Ardmore Renovation | AARON BASS

The Ardmore renovation sought to bring natural light and functional space to the small segmented home constructed in the 1980’s. The existing 30” deep sunken fire pit was typical of this community, but completely impractical now. Its location at the entry combined with the dark and dimly lit rooms became dangerous and unsuitable the aging clients. The home felt incompatible to the couple’s quiet lifestyle and passions for art and cuisine. The Ardmore renovation re-focused the home around a new central kitchen, entry gallery, while delivering consistent detailing.

 The fire pit was removed and the kitchen expanded. Instead of completely opening the entire floor plan, we organized the space into two volumes; a private family/ living room and a public living/dining room divided by a singular line of mass housing the storage and appliances for the kitchen. This singular line wraps the space ending with a peninsula island made of white stone. It physically separates the private family living room, while allowing visual connectivity. Guests now have the opportunity to interact with anyone cooking. The slightly elevated position of the kitchen overlooks the private living room, building upon the hierarchy of spaces. The kitchen now the central hub allows a transition between the private and public volumes through a material threshold, from kitchen to dining area through a series of blind cabinets.

The rift sawn white oak millwork of the cabinets defines a rich architectural material language for the entire home. The White Oak floors bleed into all spaces, and the appliances are faced with blind paneling of the same species. The use of a singular material quiets any visual noise improving the purity of the space. The pure white walls and white stone peninsula island pull the light deeper into the space, engaging light as third primary material. These three materials White Oak, painted finish, and white stone, unify the overall architectural diagram and provide simple backdrop for art.

Typically, homes with garages tend to have a dedicated garage door exit into the home. The entry procession is an experience primarily for visitors. At the Ardmore it’s not this way. All access happens through the front door, making the entry an optimal space to dedicate the gallery for the art collection. It could be seen daily by both the homeowners and friends alike. A new 6’ long skylight terminates the procession of the gallery with a flood of natural light, and at night the built-in LED lighting curates the color and experience of the space. The entry gallery is not only a place to display art, but a moment of repose, allowing oneself to reset and dispose of the stresses of the day. The interior walls adjacent to the gallery have also been reconfigured to give additional space back to the master bedroom and simplify the irregular geometry.

The master bedroom was renovated with new ceiling and wall fixtures. The White Oak flooring was continued throughout the room, kept very simple, and juxtaposing the master bath. We decided that the master bath have a completely different feel than rest of the home, focused more on morning rituals and less on simplicity.

A 6’ long skylight with tapered edges fills the entire area above the black walnut floating vanity. The entire bathroom envelope was tiled. The ceiling tiles, cut into 4ths to limit weight, while the floor tile was cut into 2” x 2” squares for safety. The sunken roman tub/shower was filled and a new walk-in master shower created. In an effort to save space and allow for more natural light a singular piece of ½” acid etched glass was used at the shower.

The architectural dialog and the engagement of the clients made the project successful. The clean details, simplified material pallet, and removal of ornament illuminated the Ardmore’s potential. Also, in an effort to reduce its environmental footprint we decided to kept as much of the existing home as possible, while introducing energy efficient equipment and appliances. Natural light rooms and warm spaces became the outcome in this modern renovation of this 80’s master planned home.