Radical Makeover Scoop — Watch New York Home's Fantastic Transformation

What happens when you have a home that’s far from your perfect style and configuration? It’s true that you love the place, but the home just is not at all what you desire. You’ve thought about moving, but you can’t seem to find exactly the same setting or neighborhood anywhere else. You’ve thought of tearing the house down and constructing a new house in its place, but the expense is just too much.

If this describes your dilemma, a radical makeover of your property just might be what’s needed. You’ll get to continue dwelling in the place you love in a house that suits your lifestyle, and also you can do it for less price than either moving or building brand new.

The entire transformation of the house featured here occurred over seven years and involved two unique owners. The constant throughout was Dave Beckwith, the architect. Beckwith worked with the first owner to begin remaking the construction to a Greek resurrection stone and then with the next owner to complete the undertaking. Seems that it was not hard to find a buyer for your house, even though the job was not complete and the property market was depressed. The charm of this Greek revival country house in the making has been attractive to most, as Beckwith proudly acknowledges.

Project at a Glance
What: A radical makeover
Who lives here: A household from New York
Location: Duchess County, New York
Price: Around $450,000

Before Photo

Beckwith Group

The owners wanted a Greek revival house, which could be more in tune with the Duchess County heritage compared to 1970s mock Tudor. While this may have been a stylish home as it was first built, it was in need of a significant makeover.

Before Photo

Beckwith Group

The trunk, south side of this home had that omnipresent 1970s glazing program of a fast food restaurant. What on earth were we thinking back then?

Plus it is apparent by the use of siding on the back and sides, and brick only in the front, that little more than keeping prices low drove the design and construction of the original house.

Beckwith Group

AFTER: The south side indicates what a radical makeover has occurred. The inclusion of porches to every side along with a porch along the trunk as well as new siding and materials has totally transformed the home to the Greek revival nation home the owners very much desired.

Beckwith Group

The residence is located in the rolling meadows of Duchess County, New York, a place in which the Greek revival style is common. Each of the signature components of the style can be seen here: fanlight window, large entablature, classical columns, large entry portico. The new house is a welcome shift from the original uninspiring construction.

Beckwith Group

A remarkable thing about this project is that, in addition to the outside being completely redone, several additions were built. Two of these were 2-foot-wide improvements across the north and south sides, done to”flush out” the first and second floors so that the outside walls aligned. (The original second floor extended 2 feet beyond the first-floor walls.) While some may think that it’s mad to develop such small additions, it really was not. Not only do these two slivers of distance help attain the exterior appearance desired, however, the first floor has been expanded just sufficient to attain the bigger living and kitchen spaces the owners desired.

Beckwith Group

A view of the west elevation using its brand new porch and fanlight window above. The new master bedroom, one of these enhancements, is tucked up in the roof…

Beckwith Group

… so it is a room with a great deal of character. And while the shed dormer at the outside may not be entirely true into some classical Greek revival house, it certainly adds a nice window seat and mild to the bedroom.

Beckwith Group

Just about the whole house was redone, including a brand new kitchen being inserted, attached to a new porch. Inset cabinetry painted white with a warm-colored wood flooring offers traditional design in the inside to complement the Greek revival exterior.

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