When the owners of a cozy and laid-back home in Arlington decided to enlarge their 1,600-square-foot abode to better accommodate their growing family, they sought help from architect Michael Winn.

“The home's existing kitchen was extremely small with no space to prep or to entertain guests,” said Winn, of Winn Design + Build. “They wanted to transform the 1950s Cape Cod into a modern home while still maintaining the character they loved.”

The Winn team created and built a rear addition to accommodate a larger kitchen and family room on the first floor, as well as added a new master suite on the second floor.

“As [part] of the renovation, a child’s bedroom was updated to reflect a more contemporary layout and color palette,” said Winn. “[Our] firm helped guide the owners to make decisions that would achieve their overall goals, including opening up the kitchen to a large family room and creating a modern façade that married the exterior aesthetics with those of the interior.”

The front exterior’s addition features include siding by Longboard, a Canadian company, with HardiePlank fiber cement siding on the rest of the house.

Throughout the remodel, the home's electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems were thoroughly updated and the house was air-sealed and re-insulated.