News & Updates

The number of multigenerational homes – ones with children, parents, and/or grandparents – continues to grow. The most recent figures show that nearly 20% of the population lives in a home that houses two or more generations. In theory, these homes provide a number of solutions: for the older generation, for example, money can be saved by avoid nursing homes or assisted living facilities. In reality, however, two adult generations living under the same roof can present some real challenges.

If you’re a Bryn Mawr homeowner contemplating adding on or remodeling your home to include an in-law suite, you probably have some questions and concerns about choosing the best aging-in-place layouts and modifications. At Cottage Industries, we believe your top priority should be making changes that create a more safe, usable, and enjoyable space that maintains the integrity of your home’s original character. You may be familiar with the most common aging-in-place features such as wider doors, curbless showers, and reconfigured kitchen counters and fixtures. Here are three aging-in-place remodeling ideas you may not have heard about.

Install an Elevator

Many Main Line homes are multi-story, some with three or four floors. For people with mobility issues, that can be a real impediment to completely enjoying the home. For those unable to climb stairs, you might want to install an elevator. Things to keep in mind include:

• Making sure it’s wheelchair accessible (even if no one currently uses a wheelchair).
• Which type of door you want to use: an automatic door, an accordion gate, or a light curtain.
• Where it can be most easily placed without eating up a lot of square footage.

Some people love to use stairs as a form of exercise, but need a little assistance. A new device known as the AssiStep offers extra support and helps prevent falls.

Shining a Light on Universal Design

Research has shown that someone 60 years old needs twice as much light to see as clearly as a 30-year old. Older eyes have reduced contrast sensitivity and color discrimination, as well as an increased sensitivity to glare. Proper lighting can help these aging eye problems and also help prevent falls, one of the biggest hazards for senior health. The simple solution is adding more light, but not in the way you may think. Instead of increasing the overall light levels in your home, use task lighting where needed for reading, hobbies, food prep, and grooming. Then, if needed, you can slightly increase the ambient light. Any easy way to do this is by replacing incandescent lamps with high-quality compact fluorescents or LED lamps.

A Beautiful Bathroom for the Ages

Grab bars and curbless showers are the most popular features when remodeling a bathroom for aging-in-place, but there are other attractive upgrades you can choose to make it a safer place. In addition to proper lighting, think about:

• Install cabinets with doors that close easily, and choose D-shaped pulls instead of knobs. Open shelves can also be a smart option.
• Water and slick tiles are a bad combination, so install non-slip tile or vinyl floors to reduce the chance of falls. Small tiles embedded in grout also provide more friction than larger tiles.
• Redesign the sink countertops by placing them at two heights. Mounting sinks on the wall leaves space for a wheelchair underneath. Use full length mirrors instead of ones that are mounted above the sink area, and choose faucets with lever handles.

Design for All

Design for aging-in-place goes far beyond removing barriers in the physical environment. At Cottage Industries, we focus on a comprehensive approach to universal design, working with you to enhance independence and safety while increasing function and maintaining architectural integrity. Schedule a conversation with us today to learn more about adding or remodeling an in-law suite in your Bryn Mawr home. We also invite you to download our free guide “Things Our Clients Should Understand” which talks about the elements necessary for a successful remodel.

Adding a second story to your Radnor Township home is a lot easier than you think. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can simply remove the roof, set it aside, and reattach it later. But going up avoids a lot of the hassles you might have with expanding the footprint of your home: things like impervious coverage requirements, storm water management issues, and building setbacks that can add to your budget’s bottom line. If all of this sounds complicated, it is! And the rules keep changing too.

What to Consider with a Second Story

Adding a second or third story can open up views, maximize square footage if your lot is small, and let you put all bedrooms on a single level. It does change the exterior look of your home and requires some structural work to the floors below. All of the items below have an impact on the cost of an additional story.

• Building up has a ripple effect on the whole house. Everything from mechanical work to finishes to structural work are affected.
• Adding a second or third story adds much more weight to the house than the roof does, so an engineer needs to make sure the current foundation and main floor walls will support the weight. Older homes in particular tend to require structural support that meets current code requirements.
• A new staircase usually means taking some square footage out of existing ground-floor rooms. A good designer can help you come up with some creative ideas that yield the best results.
• All the mechanicals of your home – the furnace, water heater, and electrical panel, are based on its current square footage. Increasing the size of your home means taking a look at whether these systems are adequate for the additional space. If you live in an historical home, it also may not have adequate insulation. Consider whether you want to add it to improve the energy efficiency of the entire house.
• If your home has a chimney, you’ll need to either build it up above the roof level or remove it. If your fireplace is wood burning, now would be an excellent time to consider converting it to gas.
• Think about windows, doors and siding. Will you be matching them, or would you be better off replacing everything? Making this decision during the planning stage saves a lot of time and money down the road.

The Cost of Adding a Second Story in Radnor Township

There are so many variables that go into adding another story that it’s impossible to estimate what it will cost without understanding the particulars of your project. Obviously, the greater the amount of space you’re adding, the bigger your budget will be. Adding bathrooms will increase the cost significantly. Complicated roof lines will also affect the budget. There will be re-working of the plumbing, electrical, and A/C systems in home to accommodate the new spaces..

Going Up With Dormers

Depending on your home’s current layout, it may be possible to add some dormers instead of another whole floor. Adding one, two, or more dormer can add considerable space to a room. There are three types of dormers:

• Doghouse dormers are extremely popular and can add a lot of charm to a home. They provide extra light and space on the inside without making a huge change to your home’s façade.
• Shed dormers add considerable space, perfect for placing a bed in, or even a large bath. Because they have a bigger exterior impact, homeowners tend to put them in the rear of the home.
• Eyebrow dormers add a pleasing aesthetic to the exterior of your home while adding additional space indoors.

Learn More

Building up is a wonderful way to add additional space to your home. Whether you want to create a spacious master suite, a home office, family room, or some sort of combination, it’s all possible when you raise the roof. Schedule a conversation today to learn more about adding a second story to your Radnor Township house. We also invite you to download our free case study eBook which details one of our award-winning historic additions.

The term “man cave” evokes images of dark rooms, oversized tv’s, black leather furniture, and makeshift bars. But these preconceived notions describe a room that bears little resemblance to the tasteful retreats many people are now including in their homes.

Many homeowners don’t even refer to them as man caves. Offices, game rooms, workrooms, pool rooms, or “back houses” are all another way to describe the place a man heads to de-stress, enjoy some downtime with the guys, or surround himself with favorite collections.

Man caves are also not a new idea. Many famous men throughout history have had a room to call their own.

Before remodeling or adding on a man cave of your own, ask yourself these questions:

• Why are you creating the space? Does the man of the house need a quiet place to call his own? Is it for displaying a collection of sports memorabilia, or maybe a space for his pool table, juke box and record collection. At Cottage Industries, we once had a client who wanted to display his collection of hot sauces!
• What purpose will the room serve? Will it be entertainment focused, with state-of-the-art projection and audio? Or how about a home gym? What you want to use the room for will have a big impact on design and budget.

Most Popular Man Caves
Once you know the answers to the why and what, we can begin the process of designing the perfect gentleman’s retreat.

• The Garage Cave. Garages offer a lot of often underutilized square footage that can be transformed into functional refuges. Many men love the idea of an organized, designated space where they can work on passion projects or just unwind after a long day. Though located outside a home’s traditional living space, you can still have most of the same comforts. Modular storage systems are perfect for the car enthusiast, cyclist, handyman, or sportsman. A small kitchen with a regular and/or wine refrigerator can also be added.

• The Screening Room Cave. Your available space and budget will have the most impact on what type of screening room you can build. If you want to come as close as possible to the movie-going experience, good acoustics will be key in this type of space. Some empty nesters repurpose a spare bedroom into a home theater. Besides the electronics involved, you’ll want to think about automated window shading and lighting. One of our designers can help you pull both the technology and overall look of the room together in a way that perfectly complements your home’s overall style.

Top Man Cave Essentials

What goes in to any particular man cave depends on the room’s purpose. But there are some elements that every cave should include:

• Storage. Whether it’s basic cabinetry or specialized storage, an abundance of space to store equipment and tools is key.
• Refreshment Center. Be it a full size kitchen, professional style bar, or a simple refrigerator, you need a place to put snacks and drinks.
• Comfortable Seating. Invest in good quality furniture with great construction and upholstery. Low maintenance coupled with durability is best. Many men want at least one recliner.
• Sufficient Lighting and Outlets. If your room includes power-hungry equipment, think about putting it on its own dedicated circuit.
• The Fun Stuff. Pool tables, poker tables, and dart boards, make for fun nights with the guys. Framed movie posters and popcorn carts are a great look for home movie theaters.

It’s a Guy Thing – Most of the Time

A lot of man caves are often taken over by the rest of the family, especially teenagers and college students home for the weekend. And many families like it that way. For some men, it’s where they love to spend down time with their entire family, perhaps relaxing by the fireplace. Man caves are often where guests head while visiting, and where friends end up during parties.

Whether it’s humble or grand, spacious or cozy, a man cave can be personalized in a variety of ways. At Cottage Industries, we’ll help you design a room that fits your particular passions and offers you the greatest level of enjoyment. Contact us today to schedule a conversation and learn more.

Many of the Main Line homeowners we consult with about a remodel ask “Will renovating my home really increase its value?” The majority of the time, the answer is not as much as it will cost to make the improvement. In other words, if you’re investing $100,000 in a major kitchen remodel, and decide to turn around and sell the next week, you probably won’t recoup the entire investment. But that doesn’t mean some renovation projects don’t add significant value to your home.

To ensure your remodeling dollars are well spent, invest in projects that not only add value, but also improve your family’s quality of life. That way, you get to enjoy the benefits and updates while you live in the home and, if you decide to sell down the road, realize a nice return.

Think Before Remodeling

The return on investment of any given remodeling job is affected by a number of factors: the local housing market, the state of the real estate market when a property’s listed, and the quality of the work performed. Historically, certain projects, such as kitchen and bathroom upgrades, window replacements, or decks have shown the greatest return regardless of where a home is located.

At Cottage Industries, we believe homeowners shouldn’t worry too much about the return on investment of every dollar they put into a remodeling project. In fact, we recommend modifying a home to suit your current needs, even if adds little value at all. That said, if you want to make design choices with a future sale in mind, it helps to think about the pros and cons of different remodeling projects you’re considering.

Calculating Return on Investment

You may have seen the numerous online calculators meant to help you determine how much of your investment will add value to your home. The problem with these calculators, though, is that they are based on percentages. When you plug in a cost of $75,000 for a master bathroom project, you’ll see an estimated return of $55,000. What it doesn’t take into consideration is that for many homes, a $75,000 investment in a master bath may not be a good idea.

Value of a Main Line Home Renovation

There are far too many factors at play in any given renovation to come up with a one-size-fits-all formula. But there are some things you can consider when trying to determine the value of your home renovation when selling your home.

• Age of Renovation. If you plan to sell your home shortly after the project’s completed, the buyer will usually be more willing to pay the full price of the renovation – assuming it is something they would have done anyway. For example, if a new deck cost you $15,000 to build, then the value of your home should increase by that amount.
• What is Removed. If you remove something – say laminate counters in good condition – and replace them with new soapstone ones, the value added would be the difference in the cost of the two materials. Or you may take a fourth bedroom and turn it into an office or laundry room. If the buyers want four bedrooms, not three, they will be thinking about what they need to invest to revert the room back, not what you invested in remodeling it.
• The Worth to Future Buyers. Not everyone places the same value on renovations. You may spend $75,000 on a new kitchen the buyer loves but only values at $50,000. Or you may install imported teak floorboards at 20% increase over oak, and the buyer may not appreciate the added value.
• Square footage. One way to be sure to add value is to add usable square footage to the home. Adding well-purposed living space is a plus to almost every buyer. That’s not to say you will recoup 100% of the cost though, so be sure the space is something you’re family needs!

Conclusion

As you contemplate your remodeling project, it helps to consider the value you’ll receive from the project over any cost recovery from a future sale. Home prices always reflect the buyer’s tastes and the amount they are willing to pay. To calculate whether your Main Line renovation will really increase your home’s value, don’t forget to consider whether it’s of value to you. If you end up with the home you’ve always dreamed of, it’s safe to say you’ve made a great investment.

Few remodeling projects offer as much opportunity for gaining elbowroom as building an addition. Nearly every homeowner can relate to the need for more space. For growing families, that need typically becomes obvious as new family members are born, as children get older and need more room to play, and when the kids and their friends start taking over once-adequate living spaces. A room addition is a great way to expand your horizons, maximize space, and turn your home into a place where everyone has a corner to call their own.

Are Room Additions the Ideal Solution for a Growing Family?

Popular room additions include family rooms, great rooms, kitchens, guest rooms, and bedrooms. Room additions are a great solution for growing families, and the related costs are comparatively low when compared to selling your existing home and moving to a larger home somewhere else. They also let you customize the space you need – you can add a den, bump out your kitchen, or even add an apartment over the garage. Best of all you get to choose how to design the addition to tie into your existing home’s architectural style. Like most home renovation decisions, there are pros and cons to building an addition.

• Pros: A well-built addition tends to have a high cost-value ratio and is often a cheaper alternative to buying a new home. That means you get to stay in the neighborhood you love and “build” the home of your dreams. Finally, unlike purchasing a new home to get the room you want, your addition can be designed to be whatever you want, where you want it, with the look you envision.
• Cons: There’s a chance you could over improve the home for your neighborhood, and certain additions can shrink the size of your lot. Also, the disruption during construction may be stressful.

The bottom line? If you like your current home and neighborhood, serious consideration should be given to adding on that gives you the space and look you crave.

Which Room Do You Want to Add?

At Cottage Industries, every project we do follows a well-designed process that begins with helping you visualize your new space. We start with an in-home consultation that helps us understand what you hope to achieve:

• Do you want a private space that offers respite from a hectic household?
• Do you want an open floor plan that lets you stay in the middle of the action?
• Are you creating new space for family only, or to accommodate friends, house guests, and holiday get-togethers?
• Is a flexible space that can be multifunctional and change over time more appropriate for your needs?

From third floor additions to family room additions that blend seamlessly with the original architecture, we help Main Line homeowners beautifully expand their current living space. We understand that life constantly changes and that your home works best when it accommodates your family’s current lifestyle. Over time, families grow and shrink and grow again. One minute you need more bedrooms, the next you need a great room for entertaining. Bigger garages hold the second or third car and the kids’ bikes, while modern laundry rooms make it easy to keep up to speed with an active family.

Why It’s Worth It

Remodeling your home is a big undertaking, but a well-designed and planned out home addition will pay for itself time and again. You’ll boost your home’s value and extend its square footage. Most importantly, you’ll create the family home you’ve always imagined.
At Cottage Industries, we have a deep appreciation for the range of architectural expression in Wayne, PA and on the Main Line. We work with you to ensure that your home’s addition makes architectural sense.

Whether you want to add a second story, build a home entertainment space, or expand your existing kitchen, our design team will help you strategically and tastefully blend the old with the new. Together we can help you achieve your final goal: getting the home that you and your family can enjoy to its fullest.

Getting a glimpse into how experienced contractors work will help you understand what your contractor is doing. Most misunderstandings that occur during a remodel are a result of poor communication – and what doesn’t get said can be just as important as what does. These seven tips will help you maintain a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with your contractor.

Trust the Contractor’s Process.

Our nearly 30 years of experience has helped us develop a process that ensures our clients get the home they’ve dreamed of. We are not a formula-based company, but we have come up with a set of procedures for each step of the remodeling process that truly works. Find a contractor you feel you can trust, and then put your faith in his process as well. If there’s something you don’t understand or you’re worried about, feel free to ask. No one enjoys conflicts, but an open communication policy actually helps avoid them. By choosing a trusted contractor who already has a strong communication policy in place, you’ll be on your way to a smooth-running project.

Consult With Your Contractor

Every time you change your mind, feel free to consult with your contractor to determine what the next step should be. You may see certain changes as minor adjustments, but the domino effect from one change can become extensive. Schedules may be affected and changes usually come with additional costs. The sooner you bring up concerns, the better it will be for your project.

Work Together To Make Smart Design Decisions

The Main Line is known for its beautiful historic homes and it’s important to make design decisions that respect a home’s architectural integrity. That doesn’t mean you can’t pull off an ultramodern kitchen in a Shaker style or Victorian home, but make sure it doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb. Work with your designer and contractor to come up with a plan that seamlessly blends the old and new.

Communicate To Make Quicker Decisions

The most stress-free projects are those that have the majority of decisions made before the work begins. A good contractor will walk you through a list of situations that might occur, as well as go over choices that should be made – things like paint, trim, and fixture selections. Every delayed decision has an impact on your project’s schedule, so the more that’s in place upfront, the more likely the project will finish on time.

All Conversations Are Welcome

When you need to engage in a conversation with your construction team, remember that all topics of conversation are welcome. Your contractor should be welcoming all conversations, big or small, so that both parties are always on the same page.

A Contractor Has Established Relationships For Your Benefit

It’s often the case that your contractor has established relationships with suppliers and can get a better price to begin with. The materials are mostly sourced locally, allowing you to check them out yourself without any hassles.

Begin With a Trusted Contractor

We’ve saved this one for last because in many ways, it’s the most important. Once you have someone you can trust, you’ll know if any problems arise you will feel comfortable discussing them in a respectful and positive manner. As my grandmother always said, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Staying positive in the light of the difficulties with a remodeling project will make the experience better for all. Also, cookies and ice cold water works wonders for getting an extra mile from the workmen on a hot day! They will love you for it.

Remember that your remodeling team is made up of people much like you. They have good days and bad days like everyone else. When morale is high, you’ll be rewarded with a team that is eager to show up and go the extra mile.