DEL.ICIO.USSandy Springs family builds up instead of out
Features of lot, regulations required creative solution for remaining in ‘the box’
For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, November 02, 2008
A 1950s ranch provided the base for Scott and Jennifer Reiser’s new home — and that was the challenge.
A neighboring pond and Sandy Springs’ ordinances required the couple to build within the existing footprint of the home.
HYOSUB SHIN/hshin@ajc.com
Jennifer and Scott Reiser, and their son, Dylan, recently moved into a home they designed and built in Sandy Springs’ Westfield Park. A neighboring pond was one of the things that attracted them to the site, but it – along with the city’s ordinances – made it necessary to build within the footprint of the 2,100-square-foot, 1950s-era ranch house that had occupied the lot.
It’s an example of thinking outside the box while staying in “the box,” said Jennifer, a former real estate agent who now works as a design consultant.
The tear-down project in the Westfield Park neighborhood created a European traditional-style home with about 4,450 square feet of finished space, doubling the size of the 2,100-square-foot ranch.
“We added drama and space by going up,” Jennifer said.
The couple received approval letters from neighbors as part of the variance approval process. Neighbor Margaret Jameson, who has lived there for 47 years, said the new homes built in the community have been an asset by increasing property values, but at the expense of the old ranches, which she calls the “little fellows.”
“We do hate to see them push around these little ones we’ve had and come up with the towers,” Jameson said. “But I guess it’s progress.”
When the Reisers bought the home 2½ years ago, they were drawn to its location near a pond, where the ducks provide entertainment for their 20-month-old boy, Dylan.
But the home’s interior and layout didn’t appeal to them. The kitchen was at the front of the house. The stairs to the basement and garage were oddly located in between the dining room and kitchen.
“We just knew everything had to go,” Jennifer said.
It took about a year, though, to receive the variance to build. The zoning rules also meant they had to compromise and nix plans for a three-car garage, instead building a two-car garage.
First things first
Plans for the layout of the home began with the entryway.
“We wanted a two-story foyer, so we started with that,” Jennifer said.
They went back and forth about the shape of the staircase and ended up with a U-shape that provides plenty of greeting space in the foyer. The marble floor in the foyer is warmed up with an inlaid wood design.
Columns separate the foyer from the dining room, which has a round table and seagrass chairs from Z Gallerie and light-green floor-to-ceiling drapes that match the wall color (Weekend Getaway by Benjamin Moore).
Another major decision was the placement of the master bedroom. An early floor plan began with it on the main level, but they wanted a study and a powder room on the main level, so a guest bedroom and bath were positioned downstairs. It also helps to be on the same floor as Dylan’s room, said Scott, a builder with Westfield Partners.
The heart of the home, Jennifer said, is the family room, adjacent to the kitchen on the main level. A dark wood ceiling warms up the window-filled room, which has views of the pond and furniture such as a slip-covered white sofa from Acquisitions on Miami Circle.
The screened porch is large enough for a six-seat wrought-iron glass table, two wicker chairs, a sofa and a small wood chair for Dylan that was made by Jennifer’s grandfather. A slate fireplace with a fragrant cedar mantel serves as a focal point for the cozy room.
“You feel like you’re in a getaway,” Jennifer said.
A change of mind in the kitchen, to add two more windows after the drywall was installed, tacked on two to three weeks to the completion of that room. The extra windows take advantage of the kitchen’s position looking out on the backyard, which provided a backdrop of greenery in the late summer.
The kitchen sparkles with a mini-chandelier with dangling crystals, granite countertops, tumbled travertine tile backsplash and appliances such as a Sub-Zero refrigerator and 48-inch Wolf six-burner range, with extras such as a pot filler.
Shifting up and out
Although they were able to build up, the three upstairs bedrooms don’t take on massive proportions. The master holds an upholstered gray-pinstripe king-size headboard and bedside tables from My Favorite Place. Tray and vaulted ceilings in that and the other bedrooms add volume.
Space is devoted to the master closet, where track lighting and built-in drawers, shelves and cubbyholes by California Closets create the atmosphere Jennifer desired. There’s enough space for their closets and a window, and a 32-by-72 mirror makes the walk-in closet seem even larger.
Although they couldn’t expand the length and width of the home, the landscaping has made it a more welcoming residence, Jennifer said.
“It was a steep walkway with the front yard,” she said. “It was tough to get up there.”
The couple worked with Tim Gartland of Hamilton Land Services on the challenging lot. The driveway couldn’t be enlarged, so they used pervious pavers to create room for additional cars. Natural stone steps were positioned into three tiers to create a more comfortable walkway.
In the backyard, changes such as removing overgrown shrubs helped create a private spot surrounded by trees and enough room for a fire-
pit for s’mores. They also plan to add a garden.
The boundaries and city regulations taught the couple, who work together professionally on home projects, to be more creative and to gather as much information as possible when going through zoning or other city processes.
“It was difficult. I always kind of compare it to childbirth,” said Jennifer, who is pregnant with their second child. “You forget how hard it was once you’re living there.”
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