Two-story additions with a family space below and a bedroom above are common. The owners of this bungalow wanted a modest addition that was simple, within their budget, and respected the home’s existing 1920s architecture. Setbacks dictated the footprint of the family room, which in turn set the size of the bedroom above. The two spaces together total just 350 square feet. Keeping the addition this small kept costs in line and, more importantly, prevented it from competing with the original house. It’s not a big master suite—“suite” is almost a misnomer for it—but it makes a big difference.
Small & Smart
Many additions of this type include a large family room on the first floor with a complete master suite—bedroom, walk-in closets, and his-and-her baths—above it. Here, just a small bedroom has been added over a family room no larger than a typical media room. To complete the suite, a former child’s bedroom has been converted into a master bath (the bedroom closet remains in place), while the former master bedroom has become a child’s bedroom.
Adapted with permission from Not So Big Remodeling, by Sarah Susanka and Marc Vassalo, published by The Taunton Press (2009).
