In Memphis, Tennessee, a Midtown family sought a remodel after having lived in their 1912 home for about 20 years. With lives, functionality and ability changed, as well as children leaving the nest, the dwelling’s limitations became clear. And rather than seeking out a new place to call homes, the family thought it best to pursue a renovation of their current residence.
“The kitchen was very small,” say the homeowners (who asked to remain anonymous). “We really didn’t have much of a family room, but a very small area where our TV and sofa were, and it was tiny. The back of the house consisted of an enclosed porch that was not on a proper foundation, so the back of the house was gradually sinking. We had a gap in our back door that probably dropped two inches in ten years. Right before we did the demolition, we had a squirrel living in there. It was time.”
According to a Memphis publication,
Instead of moving, the homeowners enlisted architect John Jones and RKA Construction to reimagine their familiar space. “These homeowners had dreamed of this project for years and had a vision of what they wanted, visually and functionally,” says Logan Ray, senior project manager for RKA Construction.
“They wanted some living area, they wanted to improve the kitchen, and they wanted some utility space so they could do things like laundry,” says Jones. “The big idea is the addition on the back for a family room with bookcases. There’s an entry — kind of a transition space, when you come in from the outdoors — and then there’s a family room with a fireplace, a telev
ision, and bookcases that’s open to the kitchen. The kitchen is all new appointments: Metalwork, appliances, and everything are all new.”
“The challenge is to solve a problem, and to do it in a way that is sympathetic to the original house,” he says. “A lot of those houses have a lot of integrity, and they’re really nice. And so I like to do something that feels like it’s always been part of it.”
“He’s a very talented architect, and he gets it,” say the homeowners. “He’s lived in Midtown for a long time, and now downtown. Our biggest thing was wanting it to feel like the addition married with the rest of the house. We didn’t want it to look like a brand-new, shiny house attached to a 1912 home.”
