Our house has been transformed with thoughtful space planning. When we purchased on December 31, 2012 it had 980 legal square feet (91 m²) and 265 square feet (24 m²) of illegal “unpermitted” space that someone added on without building permits. The only route to the back yard was an awkward passage through the unpermitted space, which was being used as a bedroom.
Now it has 1245 square feet (115 m²) and an expansive, open concept feel. The new plan dramatically altered the look and feel of our home. Although the exterior footprint is the same, it seems much larger now because the living room, dining room and kitchen are a single free-flowing zone. The umpermitted space is now legal and compliant with building codes, serving as a spacious master bedroom suite. There’s also a second backyard entrance through the kitchen.
The new layout also required new solid oak flooring to match the original vintage hardwood floors throughout the house, as we removed walls and pulled up the linoleum in the original kitchen. Here’s a diagram of the old and new floors.
930 Stratford 