South Orange Mid Century Modern

Multi-room renovation

After 25 years in their home, this couple was nearly empty nesters, and almost everything was outdated. They expected to sell in four or five years, so every decision had to do double duty: make the house work and feel good now, and add value when it's time to list. We kept the budget conservative and put it where it would matter most, both day to day and at resale.

Office/Den

Right after the pandemic, both of them were working from home with no proper place to do it. Downstairs was a dilapidated lower-level room that already had a bathroom, so it had real potential. We turned it into a multi-purpose space, a comfortable office for two by day and a place to relax by night, and renovated its bathroom too. Along one wall, built-in cabinets anchor a long custom wood desk with room for both of them side by side. The rest of the room is furnished for unwinding, with comfortable seating and a TV.

Primary Bathroom

The primary suite was spacious, but the bathroom was tiny. We borrowed square footage from the suite's sitting area to build a proper primary bath, while still leaving them a comfortable living area in the suite. By doing so, we were able to double the size of the shower, fit a double vanity and add a large new window that floods the room with natural light.

Guest Bath, Closet and Powder Room

Walk-in closet. The house had nowhere to store anything. We combined a row of single closets along the second-floor hallway into one large walk-in closet, which gave them a huge amount of storage and adds real value for future buyers.

Guest bath and powder room. We updated the guest bath and gave the powder room fresh paint and a beautiful wallpaper, bringing all four bathrooms up to date.

How they live now: A house that had fallen behind now works for this stage of their lives. They each have a real place to work, storage for everything, and a primary suite with a bathroom to match. When the time comes to sell, the upgrades will pay off then too.