About This Project

Second Floor Expansion for a Melrose Cape

Our client purchased this cape home in Melrose with the foresight to see its tremendous potential for future expansion and design enhancements. By looking at the home holistically, we were able to identify the conceptual design of the entire home and plan accordingly even though the project was to be divided into a two-phase approach.

While discussing the redesign of the home’s exterior to accommodate the expanded second-floor space, it became clear that the homeowner wished to avoid the typical style of partial ‘dog-shed dormers’ that cape homes are known to incorporate in efforts to open up usable space on a second floor. Rather, she preferred that the new exterior make full use of potential space while having a unique, transitional appeal.

With the client’s aesthetic and wishes in mind, as well as the need for structural changes to accommodate the expanded space and future first-floor renovations, Architect Nancy Twomey presented the perfect plan to rebuild the second floor of the home. The reconfigured second floor would be brought out over the front porch to add more square footage in a design reminiscent of a bungalow-style home. The homeowner loved this idea, and we collaborated to design and build this home’s completely new look.