Add a room without adding on

Transformation process

With the help of a carpenter, Chadduck tore out the old bathroom fixtures and opened up the wall. Then she built a pedestal to raise the washer and dryer off the floor, lined the top half of the closet with beaded board, and installed a concrete countertop. Finally, she stocked the bar with drinks above and detergent below.

Smart details

When remodeling a tight space like this, it’s the little touches that make the biggest difference:

Chadduck cut a pom-pom-fringed tablecloth in half and sewed curtain rings onto the hem. When she's not doing laundry, she closes the curtain.

A concrete countertop does double duty as a bar or as a table for folding laundry.

A simple, narrow cart holds detergent and everyday cleaning supplies, keeping household items below the counter and bar supplies above it.

A carpenter built a platform to raise the height of the washer and dryer, saving Chadduck from deep knee bends.

Closet to compact home office

The challenge: How do you add a home office to accommodate busy family life?

The solution: Take an underutilized hall closet and turn it into a useful and attractive home office.

In order to carve out this practical workspace, homeowners Lisa and Richard Todd had to think outside the box — and inside the closet. They added shelving and a laminate desk that runs the length of the closet, and installed electrical and phone lines for proper lighting and computer use.

The Todds also livened up the space with vivid colors (aloe green for the walls, blue for accents and accessories), a custom framed bulletin board and a decorative butterfly motif.

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Blank wall to bookcase

The challenge: How can you liven up an unused staircase wall while following a development’s design and architecture regulations?

The solution: Add a unique built-in bookcase for style and function in an unexpected place.

Instead of serving only as a path from one floor to the next, the savvy stairwell in this home offers creative storage and display space. “The requirement of having windows in the stairwell left us with a strange transition between stair treads and wall,” says interior designer Lila Adams. To avoid ordinary linear shelves, boxes were built to fill the gap between the steps and the window. “Using random sizes and shapes, you obtain an artistic and visually stimulating stairway and a great place to stop and ponder your next beach read,” Adams says.

Closet to open bar

The challenge: How does a couple find extra space to entertain?

The solution: Convert an undeveloped and undervalued walk-in storage closet into a centrally located bar.

Known by family and friends as consummate entertainers, Toni and Gary Hightower believed that this essential space, at the heart of just about everything, was not reaching its full potential. “I call it my hole in the wall, because it wasn’t supposed to be,” Toni Hightower says. “It was a regular closet. You always need storage, but we entertain so much, we needed a wet bar even more. It’s large enough to fit the basic elements for entertaining.”

Garage to home office

The challenge: How can you renovate a dilapidated garage on the original 528-square-foot foundation?

The solution: Turn part of the space into a home-office getaway and keep the rest for storage.

“For those who work at home, the garage can be a great getaway,” says homeowner Virginia Hendrick. When she learned that her hometown would require her to rebuild her outdated garage on the existing foundation, Hendrick knew she had a challenge on her hands. Windows, an updated door and shutters transform the previously plain building’s exterior.

Breakfast room to laundry room

The challenge: How do you add space for a washer and dryer without adding on a laundry room?

The solution: Renovate a tiny, unused breakfast nook into a double-duty laundry room and serving area.

By concealing a front-loading washer and dryer in a custom cabinet, homeowners Janice and Peter Young created a multipurpose space. One minute it's a fully functional laundry with plenty of room for folding and hanging clothes. Then, once clothes are put away, it becomes a decorative serving area.

Because the space is in plain view, the Youngs chose to conceal the washer and dryer within a cabinet. Baskets hide clothing, and a plate rack is adapted for hanging clothes.

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