Outside In {Pavonetti Architecture}
A Natural Addition
Words by Christopher Ferguson, AIA Photos by Andrea Calo
A thoughtful and bright expansion to a 1950’s ranch home in Cherrywood takes its cues from a tree-filled lot and a veteran design and build team.
“The directive from the beginning was about adding living spaces for a family with two young children,” explains architect Shane Pavonetti. “So, in that sense, the project was reasonably straightforward.”
The low-slung, modest ranch-style home already had great bones and a handsome curb appeal, so Shane worked with builder David Glauser to maintain its street presence, expanding towards a creek at the rear of the home’s lot.
“We don’t run away from the idea that something will look different in 10-20 years from when it was brand new. We like things that age, and things that age well. It shows that the architecture is being used and inhabited, which is the end goal,” Shane explains as he credits the contractor, Glauser Building Company, and interior designer, Sarah Stacey Design, for “helping with all of those critical details” that make a house a home.
At first approach, passersby may not notice the two-story addition to the mid-century home with large, green shade trees reminiscent of other homes in the area. But from the backyard, a beautiful structure ties old and new together with a statement and deliberate purpose.
Bold and volumetric, the addition maintains the clean lines and material simplicity in keeping with the mid-century roots of the original structure. Two sprawling, heritage pecans are preserved by the home’s careful siting, giving the rear façade its angled shape.
By removing an existing master bedroom, Shane was able to add a second generous living area to complement the home’s existing front room, which also received a new vaulted ceiling to match the roof line. An airy, daylit atrium connects the new living space to the new second floor, adding two outdoor decks, a small office, and master suite.
The home also features mixed species wood flooring to match the existing hardwoods, as well as simple, white-painted CMU block walls aligned with the home’s original construction. Likewise, the addition of floor-to-ceiling windows was designed to emulate the home’s original mid-century metal casement window details.
The restrained material palette and deft approach to daylighting allow for exceptional pops of color in the bathrooms, where feature walls of Ann Sacks tile and Clay Imports custom tiles are accentuated by dark floors, warm wood accents, and sleek Brizo bathroom hardware finished in brass and matte black.
Taken together, these simple and thoughtful considerations, combined with a commitment to the home’s original ’50s charm, yield a home that feels delightfully greater than the sum of its parts.
Contact:
Pavonetti Architecture
(512) 657-7020
2235 E 6th St #107
pavonettiarchitecture.com
@pavonettiarchitecture
Photographer:
andreacalo.com
Builder:
glauserbuilding.com
Interior Designer:
sarahstaceydesign.com
