An International Style House Gets A New Kitchen and Four-Season Room

A New Kitchen and Four Season Room in Madison, WI

A historic 1936 International style home gets a kitchen makeover and a new four-season room for the family.

Robert and Megan are working parents living in Madison, WI. They came to us looking for a new kitchen update and a four season room addition. Their International style home was built in 1936, and while the kitchen had been remodeled sometime in the past, it was closed off from the rest of the house. The kitchen was still laid out as it was in the 1940s, rather than the open floor plan so popular today.

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The couple also wanted to incorporate a new four season room addition into the project. The new room replaced a screen porch to create additional living space for the family. They wanted to open up the flow and integrate the new four season room, dining room, and updated kitchen to create an open floor plan flooded with natural light.

Learn how our design stayed true to this home’s classic style and created a beautiful open floor plan for our clients.

Opening the Floor Plan

The existing kitchen was closed off from the rest of the house with a door that led to a small hallway and a knee wall on the opposite side of the range. The original kitchen also had cabinetry surrounding the exterior walls and a large bank of cabinets cutting off access to the dining room.

We started by removing the walls dividing the kitchen and dining room to create the open format the couple wanted.

A New Kitchen Design

We added all-new floor-to-ceiling maple cabinetry and created a large bank of pantry cabinets. On the opposite side of the kitchen is an island that acts as a secondary dining area for the family. The island overlooks the backyard through the four-season room.

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The new kitchen island features double-sided cabinets and seating on the end. The main kitchen area features a salmon-colored backsplash that is an eye-catching visual element. The backsplash catches the eye because of its long, slim size.

The natural maple cabinets echo the original cabinetry that was part of the original style of their international style home. We brought in the element of color with the bold salmon backsplash reminiscent of a colorful modern home.

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The existing home has its original parquet flooring. The goal was to keep the parquet intact and not disturb it as much as possible. In the main area of the new open kitchen, we went with natural wood white oak flooring that we stained to match the existing parquet to create a subtle separation between the old and new.

Robert and Megan’s new updated kitchen features new cabinetry, countertops, backsplash, plumbing, light fixtures, and appliances, giving the couple the modern kitchen they wanted.

Moving on to the Dining Room

Moving into the dining room, we installed base and upper cabinets for small appliance storage. To create an eye-catching design element and tie it into the rest of the open concept, we added a rounded soffit to the ceiling and rounded floating shelves. This design complements the step-down into the new four-season room addition. The curves were inspired by the rounded screen porch, which we left intact from the original home as an outdoor living space.

Creating a Four Season Room Addition for the Family

Robert and Megan wanted to create the four-season room as an additional living space they could enjoy with the family year-round. One of the major goals of the space was to bring light into the existing home. To achieve this goal, we added many new windows and a sliding patio door that floods the space with natural light.

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Our design for the space utilized the existing concrete foundation and slab. We insulated the slab, raised it slightly, and installed a heated flooring system for maximum comfort. We chose to use the existing footprint for two key reasons. First, we avoided foundation and roofing costs by using the existing infrastructure. In addition, by using the existing footprint, we avoided the need for any zoning approval.

Because the home is on the state and National Registry of Historic Places, our primary goal was to update the space for a modern lifestyle and provide the family with additional living space without impacting or altering the home’s original architecture.

To add an interesting flair, we used three different-sized porcelain tiles to create an intricate “hopscotch” pattern. The goal for this room was to create a comfortable family gathering space that overlooked the landscaped backyard.

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The Result of this Home Addition and Remodel

With their gorgeous open-concept floor plan, redesigned dining room, upgraded kitchen for modern living, and beautiful new four-season room that floods the entire area with natural light, Robert and Megan love their space. Our design complements the international style and historic character of their home, achieving all the goals they set for the project.

Do you need additional space and are looking for a solution? Are you considering a kitchen remodel? Let us help you create a new look and design the perfect finished space to meet your needs! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your condo to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Are you ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.