Recently, some customers approached me
about improving the upstairs of their
modest, 11/2-story gable-roof home in
upstate New York. Though it was in a
beautiful setting with a large pond, the older home
had low ceilings and little natural light. Their goal
was to add a second-floor bath, get more usable
floor space, and have taller, brighter rooms.
Simply installing skylights wouldn’t address the
headroom issue, and gable dormers, while charming,
wouldn’t add enough usable floor space.
After discussing various options, we decided on a
shed dormer that would span about two thirds
the width of the house. An existing closet and
small bedroom would be converted into a full
bath and a home office.