A 1907 Craftsman-style home gets a spacious addition that combines modern living with vintage style.

Dec 2006 / Jan 2007 issue of Better Homes and Gardens Remodel                   Photography by Ed Gohlich

Ned and Carolyn Young’s La Jolla, California bungalow was long on vintage charm and architectural appeal but short on convenience. Built almost a century ago, it lacked the open spaces and easy flow that fit today’s lifestyles. “We needed a gathering place near the kitchen that would allow our family to be together to socialize, watch TV, or play,” Carolyn says of the decision to build a family room addition.

Architect Ione R. Stiegler designed a well-proportioned 14×20-foot family room addition that opens to the kitchen and transitions to the outdoors. She honored the home’s origins in architectural detail and materials, from the coffered ceiling and built-in cabinets to a river-rock fireplace and oak floors. “When you do an addition, it is essential to tie it to the rest of the house stylistically,” Stiegler says. Carolyn decorated in the same bright, cheerful colors used throughout the house. “The new family room just fits the way we live,” she says.

The Change

A family room addition provides much-needed leisure space, opens up the floor plan, and creates a connection to the outdoors.

What It Took

Reworking space from a previous addition and adding new square footage.

Creating a flow from the existing kitchen into the adjacent new family room.

Opening the room to the outdoors with large windows and a French door.

Incorporating architectural detail original to the house, such as a coffered ceiling.

Building a new stone fireplace to match an original fireplace in the living room.

Adding a built-in media center and storage cabinets in classic Craftsman style.