Bi-level houses are also commonly referred to as a raised ranch. In most cases, the lower level is partially underground but still has windows. And many of them are Colonial style, meaning that they feature grids that divide the window into 12 or more small lites, rather than larger panes of glass. For first-time homebuyers, that can mean a more realistic first-time option. . Perhaps youve got your heart set on a modern, contemporary, or even a Colonial-style home. Give them the option of fixing up a six-story home or a split-level home, and they will more than likely choose to work on the six-story home instead. Split-levels are cool on the inside. The style is not quite old enough to be considered a classic, but is no longer modern. We continued the warm wood touches into the master bedroom, but went for a rich accent wall that elevated the sophistication level and sets this space apart. The entry has sets of stairs leading up the main floor and another set that leads to the lower level of the home. The classic faade of a split-level home is very simple. If you want to go full-on modern, consider hiding the roof completely. Now that we are living in them, what are some split level strategies that we can use to improve the experience. The idea with the Split level is that you can accommodate a large family on a modest budget. You can use plants, tall furniture, and decorative partitions. ), Plus it looks like a really sophisticated structure, so neighbors will be impressed (good!). Updating the look and feel of your home, including the appliances like those in the kitchen above, will dramatically change the interiors. However, there are major differences between these two home styles. One set of stairs leads to the upper level, while the other leads to the bottom level. Whereas, with split-level homes, theres usually a one-story section that connects to a two-story section instead of being right on top of each other. You can choose from stacked-split, split-foyer, split-entry, back-split, standard-split, or side-split. For some, this section seems like wasted space when you can use it as a den or mudroom. Lighting is one of the most important features in just about any home layout. You can see the appeal here. So, we started by converting the existing single car garage into their living room (complete with a new fireplace) and opening up the kitchen to the rest of the level. Another great garage door style on a modern home is a wood-look door. Even better, that natural light will light up just about every corner of the room. Through out this home we brought in warm wood accents and the kitchen was no exception, with its custom floating shelves and graceful waterfall butcher block counter at the island. link to What Kind Of Paint For Garage Walls. Painted a crisp shade of white with black trim details, the home now boasts modern farmhouse style. Planters surrounding the home are made from raw sheet steel. A common configuration is having the first stairs from the entryway leading to the dining room or kitchen. The defining characteristic of the Colonial style of home is two stories, with a formally defined living room and dining room on the first floor and maybe one bedroom, with the other bedrooms being on the second story of the home. The south roof slope of the home hosts a large solar array, barely visible here. If your split-level features garage doors that face the street, they may represent your easiest and best option for modernization. Ryan also loves hockey and a lifelong Buffalo sports fan. Whether youre looking to buy or build a home from scratch, you likely have a specific architectural style in mind. If you live in a suburban area and your home has been around since the 1950s, 1960s, or 1970s, chances are you are living in a split-level home. A very simple way of updating the look of a traditional split-level is to add some bling to the design. As prices in close-in suburbs inch toward the stratosphere, split-levels are often the only house types left that younger buyers can afford. Contrast is key for on-trend style. Add A Level to Convert Ranch to Colonial Convert a Cape or Ranch to Colonial As a general contractor I had the chance to renovate many homes in the lovely state of Connecticut, but nothing beats the wow factor you receive whenever you convert a single story cape or ranch into a beautiful colonial. The problem is that it may not be the easiest of plans to execute. On the outside, you have paint chipping off, loose steps, landscaping that is in bad shape, the list goes on. The major disadvantage to split-level homes is the staircases that youll have to climb. However, most of these homes were built on the cheap. This results in a stark contrast, especially when the differences are very obvious. The split level or foyer offered a stacking of floors taking a much smaller footprint of land reducing the cost to build a new home. The separation of the floors means that youll be less likely to be awakened by the sounds happening on the lower levels. My standard corner with 28"-deep diagonal pullouts. And thats probably because so many of them were built during the 1970s. For the first idea, let's take a look at the picture of this traditional split-level house located in Minneapolis. This is in place of having to excavate bedrock to build a basement on a single-level home. On our website, we have been getting many hits and search querys every month concerning split level renovations. To the right of the front door is a tiny window allowing peek-a-boo views of guest arrivals from inside the daughter's closet. The kitchen and dining room are on a separate floor from both the bedrooms and living room. After all, this is what split-level homes are known for. By adding skylights into the master bedroom, it can give an entirely new dimension to the space. Now we know why Art Deco is popular in Miami! Not a lot of homeowners who own this type of home realize that there are actually workarounds or hacks when it comes to updating the look and feel of a split-level home. We can help you out with that! Open front porches and stone features are common on the craftsman. I've evolved this design to where the center pullout and adjacent shelves can be adjusted up or down. Our primary goal was to re-imagine the main level of the home and create an open flow between the space. So, we started by converting the existing single car garage into their living room (complete with a new fireplace) and opening up the kitchen to the rest of the level. If done properly, this can tie in wonderfully with the natural stone sections of wall mentioned above. The old backyard used to have some trellis installed and the entire garden looked unkempt. Contractors are updated with the cost of most construction materials, which makes setting a budget for your project much easier. Photo and copyright by Renovation Design Group. The outside is often another story. Split-level remodel: exterior lighting. Bryan Jones, Principal Jones Pierce Inc. An Atlanta based Architectural firm specializing in custom home transformations and custom retirement homes in fun places. Split-level homes are certainly making a comeback, but its important to choose the type of split-level that works best for you and your lifestyle. You can give them a figure and they can suggest materials that can be used for your home to make sure that the cost of materials and labor is well within your preferred budget. The lot needs to have a certain slope for the split level style to work. To modernize a split-level home you can take action and add some recessed lighting to the first floor, as well as some skylights, throughout the home. Split Levels and Split Foyers became popular in the United States in the 1970s. Therefore, we thought it would be a good time to revisit strategies to turn the split level monster into a piece of architecture. Nowadays, its very common to see split-level construction when it comes to building a home on the side of a hill. Updating the landscaping, as well as the entire faade, worked wonders for it. Light colored paint will reflect light better and gives a brighter feel to the interiors of any home. Do you now have at least a vague idea of what kind of remodeling you should do to your home? If you dont plan on staying in your home for the long term, you might want to consider a ranch to lower your moving costsitll take an extra person or two for you or the moving company to get things up and down the stairs when you get ready to move. Another option is to add the new space at the top, but you have to be sure that your foundations are strong enough to handle the load of the new floor. Glass is known to let in more light, and this allows you to save on electricity. More square footage on a smaller lota way to separate children and parents for increased sense of independence and privacy. The garage is usually the first to attract the attention of anyone who looks at this type of home, since its door takes a lot of space. As a result, everything should be carefully thought out; you have to keep in mind that all the floors are interconnected. Get free, zero-commitment quotes from pro contractors near you. That can help you save on electric costs over time. It is fairly easy to spot most split-level homes from the outside, as they seem to be half a two-story home and half a bungalow or ranch-style home that are combined to form a single house. Get Ready to Have No-Obligation Talks With Contractors, 2023 All rights Reserved Contractor QuotesDeveloped By ITVolcano. A split-level home has a few great places to start. Split-levels also showcase natural materials, minimal decorations, and double-hung windows with one large picture window. Split-level homes are great for those who want to conserve the space on their property, without sacrificing room inside of the home. Drawbacks of Art DecoIn some parts of the country flat roofs can be a problem and need continual maintenance. The original spec was probably a steel door with very little curb appeal. While some styles create space with doors, the colonial does it with staircase. To recap, split-level homes have three distinct levels that are accessed via short sets of stairs. 10 Things You Need to Do When Buying A Home, 3 Reasons to Live in a New Home Before Renovating, DIY Backyard Fire Pit: Build It in Just 7 Easy Steps, This Checklist Is the Key to Taking Care of Your Home (Without the Stress), How to Actually Afford to Buy a Home in America, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 442-H New York Standard Operating Procedures. Instead of the classic door leading to the back of your home, you can tear it down, together with the wall, and replace it with glass. The Colonial style is steeped with tradition and has a lot of character on the outside. Your email address will not be published. Skylights are a great modern addition that can bring a split-level home into the 21st century. There is a wonderful separation of space going on in the split level thanks to the small staircaseswhich are half of what it would be for a true 2 story. Updating a tri-level home is not a project that you can just DIY your way to completion. The scope also included the living and dining rooms, plus the front entry and stairwell. You need to consider if the changes you plan to make to your home will have a negative impact in terms of your entire homes functionality. They first became popular in the 1940s and 50s as soldiers returned home and demand for suburban houses was high. Aside from these two requirements, the design work involved aesthetics: enhancing the front faade with a modern architecture and high quality materials. A split-level home, which is also known as a tri-level home, traditionally consists of the following: While the standard split-level home only consists of three levels, others sometimes add another floor to it. By sumitting this form, you agree to be contacted about your project by Homeadvisor and / or other service partners using automated phone technology and / or email. In most cases, these homes have a garage with the bedrooms situated directly above it on one side of the house. There are also one or two chimneys (remember in the old days how they kept the place warm). Split-level houses feature an architectural style that was most popular in the 40s and 50s, and each type of split-level house has distinct features. Whereas, the upper level will have a dining room, living room, and kitchen on one side and more bathrooms and bedrooms on the other. From the outside, this type of split-level house looks like a tri-level home but its technically bi-level, with a distinct wing for the entry. We loved the original built-ins in this space, and knew they needed to always be a part of this house, but these 60-year-old beauties definitely needed a little help. We cleaned up the cabinets and brass hardware, switched out the formica counter for a new quartz top, and painted wall a cheery accent color to liven it up a bit. Homes with two stories, or two-story homes, are built with one floor right above the other. You can add a number of design elements, such as siding, tiles, wood, stone, and other decorative pieces to give it a new look. It is not just about giving this type of home a fresh coat of paint every time you can actually make structural changes to a split-level home to add more space inside, or add partitions if you want more room. By working with siding styles and stonework, the creative homeowner can transform his bland home into something beautiful. To make sure that your split-level home is remodeled successfully, you need to keep these in mind: Again, drawing up plans to renovate or update the appearance of this type of home is a challenge even for professionals. [Dining Room] Aside from these two requirements, the design work involved aesthetics: enhancing the front faade with a modern architecture and high quality materials. On the other hand, bi-level houses have two levels that are accessed via a common entrance between the floors. [Hall Bathroom] Jessica considers herself a home improvement and design enthusiast. The classic faade of a split-level home is very simple. This type of split-level house will have at least three sections but may have more. The Cape Cod is truly a no frills style home. Many saw what was happening as a devaluation of human labor and an emphasis on mass production rather than individualism and hand-crafted items. If you were to view the home from the side or the back, youd be able to see the individual levels of the house. The aesthetic lends itself to an imaginative use of color, glass and circles. We store towels, medicine, toiletry supplies, first-aid gear, massage devices, facial steamers, spare Painting your garage is a great way to improve the look of the space and make the walls easier to clean. Comments (39) Oh, we added 1100 sq ft. We converted the old garage into the living room, moved the front door, made the old living room into the dining room, opened everything up and gutted the kitchen. This allows you to adjust the temperatures separately to even them out. Before we dive too deeply into the types of split-level homes, its important to know the distinguishing features of split-level houses. Replacing old windows with a more modern style can greatly modernize your homes look. It is the literal antithesis of the modern floorplan. She grew up surrounded by constant home improvement projects and owes most of what she knows to helping her dad renovate her childhood home. You'll usually find the bedrooms stacked above the foyer with stairs coming off the kitchen or dining room. Commonly, however, the term is also used to denote split-level homes. This additional floor either becomes the highest floor or is the cellar or basement located just below the floor where your main living space is. Again, split-level homes tend to struggle with natural lighting. The walnut vanity cabinet (complete with hairpin legs) adds a lovely level of warmth to this bathroom, and the black and brass accents add the sophisticated touch we were looking for.
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