McNally Creek

The goal of the project was simple: update the house and create a modern, open layout, ideal for their growing family and entertaining.

The first step was knocking down most of the interior walls and vaulting the ceiling to create the open and connected layout in the living areas of the home.

A gorgeous island now connects the kitchen and dining area, and all appliances, plumbing, and electric were moved and strategically placed to create a family and host-friendly flow through the space.

The old brick-façade, wood-burning fireplace was replaced with a new gas unit. A front yard pergola-covered-patio surrounded by a private garden is accessible via glass doors in the new living space.

Shiplap was used on the new vaulted ceiling for a unique look and to present a modern beach house vibe.

The new white oak floors that run throughout the living and kitchen areas and new vaulted ceiling complement each other perfectly and brighten the entire space.

Finally, in the dining room, a new exterior wall connects the interior spaces with a new deck and outdoor kitchen.

In the kitchen, all appliances, plumbing, and electric were moved and strategically placed to create a family and host-friendly flow through the space.

The appliances are all luxury/professional series for the enthusiastic home chefs. The countertops are Caesarstone, and the backsplash is a white 4” porcelain tile. The refrigerator and freezer are paneled to match the cabinetry and give the sleek, uniform look, and Madeleine installed two sinks, one for food prep and one for dirty cleanup. Finally, there are two different sets of hardware used to contrast the kitchen’s color scheme – brushed nickel on the island’s light blue cabinets and brushed brass on the white everywhere else.

On the back wall, a new support beam from the vaulted ceiling falls a bit lower on the right of the new range hood than the cabinets on the left. Rather than forcing cabinets into the smaller space, Madeleine turned what may have been an eyesore into a beautiful design feature with open shelving and extended backsplash. The shelves continue beyond the ceiling line and create an amazing seamless flow into the adjoining space.

The oak gables have been extended out past the cabinet faces to create a modern, flushed countertop look on the kitchen island. On the working side of the island, with the extension of the gables, a standard overhang is achieved to retain the ability to easily wipe the countertops clean in this heavily used, family friendly kitchen.

The dining room features a Lock and Mortis custom-made solid walnut dining table and Hudson Valley chandelier above. The entire space is coordinated with a beautiful hutch that Adam Sloback, Madeleine’s husband and professional millworker, made when the couple first got together a decade ago. Above the hutch is an art gallery wall, specifically curated for this space by Madeleine and designed to grow as they add to the space.

A previous owner had installed a solarium on the back of the home. Completely rundown and leaking in multiple places, the structure and water damaged floor underneath were removed. The back wall was re-framed to accept a gorgeous 12’ sliding glass doors that creates an amazing indoor-outdoor connection between the dining room and new deck outside.

The last major change in the new open living space was the removal of windows in the family room that lie directly across from the opened kitchen. An exterior door was placed here with access to a front yard pergola-covered-patio surrounded by a private garden. This is the most perfect spot to enjoy coffee in the morning… or wine in the evening, and wave to the neighbors passing by.

The biggest “must have” on Madeleine’s list was that the kitchen would be the heart of the new home – a universal space used by the whole family for cooking, snacking, sitting, chatting, and entertaining. It had to be spacious, bright, and ideal for both large gatherings and small family meals. Planning really started from there and spread out to the rest of the home.

The first step was knocking down most of the interior walls and vaulting the ceiling to create the open and connected layout in the living areas of the home. The walls that contributed to the foyer’s cramped feeling were removed to bring an instant connection to the home’s living space upon entering. Two kitchen walls were removed: half of the southern wall was knocked down to connect to the living room; and the eastern wall was entirely removed and replaced by a gorgeous island that connects the kitchen and dining area. The rest of that southern wall was completely transformed: the old brick-façade and wood-burning fireplace was replaced with a new gas unit, surrounded by a custom cut super white marble slab, a custom mantle, open shelving, lower cabinet storage, and the family TV. The redesign of the layout kept a structural wall location in place, and retained the coziness of the fireplace, but added more room and created a better flow between the living spaces and kitchen/dining area.

When the original ceiling was removed, Madeleine and her Husband saw the possibility of a vaulted ceiling, raising the height from a flat 8’ to a incredible 13.5’ at its new peak. Shiplap was used on the new ceiling for a unique look and to present a modern beach house vibe. The new white oak floors that run throughout the living and kitchen areas and new vaulted ceiling complement each other perfectly and brighten the entire space.

The kids’ bedroom has a beautiful, decaled ceiling mural and there is new carpeting throughout all the bedrooms.

A third bedroom has been turned into Madeleine’s home office with a custom desk built into the wall.

The laundry room stayed in the same place, but has been completely redesigned with better shelving, hooks, and updated appliances.

The home’s bathrooms had not been waterproofed properly during the previous renovation. As a result, the walls were wet and rotting, and there was a serious electrical danger. Everything was fixed, rebuilt, and brought up to code. The standing shower in the main bath was replaced with a bathtub/shower and the toilet was moved to behind the door – out of sight from the hallway.

The final changes were made outside the home.

New hardy siding gives the exterior a fresh look. In the backyard, the concrete was fully dug up and a new stone patio and wooden deck were laid down, the latter matches the interior levels of the house to create a seamless flow.

A new outdoor kitchen and dining table give Madeleine and her family a complete outdoor dining experience whenever they wish. The old firepit was replaced with a new gas one, with newly run gas lines, and a retaining wall in the back of the property was kept intact to turn the nearby space into a vegetable garden.

The stunning vaulted-shiplapped ceiling.

When the original ceiling was removed, Madeleine and her Husband saw the possibility of a vaulted ceiling, raising the height from a flat 8’ to a incredible 13.5’ at its new peak. Shiplap was used on the new ceiling for a unique look and to present a modern beach house vibe.

The new white oak floors that run throughout the living and kitchen areas and new vaulted ceiling complement each other perfectly and brighten the entire space.