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"   Photo: Erik Johnson VIEW MORE PHOTOS  What it lacked in space, it more than made up for in views, says Lisa McConkey of her home, which sits along the Magothy River in Serverna Park, Maryland. &amp;quot;My husband, Scott, had always wanted to live on the water, and he bought this house in 1993, just before we met,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;It was charming but not very functional, especially after we had our two daughters.&amp;quot; A complete kitchen renovation in 1998 improved the livability of the two-story cottage, but the home still had a cramped living room, no dining room, and a main entrance from the street that led directly into the kitchen. The wide open master bedroom was roomy but impractically arranged, like &amp;quot;one of those additions that was put in without much thought,&amp;quot; says Lisa. &amp;quot;We didn&amp;#039;t want the house to be a lot bigger, just more functional.&amp;quot;     Photo: Erik Johnson The couple called in architect Joseph Mayer, AIA, principal of J. Mayer Architects in Annapolis, Maryland, to make their home more familyfriendly. Doing so while keeping its size in check wasn&amp;#039;t an issue, says Mayer: &amp;quot;There&amp;#039;s a limit on lot coverage in this area, so additions were kept to a minimum.&amp;quot; The challenge, however, was to make the most of the existing structure, while creating a welcoming entrance to the home whose utilitarian side faced the street. &amp;quot;They really wanted to maintain the home&amp;#039;s cottage feel,&amp;quot; Mayer says. With Scott acting as general contractor, Mayer began by creating a new detached garage, angled to downplay its presence and attached to the house with a covered walkway that leads to the existing kitchen entrance. The old attached garage was turned into a living room, complete with fireplace and cozy niches, and for a little drama, a 12-foot vaulted ceiling paneled in natural cedar. New oak floors were stained to match the home&amp;#039;s existing wood floors, which were refinished. Mayer also added a new front portico and hallway for a more grand entrance. The former living room became the new formal dining room the family wanted. &amp;quot;We&amp;#039;re casual but we do like to have big get-togethers,&amp;quot; says Lisa. To open the new living and dining rooms to one another, the fireplace separating the spaces was removed, and the new one built in the living room is positioned so guests can see it from the dining table. On the dining room&amp;#039;s opposite side, Mayer opened the stairway, once an enclosed tunnel with steep risers. &amp;quot;For texture and contrast, we added raised paneling to the wall and stained the railing darker than the floors,&amp;quot; says Lisa. &amp;quot;The stairway went from being nondescript and strictly functional to a real focal point.&amp;quot;     Photo: Erik Johnson WHAT WAS DONE   Expanded interior square footage from 2,100 square feet to 2,800 square feet Converted former attached garage into new living room with fireplace; created new front entrance hall Added separate garage, new covered walkway and front portico Converted old living room to formal dining room, and opened stairway leading to second floor Created a master suite and second bedroom with en suite baths on upper level Refinished existing wood floors, and made cosmetic updates to kitchen   Upstairs, the previous master bedroom, which had been completely open to the stairway, making it feel like a public space instead of a private retreat, was turned into two bedrooms with en suite baths. &amp;quot;We&amp;#039;d planned the second bedroom to be a guest suite,&amp;quot; says Lisa, &amp;quot;but the girls have taken it over for now.&amp;quot; Like the new living room, the bedrooms have vaulted, cedar-paneled ceilings, cozy niches and views of the water. The master suite also has a small private balcony overlooking the river. The existing first-floor bedrooms and bath were given cosmetic spiff-ups, as was the kitchen, whose previous remodeling still suited the family&amp;#039;s needs. To further emphasize the views, Mayer specified corner windows in each of the rooms. &amp;quot;There are views from every angle,&amp;quot; he says, &amp;quot;including straight through to the water from the new entryway.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s just what we&amp;#039;d hoped for,&amp;quot; says Lisa of the remodeling. &amp;quot;I can&amp;#039;t imagine ever leaving the water\u2014we&amp;#039;ll never move.&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/home-remodeling-renovating/a1320/a-smart-solution-47088/>