Mountaintop Santosha

Our client approached us with a desire to age in place. They love their home and want to ensure they can continue enjoying their property well into the future.

The space requirements were straightforward, including:

1. An accessible entry and mudroom with ample space for removing work boots, keeping the formal entry uncluttered. This space would also accommodate pantry items and a spare freezer.

2. An accessible bedroom and bathroom.

3. Easy flow with the main house.

The property has some unique challenges due to its shape and layout, and the home has a distinct design and roof style. The clients enjoy birdwatching from a window box in their upstairs bedroom and wanted something similar for their main-floor bedroom. To meet this request, we designed a smaller addition on the northwest side of the house that respects the original style of the home. Instead of a window box, which was tricky to create because of the strong afternoon sun, the clients chose to add a small porch. 

The new space connects to the house through a former window, making it a natural extension. We also added a skylight in a hallway that would have been quite dark. Once completed, the new addition looked great and fit perfectly with the rest of the home.

When asked what they should call their home, the clients suggested “Santosha,” a Sanskrit word that means “contentment” or “satisfaction.” This is truly the greatest compliment we could think of.