Elise Major
Providence has many multi-family homes, better known as “three-family homes.” If you’re reading this article, chances are you’ve lived there. Narrow floor plans generally include a front door that opens into two large main rooms separated by wide door frames. Kitchen with back door and pantry, 1 bathroom, 3 bedrooms and sometimes exit to porch with railing. The third floor typically has high ceilings and windows on all floors. Original features such as built-in cabinets and drawers and few closets. What these homes lack, they make up for in space, sunlight, and character.
When a family in Atlanta with young children was planning to move back to Providence, they wanted to make some changes to a 3-family property they had owned for years and kept as a rental on the East Side. I thought. David Sisson, principal architect of David Sisson Architecture, East His Providence PC, explains: At first, Sisson tried to convince his clients that he didn’t want to lose the unit, but they insisted. “We started digging deeper into their needs and wants and I got to their point of view,” he says Sisson.
The couple wanted an East Side experience and walkable living, but couldn’t find a single family home that met their needs. “Of course, they already owned this house. I noticed that it boasts almost four floors with both width and depth dimensions that allow.
The house was reimagined and the first floor was kept as an income-generating rental. The owner’s suite layout was reversed, placing public and domestic functions on the third floor, with the second floor reserved for bedrooms. The third floor had an attic that partially opened to create a cathedral ceiling over the living, dining and kitchen areas.Sisson and the team also used the ‘fourth’ floor, which the parents use as offices. Manage a small area of the kitchen and living room. “This house provided us with a great opportunity!” says Sisson.
