Cue the demo dust! After more than five years in this house, we’re finally starting a renovation — naturally over the holidays. We’ve tackled big projects since moving in, like adding a pool in 2021, gutting and rebuilding the kitchen in 2022, and upgrading all our windows and doors to hurricane grade two years ago. But this is the first time we’re removing walls and reconfiguring rooms to change how the house functions.
That chaotic photo is from early 2020, but the open walls hint at the new sightlines we’ll create from the kitchen and living area downstairs. We’re so excited to open the house up and reconnect it with the pool area.
I’ll share a renovation overview here — I’ve also been posting progress in Instagram Stories under my “Reno 2025” highlight if you want more frequent updates.
Why this renovation, and why now?
When we moved in, we assumed adding a second bathroom would be our top priority. Five years later, and even after a year of mostly staying home during COVID, we’ve managed with one interior bathroom plus an outdoor shower. Other issues began to matter more.
Two things kept nudging us: first, our son needs a larger bedroom as he grows. His current room used to be a laundry room — it’s charming but small, and while kids can make any space work, he won’t be eleven forever. Second, our pool feels disconnected from the house. You have to walk down a hallway to reach it, and you can’t see it from the kitchen or main living spaces. We wanted a better visual and physical connection to that beautiful view.
After years of thinking, one afternoon John sketched an idea on graph paper and taped it out on the floor. Within hours we realized it would work. A recommended contractor came by and provided a quote, and the plan moved forward.
The key move is simple: finish the covered section of our front porch and convert it into interior space. Many neighboring homes have done this to gain extra square footage. We still keep an uncovered portion of the porch plus a covered side porch and an upper deck, so our outdoor living options remain plentiful. Converting that covered porch will let us create both a larger bedroom for our son and a more open, L-shaped kitchen and lounge that looks out to the pool.
I even sketched a quick colored mockup to imagine how the front will feel more balanced with the enclosed porch tucked between finished areas.
Converting the porch gives us a larger bedroom, an L-shaped kitchen and lounge that overlooks the pool, and an ensuite bathroom off our primary suite so we’re not trekking across the house in the middle of the night. Plus, bathroom tile shopping is a definite perk.
How will the living area expand?
The idea is to shift our daughter’s bedroom into the newly enclosed porch space. Her new room will be slightly larger and use the existing windows moved to the new location. That frees up her current room and adjacent laundry closet wall to be removed, allowing an expansive L-shaped kitchen and family room that opens to the pool with big glass doors.
This single move gains a lot:
- More usable family living space on the first floor
- Far more natural light flowing into the kitchen
- Additional kitchen cabinetry and potential for a small island
- Space for a proper dining area with seating and a chandelier
- Sight lines from the kitchen straight to the pool
Removing that long wall — roughly a ten-foot span — will flood the space with light and reveal pool views from the kitchen and entry. We plan a large glass door to maximize visibility and flow to the outdoors.
The kids love the idea of a TV in the new lounge, so the layout will likely include a media cabinet on one wall and seating on the opposite wall. Picture a vaulted ceiling, abundant light, and a wide glass door overlooking the pool where the fireplace might have been — a relaxed, practical family space.
How does your son’s room get bigger?
Once framed and connected, his room will absorb the hallway that currently leads to the pool and gain vaulted ceiling height to match. The pool door will become a large window, and the room will expand into some space behind the current photo angle and into a portion of a hidden closet. Altogether he’ll get roughly 30% more space, bringing his room closer to his sister’s size — a welcome upgrade as he gets older.
Where will the second bathroom go?
We’ll repurpose a corner of our large L-shaped primary bedroom to add an ensuite. The bedroom will become a comfortably sized rectangle, while the former L-shaped corner turns into the bathroom. We worked with the contractor to sketch the plan in CAD and taped the layout on the floor to visualize circulation and sizes before committing.
That taping exercise was invaluable — it helped us tweak the plan so the bathroom feels larger than the raw footprint and allowed us to keep closet space intact while improving shower size and flow. If you’re planning a renovation, tape things out and walk them first.
Where will the laundry go?
We’ve already had questions about where the laundry will land after the reconfiguration. We won’t reveal every detail yet — some answers are easier to show while the project is underway — but rest assured we aren’t skipping laundry in the plan. We’ll share specifics as the renovation progresses.
How will the exterior look from the pool?
When selecting a window for our son’s expanded room, I considered the pool-side view and roughly mock-upped it to ensure the proportions read well from outside. The window proportions echo the second-floor window to create a cohesive look, and the new glass doors to the lounge will bring the kitchen and living areas visually and physically closer to the pool.
Why choose this plan over other options?
Over five years we weighed many options — adding rooms above kids’ bedrooms, converting the roofline, enclosing the upper deck — but none achieved what we wanted as clearly as this porch conversion. It solves two persistent issues: the need for a slightly larger kids’ room and a stronger connection between the main living areas and the pool. It felt right for our family’s needs and lifestyle, and the contractor’s quote landed lower than we expected, which made the decision even easier.
What about delays, cost overruns, and problems?
We know renovations rarely go perfectly. Delays, surprises, and extra costs are likely, so we plan to manage issues as they arise. One practical tip: save 20–30% more than you estimate for contingencies. We had years to save while developing the plan, which reduces stress and keeps flexibility as unexpected items come up.
Do big projects feel scary at the start?
Absolutely. Renovations are expensive, time-consuming, and disruptive to daily life. At the start we’re riding a wave of excitement and possibility, but we expect the honeymoon period to fade into a grind at times. Still, the finished result and the brief “we’re done!” elation make the process worthwhile. Having a usable kitchen and bathroom throughout this remodel is a big advantage for us.
How long will it take?
Our contractor estimates three to four months, with likely breaks for the holidays. Much of the porch work can be completed from the exterior before tying into the existing house, so we’re optimistic about progress. If the space is ready or nearly ready by my birthday in mid-March that would be fantastic, but realistically we expect completion by late April once all factors are considered.
How will square footage change?
The house is about 1,400 square feet now and will gain roughly 100 square feet when the porch becomes interior space, bringing it to around 1,500 square feet. That’s modest compared with our previous 3,150-square-foot home, but this size fits our lifestyle better, especially with functional outdoor spaces and warm weather most of the year. A bit more interior space will make daily life easier while keeping the house manageable to maintain.
When does it start?
We expect permits any day now and hope work will begin the week after Thanksgiving. We’ll keep posting updates — Instagram Stories is the fastest place to follow along, and we’ll share a full recap on the blog as the project progresses. Thanks for joining us on this renovation journey.
Other posts you might enjoy
If you want to read more about our house and past projects, check out posts on why we downsized, our before tour, and past renovation progress over the years. We’ll share links and more detailed updates as this project moves forward.