When Mark and Lynn Sableman set out to remodel an addition to their home, they had a clear guiding principle: it needed to be livable, not straight out of a magazine.
They called on designer CJ Knapp for guidance and a design plan for the renovation, and she was met with challenges in the room’s layout, function and form. It was an addition to the home, with ceilings that were less than eight feet tall and a flat roof.
“[The room] was the biggest in our house, but almost 30 years after we moved in, it still looked essentially the same as when the previous owners built it onto the house,” explains Mark. “Among other things, it had a shag-like carpet, a large fireplace made of oversized bricks and two corner closets that protruded into the room. In part because of its size and shape, it became a catch-all hodge-podge room with no decorative unity.”
Mark and Lynn wanted to find a way to revive the look of the space, while allowing it to function with multiple purposes to meet the their everyday needs and host family gatherings. CJ took note of all of this, and assembled a plan.
Firstly, she designed an expansion to the wall where the TV would go, adding custom low cabinets and shelving. Her plan also called for the removal of the two corner closets to create space for Lynn’s piano and room for office work and additional bookshelves. A third corner became their grandchildren’s play and drawing area, giving everyone a distinct zone without the room feeling disjointed.
The long, low cabinets were built with push doors, which prevented the family’s personal collectibles and other contents from being damaged while keeping them easily accessible.
With respect to the wood burning fireplace at the center of the room, CJ designed a conversion to a sleek horizontal gas burning unit, within a new housing covered with bright ceramic tiles.
CJ completed the design by extending the paint around the windows onto the ceiling, making the room appear taller and more open. Her husband, Rob Knapp, was called upon for the renovation and installed the Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring to unify the space with the adjacent rooms, which had flooring of a similar color.
Today, the room is no longer a catch-all space; it is highly functional for all who come to enjoy it. “We love the room now and use it all the time,” said Mark. “CJ’s redesign transformed a room we shunned into the room everyone seeks out.” By balancing modern design with practical needs, the Sablemans and the Knapps created a space that feels cohesive, comfortable and truly lived in.
Resources:
Artwork: clients collection
Cabinetry: Showcase cabinets - Perspective Cabinetry
Carpet/Wood Flooring/Rugs: Core tec - Floor Source
Fireplace: Arnold stove and fireplace Center
Funiture: KDR - Lexington & Century
Lighting: Wilson Lighting
Tile: The Tile Shop
Windows & Treatments: Yours by Design
