Before and After: This Home Finally Lets in The Light!

Sarah Tolle—Homify Canada Sarah Tolle—Homify Canada
country by Arend Groenewegen Architect BNA, Country
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In this Before and After homify tour, Arend Geoenewegen architects in Prinsenbeek (a village in the Netherlands) have taken an old country cottage and given it a modern lift. While the old brick building possessed a certain kind of charm with its simple, rustic facade and creeping ivy vines, there comes a time in every home's lifespan when the features of the home must be brought up to speed. With floor-to-ceiling windows replacing the solid brick walls, this home has been opened up to the sunlight, as well as the beautiful, lush views of its expansive backyard. A new fireplace and chimney brings an added degree of light and warmth to this renovated home, lifting it out of dimness and dampness—and into the 21st century!

Before: Charming Cottage

There's no denying that this home possesses a certain kind of cottage-like charm. With a rounded stone walkway closely hugging the shrubs, ivy crawling across the bricks, and a friendly wooden bench sitting outside the door, this home is undeniably charming! However, the homeowners have something a little more sophisticated and modern in mind. 

Before: Brick Wall

This side of the home is that part that gets the most attention with this renovation—this solid brick wall will be removed and then replaced with a wall full of windows. Built during a period of time when brick was the surest way to achieve a well-insulated home, the original construction of this house didn't benefit from the modern materials like triple-glazed window panes that allow a windowed wall to be just as energy-efficient as a solid, opaque one. In its current state, the interior of the home can't enjoy access to (or light from) the backyard, which is a shame considering how big and beautiful the yard is. This side of the home will also receive a large chimney and fireplace, placed below the peak of the roof.

After: Modern Reconstruction

The original shape of the home has been preserved, but just about everything else has changed. From this far-off view, you can finally see what the original brick wall was causing this family to miss out on—the beautiful lawn, mature trees, and calm pool of water can finally be enjoyed from the living room of the renovated home. 

After: A Closer Look

A closer look reveals how this reno job has also included a new patio—a sleek tiled floor extends several yards around the house's perimeter, further encouraging this family to enjoy the great outdoors. 

After: Permanent Blinds

The slatted design of the home's outer walls creates a permanent blind in the upper half of these windows, adding a layer of visual interest as well as some shade to shield against hot summer sun. At the corner of the home, the window panes converge with minimal framing, making for a seamless, uninterrupted view of the yard. Elsewhere, the windows have been trimmed in a bright white that pops out in a fun contrast against the dark grey of the exterior walls. 

After: The New Fireplace

The home lost its sense of warmth and coziness when the brick cottage look disappeared, but the renovation job has added the warmth back into the living room with this new fireplace and towering chimney!

After: A Well-Lit Kitchen

Instead of being nestled against a brick wall, the interior areas of the home now benefit from the sunlight flooding the living room—and beyond. This kitchen sits back from the windows; nevertheless, it still receives a good amount of natural light, creating a convenient kitchen workspace. As you can see, the interior of the home has been modified in order to suit the new modern and sleek look, with an enormous L-shaped island offering generous counter space, and a stylish stainless steel vent hovering above. 

If you're looking for reno jobs that—like this one—update the house while still preserving the main structure of the home, have a look at this abandoned building turned family home!

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