reform, llc was hired by a couple in South Arlington who were considering purchasing a larger new house in a different area, but they loved their home and its location that they decided to completely transform their traditional, post-war Cape Cod house instead. After several initial design iterations, reform proposed an addition as well as interior and exterior renovations as a means of creating a more open, spacious and functional home.

reform was able to achieve this transformation by completely renovating the exterior of the home including all new windows and doors, new siding and the addition of a new front porch which extends the entire width of the house. On the interior the small, separated living room, dining room and kitchen were combined to form a single, large open living space. An existing sunroom to the rear of the house was completely rebuilt allowing the kitchen to extend beyond the edge of the existing space, opening the living area even further.

The new kitchen includes a large island intended for entertaining. A wall of tall cabinets along one edge of the space provides a substantial amount of storage while allowing the back wall of the kitchen above the sink to be completely open to the backyard through an oversized window. The flow between the kitchen in the back and a new window in the living room to the front provide an immediate connection between interior and exterior spaces, something that was extremely important to the clients.

The renovation also required the stabilization of the home’s foundation and front entry which provided an opportunity to dramatically increase the curb appeal. Completely new stairs lead up from the sidewalk to the front porch and past a new board-formed concrete retaining wall. A variance was obtained to reconfigure the front entry, which provides much easier access to the porch from both the existing driveway and sidewalk.