{"id":63013,"date":"2025-10-02T12:21:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T18:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/?post_type=case-studies&p=63013"},"modified":"2025-10-02T12:21:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T18:21:00","slug":"downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining","status":"publish","type":"case-studies","link":"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/case_study\/downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining","title":{"rendered":"Downsizing with Entertaining in Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WhiteWhen Jim and Michelle decided to downsize, they wanted their new Glencoe<\/a> home to really deliver in the hosting department, despite its smaller footprint. \u201cJim and Michelle love to host friends and family, they even come up with fun cocktails tailored to the holiday or event,\u201d Normandy Designer Ashley Noethe<\/a> says. \u201cWith their kids only returning on school breaks, these working professionals knew it was time for a smaller house, but they also wanted a roomy space to ease into this next phase of life as empty nesters<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The classic colonial bones of their new house offered charm, but the interior needed a major rethink to match the couple\u2019s lifestyle. \u201cWe explored an addition, but the property\u2019s zoning was already maxed out, so we had to figure out a way to do it all from the interior,\u201d Ashley says.<\/p>\n

By reconfiguring the floor plan, the kitchen, family room, and transitional spaces work together to create a comfortable, casual entertaining<\/a> experience for hosts and guests alike. The new kitchen is fun to cook and entertain in, with plenty of seating at the new island for guests. The corridor between the kitchen and family room features a high-end bar<\/a> with a sliding lift-up door that\u2019s home to hidden storage for their spirits and mixers. In the adjoining family room, an updated look for the fireplace<\/a> better reflects the couple\u2019s style.<\/p>\n

There are functional benefits of the new layout too. \"White\"ModernA walk-in pantry at the edge of the kitchen doubles as a full butler\u2019s pantry<\/a> with its own sink and sliding door, perfect for extra storage and prep. \u201cWe really tried to maximize storage space, since they were used to a much larger home,\u201d Ashley says. The other end of the pantry houses a laundry station<\/a>, perfect for quick loads after a big night. Around the corner is the new mudroom, which brings a pop of color and extra storage when coming in after a long day. The downstairs powder room<\/a> got a sophisticated facelift as well.<\/p>\n

Along with the first-floor remodel, the upstairs primary bath received a thoughtful redesign. \"DoubleThe original shower felt small and dark, despite the ample square footage. \u201cWe needed to enlarge the closet and create a shower<\/a> that wasn\u2019t so enclosed,\u201d Ashley explains. \u201cWe had a lot of space to work with, it was just a matter of prioritizing bathroom versus closet space in the final design.\u201d The finished suite feels bright and open, with plenty of storage. A striking black freestanding tub<\/a> is an eye-catching focal point, as is a glass herringbone accent tile<\/a> on the vanity wall, fondly referred to by Michelle as the \u201cwall of excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it came to identifying the perfect style and finishes, Ashley had a head start. \u201cThis was a unique situation where Jim and Michelle were moving into this house to downsize<\/a> but still had ownership of their previous house. I was able to meet with them there to get a feel for their style, and see some recently completed projects they still loved, it was a little bit of a cheat sheet!\u201d Ashley says.<\/p>\n

The overall style is transitional<\/a>, with a vintage modern feel, Ashley says. \u201cWe have equal parts traditional accents as we do modern. The goal was to maintain the connection with the classic colonial style of the home but add a twist to make it feel current.\u201d<\/p>\n

By reimagining the layout and layering in vintage-modern details, Ashley created a home that works equally well for quiet daily living and lively gatherings<\/a>. \u201cThis is their long-term house,\u201d Ashley says. \u201cWe really wanted it to feel classic, familiar, and flexible for many years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to revamp your home\u2019s layout and look,\u00a0set up a time to talk to Ashley<\/a>\u00a0about transforming your space into a home that inspires you. Looking for ideas? Click through our\u00a0photo galleries<\/a>. Prefer a daily dose of design? We share ideas, photography, and projects on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>, and\u00a0Pinterest<\/a>. Follow along!<\/p>\n

\"Mudroom\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"White\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\"White<\/p>\n

\"Polished.\u00a0 \"Modern \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\"Before<\/p>\n

\"Freestanding \u00a0 \u00a0\"Freestanding\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\"Before<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Glencoe downsizing remodel created a stylish, storage-smart home with a larger kitchen, high-end bar, and a walk-in pantry with sink, perfect for entertaining and everyday living<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":63015,"parent":0,"menu_order":2,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mo_disable_npp":"","inline_featured_image":false},"class_list":["post-63013","case-studies","type-case-studies","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","casestudies-home-remodeling","casestudies-all"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDownsizing with Entertaining in Mind - Normandy Remodeling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Empty nesters downsize and reconfigure their colonial home into a stylish, storage-smart and entertaining-focused space\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/case_study\/downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Downsizing with Entertaining in Mind - Normandy Remodeling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Empty nesters downsize and reconfigure their colonial home into a stylish, storage-smart and entertaining-focused space\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/case_study\/downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Normandy Remodeling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NormandyRemodeling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Woodlawn005-r-lo.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1258\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@NormandyRemodel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/case_study\/downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/case_study\/downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining\",\"name\":\"Downsizing with Entertaining in Mind - Normandy Remodeling\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/case_study\/downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/case_study\/downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Woodlawn005-r-lo.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-02T18:21:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Empty nesters downsize and reconfigure their colonial home into a stylish, storage-smart and entertaining-focused space\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/case_study\/downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/case_study\/downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/case_study\/downsizing-remodeling-for-entertaining#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Woodlawn005-r-lo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/normandyremodeling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Woodlawn005-r-lo.jpg\",\"width\":1258,\"height\":1920,\"caption\":\"White and grab slab fireplace front with medium stain wood trim, dark blue bead board wainscot paneling accent behind. 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