A Bungalow in South Pasadena

A family in South Pasadena, California, turned a 1913 Craftsman bungalow's unused three-car garage into a family room and updated a dated 1970s kitchen, adding 675 square feet along the way. The addition includes a first-floor guest room and bath, a pantry, and a laundry room, connected to the kitchen and family room by a new hallway.

Alongside the layout changes, the owners made several energy upgrades. They added solar panels to the roof and installed heat pumps, which use electricity to both heat and cool a home more efficiently than older furnace and air conditioner setups. They also swapped out gas appliances for electric ones, including an induction cooktop, moving the kitchen fully off gas. A built-in "tech closet" between the kitchen and family room houses smart-home electronics and networking equipment that control the systems.

The rest of the renovation focused on matching the home's Arts and Crafts character: soapstone counters, custom tile work with personal touches, and cabinets built with pullout drawers instead of fixed shelves for easier access. The architect also had to solve a practical problem from converting the garage — plumbing lines running through the space from an upstairs bedroom suite, which she hid inside a new ceiling soffit rather than leaving exposed.

For homeowners with older houses, this project is a reminder that efficiency upgrades like solar and heat pumps can be paired with historic-style renovations without one having to come at the expense of the other.