in closets, custom cabinetry and built-in bookshelves allow for maximum storage. New skywindows were added to bring light in to the areas under the original roof and visually expand the space.

A new master suite, second bedroom, great room and bathroom were created with sloping, volumetric ceilings to enhance the feel of light and air. The large, master bedroom was further articulated with exposed rafter tie beams concealing up-lighting in the ceiling. New raked-top windows visually expand the room, allow great views and admit plenty of light. The master bathroom was designed with two-way access to serve both the master suite and other rooms.

Downstairs, the entire interior was reconfigured, redesigned and refinished. Larger, more contemporary living spaces were created while still retaining the historic Victorian charm. A center structural wall was replace by posts and beams to allow an existing bedroom and hall to be combined to create a new, formal dining room. To integrate the new upstairs with the rest of the house, an elegant grand staircase to the upstairs was located to be the focus of the entire home. Designer wall sconces echo the custom wrought iron guardrail designed to keep the stair open and unobtrusive.

Structural walls were replaced by posts and beams in the rear as well so that a rear bedroom could become a new family room connected to the kitchen and sunroom. The small existing kitchen itself was totally remodeled into a large, gourmet workspace and entertainment center and opened up to the sunroom A small round tee table serves as a quick breakfast bar between the two. Granite slab counters, cherry cabinetry, marble, stainless steel, designer lighting and inlaid hardwood flooring accentuate the aesthetics of the work areas.

Converting the attic created a new occupied floor per code so the entire house received a whole-house seismic upgrade, insuring it’s survival for the next century. The seismic work involved a top-to-bottom retrofit with new shear walls, holddowns and footings. Since these involved the ground floor, tenant-occupied second unit, the work had to be carefully planned, accurately timed and properly executed to minimize the disruption to the tenant. The seismic work down there was done during a brief vacation by the tenant.

The interior remodeling were done on time and on budget ($175,000) and was so successful, neighbors began envisioning how they too could convert their attics to more usable space.