If your house is too small for your growing family, or if you would like to have additional space for a home office, gym or hobby room, building an addition may be a better solution than moving. You will have a wide range of design options, but it’s important to make sure that the new part of your house fits well with the original structure.
Why Blending an Addition With the Original House Matters
If an addition looks like it was tacked on as an afterthought and doesn’t fit in with the design and style of the rest of the house, it will stick out like a sore thumb. Your addition should blend in with your house’s existing layout and roofline and should fit on the lot in a way that makes sense.
If you renovate your house so that the outside looks like two different houses were put together, build a new room or wing that looks like it was shoved into a corner of the lot, or if there is a stark contrast between the interior design and layout in two parts of the house, that can create a jarring sense of disconnection. If you decide to sell your home in the future, the contrast between the old and new areas may be a turnoff to potential buyers.
How to Create a Unified Design
Your addition doesn’t have to look exactly like the rest of the house, but you should focus on tying things together visually. Many homeowners focus on how they want the inside of their house to look but don’t give enough thought to the exterior.
An addition should fit with the house’s original architecture. That’s especially important if your home has a characteristic style or one associated with a specific time period.
Use the same or similar windows, siding and roofing materials for a seamless exterior. Windows in the addition should also be at the same height as existing ones.
People shouldn’t have to step up or down to enter the new part of the house. If your current home has a distinctive type of flooring throughout, use the same flooring or one that is as close as possible. The same goes for molding and other fixtures.
Take Your Time
Think carefully about how to build an addition and make it blend in with the rest of the house. If you rush into a project and make mistakes, you may inadvertently lower your home’s value and make it difficult to sell it down the road.
Meet with at least a few contractors or architects to discuss design options. Look for professionals who have experience designing and building additions and ask them how they integrate new spaces into existing homes. Request photos of their work and get in touch with references to ask about their experiences.
