The first floor needed more than cosmetic updates. 

Walls between the kitchen, dining room, and family room restricted movement. The existing sunroom/porch was structurally outdated and disconnected from the rest of the house. Storage gaps created constant clutter. And without defined workspaces, professional life and family life blended together in ways that made both more difficult. 

One of the most important design elements was flexibility. The kitchen was the biggest focus point. 

“The kitchen is the biggest change and really is the heart of our home. Our daughter does her homework at the island, we eat dinner as a family there every night, and we have friends over for wine and snacks and don't stress about where all the food is going to go.” 

“We also never had a pantry before, so we were always limited by what we could have. Now we can have snacks for playdates and also healthy food, and we can find things so much more easily.” 

In addition, quartz countertops, a full-height backsplash, under-cabinet lighting, and dual ovens elevated both functionality and experience. 

But what stands out the most? “It’s the entire feel of our kitchen, both warm yet modern, both open yet somehow cozy, that brings us daily joy and makes us feel happy and relaxed just being in the room.” 

Not every challenge was visible in the final product. 

Permitting required significant documentation and coordination. Structural engineering was needed to confirm load-bearing wall removal and foundation integration. Crawlspace foundations were excavated and tied into the existing structure. 

There were unplanned roadblocks. 

But as the Gilmans wrote: 

“We know you hit some unplanned roadblocks in the process, and we want to thank you for considering the impact on our family first — especially when it meant less profit for MOSS.” 

That commitment to the family experience defined the project.