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ArchDC Summer 2017.qxp_Summer 2017 5/24/17 10:48 AM Page 48

Rear façade and patio.

actually argued to keep it,” said Balodemas, “since
fireplaces traditionally add value to a house, but they
kept insisting they didn’t want it and wouldn’t use it.”
While only time will tell how the lack of a fireplace will
affect resale value, meanwhile, there is no doubt that its
removal did indeed allow for much brighter, airier
kitchen, dining, and living spaces.
The renovation was planned to allow for the addition
of a larger master bedroom suite at the rear at some
point in the future. For now, a free-form stone patio
occupies a portion of the back yard. To the front, a rain
garden helps to capture water running off the butterfly
roof, thus reducing the burden on the storm sewers,
and helping to make the house a good neighbor not
only aesthetically, but environmentally, too.

Front yard with rain garden.
48 TRY ANGLES