Located in the high-end, Preston Hollow section of Dallas, the home was dark, small, and hopelessly dated when a young family purchased it. Their grand plan called for tearing the house down to the studs, rethinking virtually every room, and doubling the square footage with two large additions.
Early this year, the editorial team at Professional Remodeler selected the project for the Model ReModel, a concept that’s part pictorial, part how-to journalism, and part reality TV for remodelers. The Model ReModel tracks this stunning project online and in print from concept to completion. To date, the exterior is still awaiting final touches, but you can get a sense of its clean lines, stellar materials choices, and stately presence in the Ply Gem ad on page 49 that showcases how the home will look on move-in day.
“We wanted to keep the home’s original charm, which included keeping the windows where they are, and the porch intact,” says the design architect, Sarah Harper. “But we’re modifying the outdated feel by adding trim, modern siding, and extra height to the roof of the porch. This will create a more gracious space.”
The brick around the windows was repurposed from other areas in the home. It will be painted white.
Light & Dry
The Romans were the first ones known to install glass for windows, in 100 AD. Before that, people used flattened animal horn, which you couldn’t see through, but the material was translucent and let in some light. Fortunately, today we have more options.
Casement windows can be a perfect choice in the right setting. They’re very weather tight—the second most energy-efficient window type, after fixed-pane windows—and, when open, can direct more air into the house since the sash acts somewhat like a chute. Also, casement windows can be larger and let in more light than the average sash window.
“We selected Ply Gem’s Mira Premium Series casement window, for a number of reasons,” says the project remodeler, Chad Hatfield, president of Hatfield Building & Remodeling, in Plano, Texas. “It’s a strong, well-designed product with aluminum-clad construction. Also, it has a great latching system and hardware.”
But a window doesn’t act alone. Housewrap is designed to keep moisture out of the wall, and Hatfield chose DuPont’s Tyvek DrainWrap, a moisture barrier created to provide enhanced drainage. “DrainWrap has vertical grooves on the surface that allow the water to go down without getting trapped,” says Brandon Norman, a DuPont residential specialist. “It’s an especially good option.”
Timeless & Contemporary
The home has Ply Gem’s Mastic insulated vinyl siding, which is a subtle nod to a Craftsman look that blends seamlessly with the brick and traditionally styled windows. The siding, with an R-value of R-3, is made using a newer manufacturing process that allows for greater color selection, including darker hues and richer reds. For the Model ReModel home, the homeowner selected Linen for the siding color, in keeping with her desire for a light, airy aesthetic.
Today, vinyl siding is designed to complement the visual principles of virtually any architectural period, and this greater flexibility has added to the material’s popularity.
The light siding color provides a perfect counterpoint to the engineered slate roof, also from Ply Gem. The engineered slate includes real slate in its composition, and the shingles themselves are sculpted to reflect the details seen on quarried stone.
“We wanted something a little different from your average asphalt composition shingle that we all see everywhere,” Chad Hatfield says. He also likes the fact that the roof is tested to meet multiple industry standards for weather and water absorption—an advantage in states such as Texas, where extreme heat, hail, and freeze-thaw conditions are the norm. The homeowner selected Pewter from the many color choices.
Taken together, the home’s exterior is a true testament to the ways that a traditional design can stay true to its more classic roots while incorporating new materials. “The combination of the faux slate roof, casement windows, and siding work together to achieve a total update while connecting to the original intention of the design,” says homeowner Carrie Hatfield (no relation to the remodeler).
A Stunning Effect
It was a priority for the homeowner, who is an interior designer, that the remodeled spaces have a great deal of natural light and an open feel.
Stationary French doors in the master bedroom help achieve that goal, providing floor-to-ceiling glass in a style that fits the home’s historical context and aesthetic. “The windows and doors were everything we were looking for,” Carrie Hatfield says. “They have a beautiful clean profile, while providing a classic design for the house.”
The 60-by-80-inch aluminum-clad French stationary doors from Ply Gem allow daylight to flood in from the patio, and the muntins add dimensionality to the master bedroom. Unlike conventional windows, which generally are placed above the floor, the doors allow the expansive feel of more glass. And since they are fixed in place, there’s added peace of mind in terms of security for the bedroom.
From the outside, the doors enhance the brick and stand as powerful design elements in their own right.
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Watch videos and find out more about the Model Remodel at modelremodel2015.com.
The Model Remodel is a whole-house remodel that showcases excellent materials, exciting design, and superb craftsmanship