Not one, but two dream homes were created during the renovation of a 1971 ranch house in Walpole, Massachusetts, and the construction of an attached accessory dwelling unit (ADU), which was documented during the 47th season of This Old House. The ranch house homeowners Jill and Dan, with their two young children, Alice and Oliver, now have a permanent home designed for their lifestyle, after years of moving during Dan’s active duty military career. Better yet, they are right at home next to loved ones, with Jill’s parents planning to move into the attached ADU.
“It’s amazing to see it all come together, after starting with just an idea,” says Dan. Adds Jill, whose siblings also live nearby: “It’s great to be home, and to be so close to my parents and family.”
Dream Home 1: Renovated 1971 Ranch
The key goals of the ranch house renovation were to open up the gathering spaces, create better flow through the house, and give Jill and Dan a primary suite with their own bath. The couple and their two children lived in the house for several years before starting the renovation, identifying major pain points such as little flow between discrete living room, kitchen, and dining room, and inadequate connection to the outdoors. The transitions from kitchen to garage and laundry were also awkward, with multiple doors and level changes of one or two steps; plus, the stairway to the basement ate up floor space for the kitchen.
Builders Kevin Smith and Jared Ruggieri, of LDS Construction, led the renovation of the 1,300 square foot house. The open-plan, light-filled kitchen-family-dining room they built is the focus of the transformation. Although no square footage was added in this area, removing walls and raising the ceiling height two feet produced gathering spaces that seem voluminous compared to the original.
Open-plan Living
The newly open spaces make it easy for the family to be together, whether doing food prep at the central island, finishing homework at the dining table, or playing piano in the living area. A three-panel sliding patio door near the dining table provides access to a new rear deck, a huge improvement in accessing outdoor living possibilities versus the former dining room wall, which held a bay window but not door. New white oak floors throughout the entire house add to the sense of light and spaciousness.
The kitchen layout puts the large quartz-topped island at the center of the open plan, making it a main focus for gathering and also serving to camouflage the sink, stove, and refrigerator—arrayed along the rear wall—from the living area at the front of the house.
Front Porch Character
The homeowners added a farmhouse style front porch to give the exterior more character, but made sure to maintain ranch house elements inside, such as the arched doorways, which still mark the hallways off the main gathering area.
“One of the things I love about this project is that they were able to keep the ranch house style intact while also adding things like the front porch and a cathedral ceiling in the living area,” says TOH TV host Kevin O’Connor.
Conveniently Located Hard-working Spaces
The renovation greatly improved the ranch house’s layout in terms of such nitty-gritty spaces key to everyday life as the mudroom and laundry. From the new garage, a door leads into the area with a new mudroom, laundry, and powder room. Also nearby are the basement stairs, which were relocated from their previous spot at the center of the house—resulting in an easier way to move through the house. Layouts that are easy to navigate is the reason that builder Kevin Smith says they are seeing more ranch houses, both new construction and renovations: “People like single-level living,” he says.
Primary Suite Enhanced
The renovation also transformed Dan and Jill’s primary suite, using additional square footage at the back of the house to create a spa-like bath—a huge improvement over the powder room they had in their primary suite previously. While the bedroom area and an original closet remained in the same footprint, the suite now includes not only the full bath, but a walk-in closet for Jill and fresh surfaces throughout the space, creating a soothing haven for the homeowners.
Dream Home 2: ADU for the Grandparents
Dedicated to the thought of having their kids grow up near family, Dan and Jill jumped on the opportunity presented by Massachusetts’s recent law giving homeowners the right to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on their property. “We actually built the first ADU in Walpole,” says Jill, who saw firsthand how the local laws evolved in real time. At 900 square feet, the ADU is the maximum size allowed, and was built off the back of the main ranch house at the same time as the renovation.
For builder Jared Ruggieri, doing both a renovation and an ADU construction at the same time required forethought: “It was really all about planning, and also thinking about different uses for the ADU in case it one day becomes a rental, for example.”
Throughout the ADU, durable and low-maintenance surfaces and materials were prioritized, including the premium vinyl plank flooring in all rooms and the quartz kitchen countertops. The house includes a full kitchen, primary suite, living area, guest bathroom, and even a mudroom/laundry just inside a door from the yard.
“We are thrilled at the way it came out,” says Regina, Jill’s mom. Adds Ed, Jill’s dad: “We are super impressed with the layout and the flow from one space to the next.”
Systems Behind the Scenes
Adding a layer of comfort to all the spaces are the new electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems, with some services shared and some separate. Electrical service is separate, with two meters generating two bills, but the water and sewer lines to the street mean one bill shared by the main house and ADU. For HVAC, the main house’s old oil burner and solitary window AC unit were replaced by a propane boiler (with a single propane tank, buried underground) feeding two hydro air units. One two-zone air handler serves the main house living area and bedrooms, while another two-zone air handler serves the ADU main floor and basement.
“This is a great solution for comfort throughout both spaces and an easy way to divide costs,” says TOH plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey. Also helpful is the fact that the main house and ADU each have a full basement, providing plenty of space for the mechanical room, as well as storage, home office, and rec room possibilities.
Sharing it All
As happy as Dan and Jill are with the renovated ranch house, and Ed and Regina are with the ADU, the most coveted spaces are the shared areas. Prime example is the deck built in the ell where the main house and ADU form a right angle. The roomy deck, made with composite decking, is the perfect spot for three generations to relax, enjoy a meal outdoors, or even watch a movie on the outdoor TV that will be nestled under a pergola. “There are also plans for a stamped concrete patio off the deck and an outdoor kitchen and fire pit area,” says TOH landscape contractor Jenn Nawada.
The deck is easily accessed from the main house’s patio doors and from the bonus room built between the main house and ADU—another gathering space for the families to enjoy time together. “This is what we envisioned all along,” says Dan, “a place where our kids could grow up close to the grandparents.” Adds Jill: “It took a while to make it happen, but we always knew this would be our forever home.”
