Creatively add space with purpose

Meet the Schwartzes: A family of eight with six children ranging from one in the crib to junior high. They live in an East Millcreek neighborhood that is close to work and to extended family.

The kids are involved in their schools and the community. They love it there.

Their problem: A growing family in a house with little gathering space, a small backyard and an awkward, outdated floor plan. Their house is on a corner lot with no space to extend back for an addition.

The largest yard area was to the side and to the front of the house. That, combined with being on a corner lot, created a safety issue for their children.

Since their first home did not have the basic elements that could be enhanced by a remodel, they decided they would have to move.

Wanting to stay in the same neighborhood, they looked at all of the available houses and concluded that in order to get the kind of house they wanted, they would have to buy with an eye to remodeling the new home.

So, they looked for a home that could provide space where they could comfortably gather as a family every day and host extended family on special occasions.

Finding a home with a backyard where they could plant a garden and create a recreational area for the kids was also high on their list.

They found the new-to-them 1960 rambler a few miles away from their original corner lot.

After living there for a year and working on a master plan to achieve their remodeling goals, they moved out and construction began.

The house was originally an L shape with the garage set back from the front of the home. In the remodel, the garage was moved forward to make room for an addition at the back of the house. The new addition extended from the rear along the length of the house, providing a new kitchen and dining area, family/great room and master suite.

Within the existing house, the front bedroom was converted into an office, which opens onto the new entry foyer. Downstairs, space was created by excavating under the rear addition, adding 970 square feet of livable space to create a family room, a library and a toy room.

In addition to more space, windows were enlarged and added to capture more natural light, provide a clear view for mom to see the backyard play area from the kitchen, and to capitalize on the views of Mount Olympus.