This story first appeared in Houzz. Find the original here.

These empty nesters were ready to give their 1908 Craftsman home a stylish update after their kids left home. The original home featured a side-angled enclosed entryway that the homeowners opened up to create a covered porch. The homeowners tasked architect Erin Elston with keeping and reusing as much of the original exterior siding and brickwork as possible.

The new front porch now reveals lovely original brick work. Elston added a second gable roof form to maintain the home’s original massing while allowing for a full-height ceiling on the second floor that now accommodates a new master suite, guest bath, and laundry room. The front entry and porch were originally enclosed. Elston added new gingerbread shingles to the base of the entry to match the exterior shingles on the second floor.

Inside the remodeled home, the hearth room features a new fireplace surround, cabinetry, and tiles. Elston used a nearby wood source for the mantel and built-in cabinets: “A black walnut tree that came down in the backyard to create room for the addition to the house and new landscaping,” Elston says. “The owners were attached to the huge tree and were able to repurpose it into the lovely fireplace feature.”

Elston found stained-glass windows in a local antiques store. The fireplace tile comes from Rookwood Pottery.

The design team removed a wall that separated the kitchen and dining area to create better flow and an open feel. The kitchen's outer cabinets are maple painted white with a brush glaze, and its island is a warm, natural walnut from Woodland Cabinetry. “The walnut in the kitchen provides continuity with the walnut used in the fireplace cabinets,” Elston says.

The design team tucked the master suite under the new gabled addition. The room features a wood-trimmed five-window clerestory above the bed and an adjacent circular window. A platform bed made out of reclaimed wood completes the look.

The architect added a circular window in the new light-filled master bath to connect to the one in the master bedroom. A window next to the Victoria + Albert freestanding tub has a folding shade for privacy. “Interesting tidbit about the tub: It is actually volcanic limestone that is crushed up and reformed with a heavy-duty resin,” Elston says. The wall tile is Shadowstone in Alabaster from Arizona Tile, with a larger-format glass tile in gray above. The cabinets in the master bath are also by Woodland Cabinetry and are maple painted black.

An addition to the back raised the roof and allowed for a new balcony. The new hardscape walls and outdoor fireplace surround were created from brick pulled off the house during the renovation. The design team added a new trellised dining area off the kitchen. “Challenging, interesting, rewarding, and creative are great descriptors for this whole home transformation,” Elston says.