When you’re raising four boys between the ages of 4 and 10, a closed-off, disorganized first floor isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a daily frustration. The family needed more functional space for a busy family of six without tearing down everything to build an addition. We took what they had, converted a garage bay into a finished living space, and rebuilt their entire first floor to be more functional for them.
Towson, Maryland
12 weeks
$197,163
“From start to finish, we've had such a cohesive design to construction process, and that starts with the first meeting where you get ideas in front of Charlene and your designer, and then that comes to fruition, and you see it on paper. It's very professionally done, which I appreciate as a customer… having the design team with you with every single step is a huge value add.”
— Homeowner, Towson, Maryland
Charleene’s team took an underused garage bay and transformed it into the mudroom and laundry room this family of six had always needed. The conversion required a full structural build-out, including an engineered joist system, framing, insulation, electrical and plumbing rough-in, and a mini-split HVAC system.
That extra square footage made it possible to create a true open-concept flow from the kitchen through the dining room and into the sunroom. Every space was designed around how this family of six actually moves through their day.
The new oversized kitchen island became the command center of this home, the spot where kids do homework while dinner gets made, where Saturday mornings happen, and where friends gather.
Custom-built-in cubbies with dedicated storage for each family member gave every backpack, pair of shoes, and sports bag a proper place to land, which means the clutter that used to spill through the whole house now stops at the door.
The new walk-in butler’s pantry freed up the main kitchen of the small-appliance clutter and overflow storage that used to compete for every inch of counter space, making the kitchen feel as beautiful as it is functional.
Opening the dining room to both the kitchen and sunroom transformed it from an isolated, underused space into the warm, light-filled gathering spot this family had been missing.
Dedicated Laundry Room: A fully custom laundry room with cabinetry, countertop workspace, and a utility sink was built from scratch, giving this family a proper place to manage the laundry demands of six people.
Honey Bronze Hardware: Consistently used throughout the first floor, it ties every space together and adds a warm, elevated finish.
Palacio White Tile: Used throughout the kitchen as a clean, classic backdrop that keeps the bold cabinetry front and center.
Rookwood Dark Green Painted Cabinetry: The mudroom cabinetry was painted in Rookwood Dark Green, bringing rich personality and visual intention to a hardworking space.
New Exterior Glass Door: The new glass entry door in the mudroom floods the space with natural light and creates a connection to the backyard.
What started as a cramped, closed-off first floor became a home that finally fits a busy family of six. The kitchen opens to the dining room, the dining room flows into the sunroom, and just off the kitchen sits the mudroom and laundry room that keeps the daily chaos in check.
Every busy household deserves a home that's designed around the way they actually live. Tell us what isn't working and we'll show you what's possible.
