When a home has seen many years of love and living, sometimes it is a good idea to bring new life to it with updates, modern conveniences and creativity. That is where RDM Architecture and Wolfe Homes For Life, LLC, come to the forefront in this home in old Leawood.
“Updating these houses usually starts with opening them up. Consolidating spaces into something more cohesive and adding windows and large doors to open it up to the exterior and bring the outside in,” explained Matthew Lero, Principal, RDM Architecture. “We also try to vault ceilings wherever possible, causing the space to feel larger. In this case we maintained many windows to avoid disturbing the brick and stucco to keep the house affordable for the target buyer. On the interior, nearly every room was modified in some way.”
He noted that this is the third project he has partnered with clients Rick Stanley and John Wolfe, Wolfe Homes For Life, LLC, on.
“Rick Stanley and I are business partners and purchased this property for resale after working with Matt on the architectural end of things and Lisa Jensen Design on the interior finishes,” Wolfe explained.
Lero shared that this home is the first one they have done without going outside the building footprint.
“They have a pretty typical design goal for many of their projects which take these old Leawood houses that aren't ideal for aging residents and incorporate aspects of universal design allowing new owners to age in place,” he continued. “This typically includes a first-floor primary suite, widening hallways, raising the garage floor for easy entry in the house, etc. We believe in what they are doing and appreciate that they are keeping these houses and remodeling them rather than tearing them down. It makes them more accessible from a cost perspective, while maintaining the neighborhood’s integrity.”
This design’s most unique aspect is the glass-walled office, which was a formal living room totally disconnected from the rest of the house. They wanted to be able to bring light from the large front window without losing the functionality of a home office. It also creates an entry hall rather than walking directly into the living room. Frameless glass walls make the space feel much larger than it is, and the built-in storage wall is functional from both sides and highlights the new stairs.
The other highlight is the kitchen, which was relocated and opened up to the rest of the house. The cabinets wrap the corner, hiding a walk-in pantry and coat closets in the new mudroom with plenty of room for backpacks. The laundry was moved to the main level and a powder room was tucked out of sight behind the office.
“While you can adapt to almost any house, we want to help shape your house to the way you want to live. Whether it is a remodel or a new build, we see it as the difference between a finely tailored piece of clothing and something you can find on the rack,” Lero continued. “RDM Architecture has always been a small firm focused on doing the best work we can for our clients and our size allows us to maintain that connection throughout project and ensure the results match the expectations. Working on somebody's home is personal and it takes a wide range of skills to successfully take a client through that process and get to the heart of what they want. We know it takes a team to be successful and who is on that team matters. It isn't about ego it is about the best the project can be.”
Visit https://rdmarchitecture.com/ and WolfeHomesForLife.com for more information.