Tudors stately shape is saved with a box out back

RUMOR IS that Jenny Richards and Todd Wallar recently doubled the size of their house.

But where? The charming blue Tudor with white trim, 800 square feet and change, sits on its Ravenna street just like it always has. Carpet of lawn, concrete walk out front. Nothing unusual here, folks.

Its out back.

We love the house, says Richards of the place Wallar bought in 2001. But we needed more room. We contacted a lot of architects and design firms who wanted us to knock the house down, but we couldnt have two mortgages.

We also wanted to be good to our neighbors and not put up this gargantuan thing. Plus, she says in defense of the Tudor, we have great curb appeal.

And that is how Jim Burton of Jim Burton Architects came to attach a large contemporary HardiePanel and cedar box directly onto the back of the Tudor. Ingeniously, says Richards, stepping the addition down the sloped yard instead of building up. Placing the addition in the couples otherwise urban farm of a backyard (vegetable garden, fruit trees, bees). And giving the two-bedroom, one-bath home three bedrooms, two baths, a light-filled family room and vastly improved kitchen in a mere 800 additional square feet.

The pivot point of the new box is a clever apple-ply storage block. Upstairs it serves as display and storage, and as a stairwell railing. Along the stairs its a library wall. Down in the master it becomes a design element, holding display niches.

A large beam between kitchen and family room divides old and new. The remodeled kitchen mediates between them. And mediate it does.

I used to be a food blogger, Richards says. For years I churned out a lot of food out of that (galley) kitchen. Were both cooks. Hes got a Persian chicken marinating for tonight. Im more pastry and baking.

But, you know, bigger kitchen, happier couple.

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Tudors stately shape is saved with a box out back