Project of the Month: Skaneateles First Floor Addition

This month's featured project is a 200 square foot first floor addition to a Skaneateles Lake home. The addition, which is off the kitchen and living room, creates a large seating area and a casual dining area with a beautiful view of the lake for the homeowners and their guests. The addition also features a standing seam metal roof.

Homeowners’ Objectives

The homeowners had three primary objectives for the addition:

1. They wanted to create more space for relaxing and entertaining while optimizing the view of the lake from the home.

2. They wanted the interior space to provide a natural connection between the kitchen and living room.

3. They wanted the addition’s exterior to blend seamlessly into the home’s existing architecture and make it look like it had always been there.

The exterior of this addition features a standing seam metal roof and six windows that provide a view of Skaneateles Lake.

McClurg’s Solutions

1. Design the addition to optimize the view of the lake.

Six tall casement windows on this addition provide a spectacular view of Skaneateles Lake. Muntins in the upper part of the window add an aesthetic appeal without blocking the view of the lake and blend with the existing windows of the home. A glass door leads to the patio area and brings more natural light into the room.

Six large casement windows bring in light. Four of the windows can be opened to cool the space. The screened glass door helps create a breezeway to circulate air into the room. A three step composite platform was built to provide access from the addition to the patio below.

2. Design the addition to complement the adjacent kitchen and living room areas.

This new living space provides a comfortable seating area for six to eight people and a casual dining area that complements and replicates design of the existing kitchen. The interior was finished with 3-inch wide maple floors and custom milled moldings to match the existing moldings in the house. Baseboard heating warms the room on the coldest days. Recessed lights were added for evening illumination.

3. Design the addition exterior to replicate the home’s architecture and look.

The exterior of this addition was designed to blend in with the house and the existing landscaping. Attention was given to many details that replicate the architectural features of the home including:

• A standing seam metal roof was used on the addition to match the existing second story dormers.

• The exterior was sided with cedar shingle siding to match the rest of the house.

• The decorative panels below the windows of the new addition replicate the other windows of the house and a lattice gate that is the entryway to the stone patio.

• A composite platform and steps were used to transition from the door of the new addition to the existing cedar deck.