Remuddling

Should have hired an architect.
—Janinne Paulson

CAPES LEFT IN THE COLD

e know what a Cape Cod house should be: low, modest, symmetrical to add onto a Cape Cod-style house. A dormer that’s essentially a heavyweight second level; two-storey additions; a frontal bump-out and new window that obliterate symmetry; minivan dormers . . . these are not the most sympathetic ways to remodel or add space. Better alternatives include a wide dormer on the rear elevation, a setback garage or master suite with a breezeway between it and the house, or a side-rear wing forming an ell. Or—just move to a bigger house.