Before & After: A Tricky Staircase Becomes A Sweet Built-In Bar

I know a lot about the quirks of an old house. Mine was built in 1890 and doors don’t always line up, the hardwood floors are at different levels, and we lack storage space. My husband and I are always trying to think of places to put in a closet, or a new bathroom. The homes we feature here on Design*Sponge impress me endlessly and leave me dreaming all the time. This before and after is certainly no exception and inspired four new ideas for my own home, just while looking through the images alone.

Meet Meredith Perdue and Michael Cain. The couple, along with their black lab, Orvis, live in a home built long before my own — a 1750s hand-hewn timber frame Cape Cod style home in South Portland, Maine. While working to open up their dining room and kitchen, they were faced with a closed-off staircase that couldn’t be removed from the home because of the utilities, and the reverse side is their indoor cellar access, which Michael says is “A great thing to have during the cold Maine winters.” The unused set of stairs in the “before” image (below) sits under a bathroom on the second floor, with a second set of stairs giving access to that level. “The tiered closet became an eyesore junk closet, complete with plumbing and electric for the bathroom above,” Meredith shares. The couple loves to entertain, so building a built-in bar in the tricky stair space was a perfect fit for their home. The built-in bar now offers storage, shelving, and a beautiful transition area from the living room to the dining room. The marble counter and backsplash match the kitchen, making the bar feel like an extension of that room. What a gorgeous addition — and solution — to the old home. —Erin 

Photography by Meredith Perdue / @meredithperdue

Image above: The bar is the perfect replacement for the staircase. A great little addition for storage, books, and spirits.

from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2018/01/before-after-a-transformed-staircase-becomes-a-sweet-built-in-bar.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/170115471464