Route 9G – Modern Guest Cottage Conversion
renovations and remodels
March 31 2017Originally a five-car garage, the guest cottage resulted from the adaptive reuse of an existing structure. Seeking to keep a low budget while maintaining the overall quality and modern vibe of the main house, the decision was made to create a “Frankenhouse”, a funky loft-like space made of salvaged parts. To save money, original 1970s windows from the main house were reused here. The oxblood Italian designer kitchen was a showroom display model purchased online for about a third of its original cost. The gray exterior siding was leftover ipe oridecking material applied on the face of the cottage so as to tie materiality of the guest cottage back to the main house.
The loft-like plan integrated the building’s 10-foot ceilings, polished concrete floors and powder-coated sheet-metal window sills. This look was reinforced by conceiving the bathroom, hallway and closets as built-in features that do not touch the ceiling – thus leaving the ceiling plane vast and uninterrupted. In a small but significant design flourish, the kitchen, bathroom and hallway share a single LED lighting grid that unifies the ceiling plane as it spans different rooms.
The cottage was made comfortable by radiant heat in the floors, a high-efficiency wood stove by Morso and central air conditioning.
Design: The Art of Building
Build: The Art of Building
Build: The Art of Building