When you open the front door, you are led to a distinct foyer or entry space. Another advantage is having the front door be level with the sidewalk outside. Surprisingly, this style of home was developed not due to aesthetic reasons but out of necessity. Opendoor: How Much Will It Pay For My Home. The Empire State Building is a glowing example of the Art Deco style and its reach for the sky ethos. Not only that, but those closed off, separated rooms can bring with it a claustrophobic feel. You dont have to concern yourself that much with how it will blend in with the rest of your home, compared to having the additions done at the sides. It is not only the planning stage that you need to focus on the execution is equally important. Lets take a look at a few of the primary changes you might make to create a modern masterpiece from the average split-level home. As prices in close-in suburbs inch toward the stratosphere, split-levels are often the only house types left that younger buyers can afford. As a result, everything should be carefully thought out; you have to keep in mind that all the floors are interconnected. Each style has unique features, but all split-level houses consist of multiple floors connected by short flights of stairs. Technically, the term "bi-level home" refers to a house built on two levels, both of which are ground floors. The Colonial-style renovation upgraded the plain portico into a spacious covered porch, which allows room for plenty of outdoor furniture. Zillow Group is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for individuals with disabilities. With a little landscaping, you can really jazz up your ranch! Magazine pictures of modern homes tend to make them look almost sterile; recessed lighting offers more light without it becoming impractical. The classic faade of a split-level home is very simple. Thanks to its inexpensive style, the Cape Cod was a popular choice for many of the first major housing developments after soldiers came back from World War II. Get Ready to Have No-Obligation Talks With Contractors, 2023 All rights Reserved Contractor QuotesDeveloped By ITVolcano. On the outside, you have paint chipping off, loose steps, landscaping that is in bad shape, the list goes on. Any split-level modernization project should look very closely at ways to make those exterior walls smooth. Also, your current foundations wont have to support the additional weight, because these additions will have their own foundations. Living Rm & Foyer Before Building Up Front Door Raised Lower Level Transformed The lower level of this 1970's split foyer consisted of a bedroom, dated laundry/kitchen area, storage, and family room. One of the best ways to modernize a split-level home is to avoid a roof color that's too light or too close to the house color. We store towels, medicine, toiletry supplies, first-aid gear, massage devices, facial steamers, spare Painting your garage is a great way to improve the look of the space and make the walls easier to clean. Open front porches and stone features are common on the craftsman. Through out this home we brought in warm wood accents and the kitchen was no exception, with its custom floating shelves and graceful waterfall butcher block counter at the island. Bathroom closets are often catch-alls for anything and everything remotely related to self-care. While split level homes can be gorgeous, with their high ceilings and efficient use of space, they can also seem outdated and not reflect your unique taste in design. After all, this is what split-level homes are known for. They were an off-shoot of the post-war modern movement. Split Foyer Converted to Two Story - Owings Brothers Contracting Perhaps the most popular home style in America today is the ranch. Though, split-level homes can also have more than three levels. Garage doors are clad in metal. Even better, adding a skylight has a ton of benefits from every aspect: economical, functional, and aesthetic. It is not just about giving this type of home a fresh coat of paint every time you can actually make structural changes to a split-level home to add more space inside, or add partitions if you want more room. The dining room had once been the homes living room, but we had other plans in mind. Most of the time, they are downright ugly. Clever: Are Those Commission Savings Legit? Instead of the classic door leading to the back of your home, you can tear it down, together with the wall, and replace it with glass. Ryan also loves hockey and a lifelong Buffalo sports fan. Aside from these two requirements, the design work involved aesthetics: enhancing the front faade with a modern architecture and high quality materials. In these instances, the floor plan will usually be designed by an architect to suit the specific topography of the lot. A little leeway may be unavoidable, such as changing the color scheme and tiles halfway, but changing your mind about big things, such as building a new wall in the same spot where an old one was removed, would mean wasted resources, especially money. Tri-level homes already look unbalanced and adding extensions to its sides makes it look even more unbalanced if not done properly. To remedy this without putting up walls, visual breaks can be used. There is a large chimney in the center of the house used to keep the home warm during the harsh northeastern winters. If you were a fan of The Brady Bunch, then you know exactly what a split-level house is. Again, the main advantage to this type of split level is the fact that there arent a ton of staircases that separate the floors. Zillow, Inc. holds real estate brokerage licenses in multiple states. Homes with two stories, or two-story homes, are built with one floor right above the other. For first-time homebuyers, that can mean a more realistic first-time option. This floor plan features three to four floors and many sets of stairs. With its dramatic vaulted ceiling and new custom steel railing, this room was just screaming for a dramatic light fixture and a large table to welcome one-and-all. Make no mistake, retro is chic but split-level homes, to many, are still out of style. What makes split-level homes a pain to transform is because of the limits involved. The problem is that it may not be the easiest of plans to execute. In todays world many people find the formal areas of a colonial to be a waste of space. The old backyard used to have some trellis installed and the entire garden looked unkempt. Landscaping is new. Placement of the family room, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, and bathrooms can all vary in this style. The L shaped ranch is a great way to incorporate a garage into the house plans. Contractors are updated with the cost of most construction materials, which makes setting a budget for your project much easier. He loves to blog about construction, plumbing, and other home topics. You need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and make final decisions before the work starts. And if you want to take it to the next level, does the KonMari method ring a bell? There are 6 main split-level house designs, including standard-split, split-foyer, stacked-split, split-entry, back-split, and side-split. ton of options for the open space in the middle. Lets explore the numerous variations of this ubiquitous architectural style. The shutters on the windows were originally used to protect the windows from the wind during a storm and the ceilings are kept low to maximize heat conservation. Dont let the limited space of a split-level home hinder you from making all sorts of additions to your home. Split-Foyer Conversion Interior - Owings Brothers Contracting Skylights allow for natural, warm lighting to permeate the room. Its also nice if you just prefer to have everything on one level. You can also turn it into your home office and place all your filing cabinets, bookcase, and other similar items there. Split-level homes are great for those who want to conserve the space on their property, without sacrificing room inside of the home. Glass is known to let in more light, and this allows you to save on electricity. The separation of the floors means that youll be less likely to be awakened by the sounds happening on the lower levels. Breathe new life into a dated split-level with these tips you have more options than you might think! You can also make use of that list as an inspiration for your project. Many saw what was happening as a devaluation of human labor and an emphasis on mass production rather than individualism and hand-crafted items. One alternative is to re-do the exterior only; by converting the windows to a traditional colonial style (four upstairs, picture window downstairs). Despite all that youve read about them being outdated, split-level houses do have some positives to them. Split entry homes have, as the name suggests, an entry that is between floors. I've evolved this design to where the center pullout and adjacent shelves can be adjusted up or down. To modernize a split-level home you can take action and add some recessed lighting to the first floor, as well as some skylights, throughout the home. [Kitchen] The substantial addition at the rear of the home is barely visible here--the only hint being that the main ridge is a little higher from this point of view. Although this will lead to inconvenience when moving around your home, you can also get doors placed on each level to maintain the set temperature. Many people have different ideas of what a cottage truly is, but the universal agreement is that a cottage is a small, cozy and old-fashioned house. Convert Ranch Into Split-level Ranch (Left side of house raised) Convert Ranch Into Split-level Ranch (Middle portion of house raised) Convert Ranch Into Colonial Convert Ranch Into Split-level (Do's & Don'ts) Add Rear Bathroom Dormer to Cape Convert Cape to Colonial (Cantilevered) Add Full Rear Dormer to Cape with Dog House Dormers These give an illusion that the areas in the open space still have divisions that separate them. And if those are no longer in production, good luck with how youre going to make it blend in with the rest of your home. There is typically a short section of stairs that then leads to the other sections of the home. Moreover, the proper windows can play an integral role in the energy-efficiency of your home. A new paver pathway, planters, and landscaping add curb appeal. You can place bedrooms on the top floor or at the ground level, put your laundry area in the basement, have your living room at a floor somewhere above the ground level, and the entertainment room on the floor below it, and more. However, the major disadvantage is the fact that you must climb multiple sets of stairs to reach each individual level of the home. Another great idea is to replace old windows with newer ones and tearing down some of your interior walls to make space and bring in more natural light. Why do you want to do a renovation of your split-level home? One of the major concepts of the modern home is that it has an open floor plan. A circa 1960's split-level enhanced by a 300 square foot addition, a re-configured main level floor plan and a seamlessly remade front elevation will be featured in a "Remodeled Home Tour". For now, they are also quite affordably priced. You can add a number of design elements, such as siding, tiles, wood, stone, and other decorative pieces to give it a new look. Location: Marietta's Indian Hills neighborhood Size: 4,500 square feet, five bedrooms and six bathrooms Year built/bought: 1972/2017 Architectural style: Split-level ranch converted into. Painted a crisp shade of white with black trim details, the home now boasts modern farmhouse style. The content on this site is not intended to provide legal, financial or real estate advice. To even out the temperature all over your home, you can get furnace fans installed and get them to run at a low setting. Being a Los Angeles resident, Jessica spends a lot of her time looking for her next DIY project and sharing her love for home design. Part of the reason that split-level homes feel so outdated is that they have a number of interior walls. 6 Types Of Split-Level Homes (With Photos) - Upgraded Home If you prefer a home that still separates the living space from the bedrooms, but doesnt require a full flight of stairs to reach, you may consider a side split style house. Another reason why these types of houses are desirable to homeowners is that the layout separates the living area from the sleeping area, offering more privacy. Ryan Womeldorf has more than a decade of experience writing. Taken fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHaeHzf4iBU. This results in a stark contrast, especially when the differences are very obvious. Try painting the front door to something fresh with a pop of color involved. The floor tile in this bathroom still makes our hearts skip a beat. Heres a compilation of before-and-after photos of some eye-catching split-level home remodel projects: Notice how the small windows added on top of the garage makes this home look much more balanced, compared to how it initially looked like. Construction by CG&S Design-Build. That is, the middle and largest level is for the dining and living areas, the upper floor is for bedrooms, and the lowest floor is for the garage or cellar. Add A Level to Convert Ranch to Colonial Convert a Cape or Ranch to Colonial As a general contractor I had the chance to renovate many homes in the lovely state of Connecticut, but nothing beats the wow factor you receive whenever you convert a single story cape or ranch into a beautiful colonial. The problem is that it may not be the easiest of plans to execute. The interior spaces flow. | All rights reserved. Ryan Shaw is the founder of Real Estate Witch, which he created to help consumers avoid unnecessary expenses when they buy or sell a house. Because of their design, split-level homes can struggle to get an ample amount of natural light. Bi-levels were popular in the era of splits, as developers would offer new homes in four configurations: colonials, splits, bi-levels or ranches. There are many sub types of the Colonial style, with each world power at the time putting it's own unique stamp on this traditional style. The good news is that you can transform the floorplan to look like something out of this century. Again, as with the cape cod , the siding may need regular maintenance. Plants and trees will help balance the overall look of your home and make it look much more even. While some styles create space with doors, the colonial does it with staircase. The most significant change done to this space is removing the small room in the middle of the floor that housed the kitchen. At the same time, these homes are also in the current sweet spot for in-town renovations because of their location on the growth rings of cities. The Art Deco designed home was made popular during the Roaring Twenties. Discovery of King Tuts tomb, as well as a surging industrial revolution inspired a generation of flat roofs, smooth, rounded walls and vibrant colors. The advantage to split entry houses is the spacious design that offers plenty of room for larger families or those who entertain often. Then, the middle level is where the majority of the entertaining and living happens. 12 /18. [Dining Room] Read This Before You Pay For a Flat Fee MLS Service. Photo Credit: Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in New York, Mid Century Modern Split Level Renovation, Inspiration for a 1960s gray floor kitchen/dining room combo remodel in Other with white walls, This house began as a typical, low-lying split-level. Colonial Homes A typical colonial style home. Oftentimes, this floor will have a bedroom, bathroom, and possibly a laundry room. Split-levels, also sometimes called "tri-levels," are an architectural dead end that were built in abundance from the 1930s to the 1970s. Therefore, we thought it would be a good time to revisit strategies to turn the split level monster into a piece of architecture. The original 1950s split level was expanded and completely reworked. A split foyer actually has a separate section that is on the ground level between the garage and the house. However, there are major differences between these two home styles. The biggest challenge for Sun Design Remodeling is the mid-level front door. From the outside, this type of split-level house looks like a tri-level home but its technically bi-level, with a distinct wing for the entry. Even if your dream is to have a log cabin-type of home but you live in area that gets a lot of rain and snow all year, using even the sturdiest kind of wood may be the worst decision you can make in your life.