Beauty comes with age, as some like to say, and we made sure to add great additions to accent the beauty of this 115 year old Bungalow.

This 1200 square foot, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom Bungalow in Highland Park was dull, dark, and didn’t quite suit the needs of the homeowners. The need for a second bathroom was also on the list of improvements.

The homeowners’ vision was to have an updated, open concept kitchen that expands into the living room. Adjacent to the kitchen, there was a large laundry room with a water heater and plenty of space for the proposed second bathroom. After much consideration, this was the decided location of the addition full bathroom.

We took this renovation in two steps. The first step of the renovation was to knock down the kitchen wall, resulting in the open concept, add an island, and then update the kitchen. Step number two was to build the second bathroom.

Renovation Part One – Kitchen

We started this renovation by stripping the kitchen. We removed all cabinets, counters, and flooring. Lastly, we knocked down the wall dividing the kitchen from the living room.

Fast-forward to post-demolition. A massive kitchen island was installed, measuring in at 85×42 inches. Within the beautiful island, a sink was inserted to face the living area. From there, a rustic wood flooring was laid and new custom cabinets mounted. A brilliant kitchen backsplash was then added, flush to the ceiling.

In order to maximize kitchen and dining space, a custom bench was crafted on one side of the kitchen island as part of the dining room table. Since the living room is on the smaller side, the bench saves space, while also creating additional seating that would otherwise be needed in the dining area. Extra space can be found within the bench, beneath the seats, creating an optimal amount of storage.

Renovation Part Two – Additional Bathroom

The washer and dryer were relocated from the laundry room to the garage and we began construction on the prospected bathroom area. While doing demo, a small alcove was discovered in a segment of the old laundry room. It was decided that this would create a unique feature for the new bathroom, and incorporated it into the design.

Post-demo, a gorgeous shower with bench seating was installed. An abstract, grey and white marble tile was added to the walls of the shower and to the alcove behind the sink, reaching all the way to the ceiling. The dark grey tile flooring was then laid in a striking herring bone pattern.

Post Renovation

By tearing down the kitchen wall and opening up the space into the living room, the area now feels so much bigger and it greatly improves the flow. Homeowners can now enjoy additional dining and cooking space in the kitchen, as well as the added possibility of interaction with guests in the living area. As for the second full bathroom with a shower, the home now has two fully functioning bathrooms and what isn’t great about that?

This renovation was such a joy to be a part of. We are very happy with how the home turned out and the homeowners are delighted in how much more use they can get out of their home in their very busy, day-to-day lives!

For more images of this project head to our instagram page @newgenerationimprovements and look up #hgtvgoestohighlandpark

To see a video of this project click below!

Design: Rosa Beltran Design

After photography by @zekeruelas