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"Location: Greenwich, CT  There are myriad ways to heighten a home&amp;#039;s character. One couple discovered that many of them are surprisingly simple when they called upon Jay Haverson, an architect in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Barbara Gisel, an interior designer in Haverford, Pennsylvania, to guide the revival of their Colonial-style home. A roomy kitchen-family room was a priority in the renovation. &amp;quot;That was what the house was crying for,&amp;quot; says the wife. &amp;quot;Our main focus was to create a living space where we could have casual dinners or where the kids could pile in with a bunch of friends and watch movies or just hang out.&amp;quot; Though they couldn&amp;#039;t salvage the cabinetry from the old kitchen, they were able to reuse the appliances. Bead board, a durable but relatively inexpensive material, was used throughout the kitchen and echoes a turn-of-the-century casual style. Haverson looked for changes that would enhance both the interior and the exterior of the home, such as the dormers he added to the master bedroom and the guest bedroom suites. &amp;quot;The dormers were important because they did two things: They created more appeal on the outside of the house, and the added transom windows within the dormer spaces brought more light into the rooms,&amp;quot; he explains. &amp;quot;We also cut into the attic and raised the ceilings in these rooms. The footprints of the rooms are the same, but what a difference in the way they feel!&amp;quot; Other existing rooms were enhanced by adding crown molding and increasing the size of the trim around the doors and windows. Before the renovation, the front-hall stairway was the first thing visitors saw when they entered the house. Now, a majestic archway in the new two-story entry makes a more formal first impression.  When it came to the furniture for the house, the owners were determined to incorporate a number of pieces from their former residence in Philadelphia. They called upon designer Gisel, who had worked on their Pennsylvania home, to ensure that the plans would accommodate the pieces they wanted to use. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s important to work ahead of the game and not wait until the architect is finished to understand exactly where all the furniture is going,&amp;quot; remarks Gisel. &amp;quot;Early on, we identified those pieces that weren&amp;#039;t usable, or pieces that needed to be reupholstered or purchased.&amp;quot;  Unfortunately, it&amp;#039;s virtually impossible to identify every single detail during the planning phase of a remodel, so you have to be on site as much as possible,&amp;quot; explains the wife. &amp;quot;We decided to add 18 inches to the breakfast nook to make it more comfortable, but we wouldn&amp;#039;t have been able to make that decision if I hadn&amp;#039;t been on the premises at the right time. The vigilance paid off completely,&amp;quot; she remarks. &amp;quot;We just love our home-especially the way the kitchen-family room brings everyone so close together,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s not an exact science at the beginning; it&amp;#039;s an alchemy, because you aren&amp;#039;t sure what a client is planning to do,&amp;quot; says Haverson. &amp;quot;First, respect the architecture that&amp;#039;s already there, then think about your lifestyle and your assets: Where does the sun come from? How is the driveway constructed? A renovation can be a great collaboration.&amp;quot; Keep decorating costs in line with these budget tips:  Reuse existing furniture. As early as possible, include furniture choices in the architectural plans. It&amp;#039;s much less expensive to make changes before building begins. Rethink rugs. Decorative area rugs for odd-size, unusually shaped, and very large rooms can take a big bite out of your budget. You may save money with top-of-the-line carpet, installed wall-to-wall or bound as custom area rugs. Stick to the classics. This is especially true for upholstered furnishings, advises interior designer Barbara Gisel, because they will be flexible enough to accommodate different design schemes. Add your personal imprint to a room with accessories, color, and artwork.   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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