A while ago I did one of those jobs that gives you a chance to make a big difference in a house's appearance. The house in question was a garrison of the sort common throughout the country, with the second story overhanging the first by about 2 feet. The owners' specific request was for a larger dining room. They were also unhappy with the tight front hall — one of those where you open the front door and fall up the staircase — and the disorganized look of the main facade of the house. Several factors constrained our options. The interior walls needed to stay where they were, which meant the only way to expand the
