Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 31 No 13 New Zealand | Page 84

Character
strengths
A detailed remodel transforms a pedestrian
home into a Craftsman-style cottage
Above: The renovation of this house
by architect Jim Rill of Rill Architects
has transformed an unexceptional
brick residence into a Craftsmanstyle cottage. The newly introduced
deep front porch provides an easy
indoor-outdoor flow and is a typical
inclusion for the American Arts and
Crafts architectural style. It also
helps break up the mass of the home
visually.

Not every project starts with a grand vision.
Sometimes it can be something as insignificant
as an appealing angle on an existing home that
becomes a catalyst for a complete style revamp.
Such was the inspiration for this renovation.
A shallow roof incline on the original house led
architect Jim Rill and the owners to choose a
Craftsman aesthetic indoors and out.
Low-pitched rooflines are a typical feature
of American Arts and Crafts cottages, and the
bones of the home suited this style, says Rill.
As a result, the exterior features a wealth of
appropriate architectural detailing, including

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tapering square columns, exposed rafters, roof
overhangs, split top sashes and a dark palette of
natural colors with bright window insets.
“In other moves, we painted the red bricks
so the revision would not look colonial, and
finished the new upper level facades in complementary materials. The old shutters were
replaced with new versions, and a trellis adds
interest over the garage,” says Rill.
In terms of structural changes, the house
now has a deep front porch, with a doubleheight family room and kitchen added to the
rear. The new master suite is upstairs.