A Century-Old Home Is Expanded to Meet a Modern Family’s Needs

An addition at the back of the house adds much needed space

“We demolished the family room and replaced it with a two-story addition, crafting each space within the bespoke addition for maximum functionality,” architect and designer Cristina Ioana Graff says.

BEFORE | The original home was built in the late 1920s as a “kit” home.

The owners loved their late-1920s Essex County home. It was their happy, feel-good place. But as their family grew, they realized they needed more space. So they called in Cristina Ioana Graff, principal of Graff Guild Architecture+Interiors in South Orange. “The couple asked us to make design updates that would give them the modern layout they craveand add more fluidity to the space,” Graff says. “We helped them envision solutions for transitioning their starter home into their forever home.”

Homeowners Damien and Regina enjoy the patio with children Lucas and Alexandra.

Cristina Ioana Graff Principal
Graff Guild Architecture+Interiors
South Orange | GraffGuild.com

Design New Jersey: What was the scope of the project?
Cristina Ioana Graff: The objective was to expand the center-hall Colonial-style residence to suit the needs of this young, lively family. Instead of completely dismantling the original structure, the goal was to rework the rear of the house by replacing its converted, screened-in porch entry with a proper family room and mudroom. Another objective was to expand the footprint of the second floor because it had ill-proportioned and outdated rooms and lacked a true primary bedroom.

Extending the existing footprint of the house by a mere 7 feet allowed us to create a mudroom, powder room and family room on the lower level and to add a primary suite on the second floor. We also expanded the ceiling height on the second floor of the addition to the existing attic ridge. With a subtle shift at the stair landing, we were able to achieve a sense of privacy in the primary wing with the kids’ rooms nearby.

In the mudroom, traditional wallpaper used in an untraditional way—on the ceiling—helps bridge the space between the home’s historical roots and the modern cabinetry.

The wallpaper on the mudroom ceiling is repeated in the powder room.

DNJ: How did you blend the original architecture with the addition?
CIG: We married the home’s historic style with our contemporary, nature-inspired vision by finding moments where we could contrast them consistently. The home’s new exterior is a great example of this approach: For the expansion, we chose a modern, vertically oriented board-and-batten siding to contrast with the traditional, horizontal siding.

We balanced the modern updates with details meant to serve as reference points for the home’s roots. As we thought through the flow and experience of the new space, these historic elements served as the home’s heartbeat. For example, we used the traditional leaded-glass transom windows in the dining room as inspiration for a custom stained-glass window above the primary bed. For the downstairs mudroom, we chose a traditional wallpaper that was inspired by the home’s Colonial style and contrasted it with modern cabinetry.

A custom stained-glass window above the bed in the primary bedroom was inspired by leaded-glass transom windows in the dining room.

In the primary bedroom, two closets flank a window overlooking the backyard.

DNJ: What was the approach to the interior design?
CIG: Because the family loves nature, we sought to create a crisp, clean design with natural elements. A muted palette of dark gray, light wood tones and white served as the backdrop for marrying the existing Colonial-style elements with the modern addition. We conceptualized the new primary suite as a “tree house” that weaves some of the home’s historic elements with a contemporary, clean feel. Throughout the home, we consistently replicated the design tones of the “tree house” by selecting details, fixtures and colors that align with the family’s outdoorsy, pragmatic nature.

The streamlined primary bathroom features green accents (reflected in the mirrors) that are a nod to the family’s love of nature.

The room is bright and airy, with a palette of neutrals, wood tones and black accents.

We approached this design by assembling and expanding a unique combination of historic and contemporary elements and thought of it as a poem. To bring the poetry of this design to life, we blended the past and present through the thoughtful placement of defining details and structural features. These contemporary contrasts, nature-inspired colors and colonial nods are meant to flow together as the motifs, metaphors and symbols of the new space.