Small But Mighty

As the Powers family moves into their renovated 1920s bungalow, it’s too early to tell if its energy-saving technologies and energy-producing systems will meet the net-zero ideal. But one thing’s certain: It’s great to be home

- Jill Connors

Nearly every evening after dinner, for almost eight months, the Powers family took a walk together. Shutting the door on the house they shared with extended family during the summer months, the foursome strolled down the street, then rounded the corner to the 1920s bungalow they bought nearly a year earlier—and whose renovation was being documented by This Old House for its 40th television season. But while just two-tenths of a mile separates the two houses, the distance traveled was much more than the 400-plus steps. This was a journey home.

“We loved seeing the progress every day, and it gave us all a sense of being involved in every detail,” says architect Don, whose design would grow the house from 1,000 to 2,300 square feet to better suit the family of four, while still preserving its bungalow charm. When it came time to move in last fall, every inch seemed familiar yet somehow better than they could have imagined.

“There’s a feeling of simplicity and continuity,” says Don, commenting on the soothing palette of materials and colors: quartersawn white oak floors and cabinetry, white-painted walls and trim, black window sashes.

“So many of the spaces feel bigger than the room sizes might suggest,” adds Dana, recalling a gathering that took place shortly after they moved in, with a cluster of grown-ups talking in the living room and eight kids hanging out in the adjacent den—behind a solid-oak door that muffled the hubbub. “It felt very comfortable, despite its not being a big house.”

But inside and out, this house holds much more than just clean, comfortable spaces for family and friends. Don and Dana also wanted to create a renovated house that would meet the net-zero building standard, which requires that a house be able to produce all the energy it needs.