Blending Your Home Addition With Your Original Home

Undertaking a home addition project can be a daunting task yet extremely beneficial. It’s the reason why so many homeowners have undertaken such projects in recent years, as evidenced by the homeowner improvement expenditure statistics.

Whether you’re looking to increase the value of your property or just want to expand on its utility, you’ll find in this article some essential points to consider before undertaking any such project.

Building Up or Building Out?

When adding home additions, you can either build up by adding another floor to your residence or build out by expanding an already existing floor. In both cases, you’ll receive an expansion; however, the process of getting there will be different.

If you decide to build out, you’ll have to get a new slab to support the new addition. If you decide to build up, you’ll probably have to include a stairwell in one of your rooms. What’s more, you’ll be changing the dynamic of your house by doing so.

Consider Dynamics & Materials

A new home addition radically alters the existing dynamic of your house. So much so that you’ll probably have to rearrange some furniture to maintain the flow of your home. For example, what was once a wall cabinet now serves as an entranceway.

This is especially true if you’re expanding one of your rooms, say from a small kitchen to a larger one. The extra space you’ll acquire should be used to optimize your home further rather than make it less efficient.

Materials are important for a number of reasons – they can affect the price of the project, the quality of your home addition, and the character of your home post-improvement. Additionally, it might also affect the energy efficiency of your home. This is why it’s so important to choose the right contractor. Not only will they help you save money, but they’ll also deliver a high-quality addition that will enrich your home rather than take away from it.

Proportion & Scale Are Key

Too much of a good thing is bad. This is also applicable to home additions. When designing a home addition or an extension, take special care when calculating the scale of the addition and the final proportions that your home will have.

We’ve all seen those home design memes where a single room takes up 90% of the space. However, in reality, those kinds of proportions are completely jarring and dysfunctional. Not only do they ruin the feel of your home, but they also ruin its external look.

Exterior Looks Matter

Contrast is important when making a home addition. In most cases, having a unified aesthetic is much more pleasing than having a conflicting aesthetic. Your new addition should seamlessly blend in with the rest of the house, rather than standing out and being an eyesore.

Consistency is key here. The finish of your existing house should carry over to your new addition. You can use decorations to give those finishing touches and blend everything together.

Intentional Contrast Isn’t the End of the World

On the other hand, certain additions benefit much more if you intentionally contrast them. Workshops, guest houses, and playhouses can come into themselves with a little extra flair. These kinds of additions won’t necessarily be an eyesore if you intentionally contrast them. Just make sure not to attach them to the main residence physically.

The Interior Is Just as Important

Interior contrast is just as important, if not more, than exterior contrast. Like the exterior, a unified aesthetic is much more pleasing than a contrasting one. A little divergence doesn’t necessarily hurt so long as the color palettes coordinate.

Rooms generally tend to have certain expectations tied to them. A bedroom should have calming colors present, a living room should have bright colors, while something like a garage can get away with being a plain color, as those kinds of rooms don’t interact with key rooms.

Windows & Doors

The placement of your windows and doors can really open up a space, which is why they’re so important when considering home additions. They’re significant because they completely alter how both you and the light interact with your house. When planning a home addition, consider how your existing windows and doors will interact with your house post-addition.

Purpose & Repurpose

Each room serves a purpose. By adding an extra room or extending the space of an already existing one, you open up new possibilities. Home additions should be purpose-built; however, don’t be afraid to experiment with the arrangement of your rooms.

Bedrooms, offices, and utility rooms can all be repurposed easily. When making a home addition, consider every use that a room might have in the future, even those if it’s outside the scope of its intended purpose.

Don’t Forget the Paperwork

Make sure to thoroughly research all the paperwork you need before conducting a home addition. Even missing one small document might land you in hot waters legally. This is why making a list and checking it off beforehand is important. At best, legal troubles will put your project on hiatus; at worst, you might incur legal fees or other sanctions.

For Best Results, Get a Professional

While it’s true that you can conduct a home addition by yourself to save money, if it’s your first time doing such a task, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. Not only will that ensure that the project gets completed faster, but it will also be of a higher quality in the end than a DIY.

Another benefit of professional help is insurance coverage. All legitimate contractors must have insurance to cover any complaints from the client’s side. If you conduct a project yourself and an accident happens, your insurance company might not be willing to cover the costs.

Starting a home addition project is a big move, but with Bluegrass Haven helping you, we’ll go through this journey together, turning any challenges into chances to make the dream home you’ve always wanted. Reach out to us today, and let’s make your vision a reality, mixing new opportunities with the cozy feel of your home.