Anytime someone moves into a new home, some renovations are likely to be in order. Dennis D. Gehman cites one empty-nest couple from York County, Pennsylvania, who relocated to Ambler with the purchase of a five-bedroom home.

"They had one daughter who lived nearby and other children in other states," recalls Gehman, a Master Certified Remodeler and president of Gehman Design Remodeling in Harleysville. "They called us because they wanted to make some changes in case the kids came in from out of town and needed a place to stay."

The couple was willing to sacrifice one of the home's five bedrooms in order to add a third bathroom and a sprawling walk-in closet. Gehman's team suggested adding the new guest bathroom by claiming unutilized overhead space in either the foyer or the family room; using the family room was ultimately nixed because all parties agreed it would detract from the elegance of a two-story fireplace.

Besides adding the third bathroom and the walk-in closet, complete with a three-way mirror, the project involved the master bathroom, the hallway bathroom, and the master bedroom. Gehman's team installed hardwood floors throughout the upstairs, updated the tile flooring in the existing bathrooms, and replaced a nine-foot-wide patio door off the master bedroom, which necessitated the use of a crane.

Demolition began in April 2020 and the finishing touches were completed in October 2o20, factoring in delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Gehman recently saw the homeowners—he returned to replace a cracked tile in one of the bathrooms—who told him they could not be more pleased with the outcome.

"They said it's working out great," he says. "It's being used at least every other month. Initially they thought the upgrades would be used mostly by their adult children, but they also have retired siblings who come in, too. Everybody's happy."

Gehman Design Remodeling
PA-297
355 Main Street
Harleysville, PA 19438
(215) 513-0300
gehmanremodeling.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 24, Issue 1 (November/December 2023)
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