When Katherine Chandler and her husband Jeffrey Sherlock craved more elbow room for their 1911, 836-square-foot house located in the heart of Salt Lake City’s East Central neighborhood, the couple asked Renovation Design Group’s Annie Schwemmer to explore the possibilities of expanding the tiny home. “We discovered that the house was structurally unsound, and we recommended rebuilding it instead,” Schwemmer recalls. The report didn’t rattle Chandler and Sherlock.
“We were completely on board,” Chandler says. “We weren’t attached to the house, but we are super attached to the location.” Before designing the couple’s new house, Schwemmer asked them to list everything they wanted from the tiny home and to highlight the must-haves. “We had to have lots of natural light, three bedrooms and at least two bathrooms.” Additional wants included an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) and a large dining area for them to entertain. An open floor plan and simple, modern style also topped the list.
Measuring less than 4,000 square feet, the small property drove the compact size of the new three-level home’s footprint measuring a mere 1,000 square feet. “With its upper level tucked into the roofline, the new design maintains a similar size and feel to the surrounding homes,” says Schwemmer. “It also introduces a subtle modern sensibility marked by simplicity and subtraction of materials and elements so it doesn’t overwhelm. The architect teamed with contractor Zac Hicks of Bluebird Renovations to create the home with exterior siding painted in a surprising hue. “We wanted it to be blue, just like the original house,” says Chandler, who has a passion for color.
A glass-paned front door dazzles with its coat of red-orange paint. “It’s the color of the Golden Gate Bridge and makes me smile every time I enter the house,” Chandler beams. Photo by Scot Zimmerman
A clean-lined staircase boasts blackened steel rails and wood-faced steps. Photo by Scot Zimmerman.
Abundant windows, high ceilings and an uncluttered decor foster a spacious feel despite the home’s modest size. Chandler says, “We have toddlers and it is chaotic much of the time, but the simplicity and spaciousness of our home makes living here such a joy.”
The open kitchen and dining areas lead to the backyard’s patio and shaded deck. Photo by Scot Zimmerman.
avvy storage recurs throughout the house, including the entry and mudroom’s built-in cabinets. Photo by Scot Zimmerman.
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