JLC • NOVEMBER 1996 JLC • NOVEMBER 1996
The
Invisible
Addition
by Jamie Fisher
Subtle exterior
improvements mask
a complete interior
makeover of this
post-War box
Before
After
Whole neighborhoods of America
were built in the years after World War
II, thanks to the GI Bill and the Fannie
Mae. These houses were a no-frills
answer to the acute housing needs of
the time. But now, 50 years later, a lot
of these houses are bursting at the
seams. Plus, they don't have much in
the way of grace, charm, or flair, qualities
that many older houses have in
abundance. The house I'll describe here
is typical of the genre: two bedrooms,
one bath, 7-foot 8-inch ceilings, and a
basement with a one-car garage.
The couple