Micro addition to a house can make big difference

“Our whole thing is finding small ways to make a big difference,” says architect Marilyn Moedinger, founding principal of Runcible Studios. In analyzing an 1850 Victorian in Jamaica Plain, recently purchased by Ximena Tovar and Alejandro Bascuas, and discussing the homeowners’ lifestyle, Moedinger determined that an extra 89 square feet would do the trick. It’s what she calls a micro-addition.

Along with an improved mudroom, the couple wanted a total kitchen makeover — one that included a center island with casual seating. While the kitchen’s square footage wasn’t lacking, a half bath and two sets of stairs jutted into it, rendering its center unusable. Moedinger reworked the floor plan: The team demolished the inconveniently located half bath, treacherously steep basement stairs, redundant back stairs, and the enclosed side porch that had been masquerading as a mudroom.

There’s now a proper mudroom with a new half bath and a basement staircase that meets code. “Having the half bath by the door so guests don’t have to go through the house makes a huge difference when we entertain outdoors,” Tovar says.

By rejiggering the placement of windows and losing the back door, Moedinger framed a far better view. The team closed the two windows on the stove wall that looked directly at the neighbors and installed a triple-pane window above the sink. “Now the focus is on the beautiful backyard,” Moedinger says. “Having more windows is not always better; having better windows is better!”

The moves also increased counter and storage space. Bascuas, who is the cook of the house, coordinated with Moedinger on storage, down to a place for the last fork. “We mapped out every drawer and cabinet, thinking about what’s being used when and even what hand he uses to reach for it,” Moedinger says.

In choosing finishes, the couple favored a modern, but not sleek, look, which led to Shaker-style doors and tile and pendant lights with midcentury references. “We love to find ways to respect the existing historic architecture,” Moedinger says, “while making it come alive with later references and playful juxtapositions.”

Tovar, who took the lead on choosing paint colors, experimented to find just the right shade for the cabinetry: Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue. “Being Peruvian, my wife has a strong sense of color,” says Bascuas, who is Cuban American. “I grew up in a home with white walls and a beige rug so it took me a bit to warm up to all the color. Though now that it’s done, I love that each room has its own personality.”

Moedinger designed a walnut dry bar with a marble countertop in the dining room, retrofitting a closet into a chic niche where guests can help themselves away from food prep spaces. The rich wood is striking against the wall color — Farrow & Ball’s Vardo, a saturated teal that is visible from the front entry hall.

The entry itself has crisp, black and white geometric wallpaper that reads more as texture than pattern. “I wanted something quieter but still fun to act as a backdrop for new, colorful art,” Tovar says. The Milton & King wallpaper also provides a smooth transition to the slightly more neutral palette upstairs, where Moedinger gave the couple a luxurious (but not too large) primary bath and walk-in closet, and remodeled the bath in the hall.

Seeking ideas online for exterior colors, Tovar also found inspiration for inside, pairing the deep blue hue in the front parlor — Benjamin Moore’s River Blue — with the dusty blush in the adjoining playroom — Farrow & Ball’s Pink Ground. The source? The Chloe, a boutique hotel in New Orleans. Tovar messaged the hotel’s interior designer, Sara Ruffin Costello, through Instagram, and Costello generously shared the names of paint shades she used inside and out, including the ones Tovar and Bascuas ultimately used on the exterior.

“We got down into the weeds on every detail with homeowners who were discerning and creative,” Moedinger says. “Our favorite kind!”

RESOURCES

Architecture and interiors: Runcible Studios, runciblestudios.com

Contractor: RK Construction, rk-construction.com

Cabinetry: Custom Design Cabinetry, 781-255-1500

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Marni Elyse Katz is a contributing editor to the Globe Magazine. Follow her on Instagram @StyleCarrot. Send comments to [email protected].