For this Sandwich family, an in-law apartment addition offers more opportunities than obstacles.
Design and construction: Charles L. Rose General Carpentry
Text: Deborah J. Carr
Professional photography: Patrick Wiseman
The in-law apartment is not a new concept, but it has acquired new attention as the population ages and families must consider residential options for aging relatives.
It can be an attractive arrangement for seniors who want security and companionship while maintaining a relatively independent lifestyle. It also appeals to adult children who want the peace of mind of having aging parents close by. Although an apartment addition can be costly, it can also increase the value of a home.
Chuck Rose, owner of Charles L. Rose General Carpentry in Bourne and a National Association of Remodeling Industry (NARI) certified remodeler, confirms that in-law apartments have become a significant portion of his remodeling business. “It used to be hard to get permits for in-law apartments,” says Rose, “because towns didn’t want them to be turned into rental space.”
However, he says, some towns have become more lenient because these apartments help them reach their 40B (affordable housing) quotas. Although homeowners and contractors must still go through the occasionally daunting permitting process, Rose says, “the process has become easier and towns have become more welcoming.”
Despite the benefits, all parties involved must have a realistic understanding of the implications, especially boundaries for privacy, expectations for companionship and/or caretaking and financial arrangements.
Those considering an in-law-apartment should deal with an architect, contractor or builder who is familiar with all local building and zoning requirements and is sensitive to the family’s concerns surrounding such a project. Rose is familiar with the issues associated with relatives living in such close proximity and encourages design choices that address those concerns.
Rose worked with the Longueil family to design an addition to Richard and Kristen’s Sandwich home that would include an apartment for Richard’s mother, Jeannine. A young 75, she had an active social life within and around her condominium community in Hudson, but her mobility was limited by macular degeneration in one eye. After the death of her husband in 2003, she knew access to her family in Sandwich would become increasingly difficult. Relocation was not a problem for her; it was a solution.
While Richard and Kristen wanted Jeannine closer to the family, their quaint, 1980s saltbox home already felt cramped for them and their two young sons, Jack, 5, and Joseph, 4. They wanted an addition that would give the family more space but also allow for everyone’s privacy and independence.
Financed by the sale of Jeannine’s condo, the all-new, three-story 24- by 24-foot addition, which took six months to complete, includes Jeannine’s apartment on the first floor, a master suite above it and two rooms—a recreation room and media room—below it. The addition is approximately the same width as the original house and is recessed fewer than 12 feet from the front of the house. While it expanded the home’s space, the addition harmonizes with the style of the house and maintains the integrity of its saltbox architecture.
“Richard wanted the addition to flow with the existing house,” says Rose. “He wanted people to drive by and think it was all built at the same time.” Rose worked with Richard to ensure that the addition did not have what he calls the “remuddled” look.
The compact in-law apartment—which includes a kitchen, laundry room, bathroom and bedroom—was designed to have the feel of a “mini-house,” not a studio apartment. “We wanted the apartment to feel like her own house,” says Richard. Although Jeannine kept some of her old possessions, the apartment reflects her priorities for a simple, relaxed, low-maintenance environment. Its design has allowed her to retain her privacy and independence, while gaining closer contact with her family. In keeping with Rose’s experience that the most successful apartments have no direct access between the residential areas, there is no internal access between the main house and the apartment. The apartment, which has two separate exterior entrances, also has an independent driveway.
As part of the remodeling project, the septic system was upgraded, backyard brush was removed, and the Longueils gained significant usable yard space by landscaping the whole area. Kristen says that their landscaper, Brian Daggett, “did a fantastic job” on the extensive landscape redesign. He not only expanded the backyard but also landscaped the front yard, redefining the pitch of the yard’s gentle slope to incorporate the new addition while creating boundaries to emphasize its separate entrance.
Although the apartment was not designed according to strict universal-design standards, it was designed with “aging in place” principles to accommodate Jeannine’s needs, especially her eyesight. There are no interior stairs or thresholds, light colors were used throughout the apartment and both easily accessible exterior entrances can accommodate a ramp if necessary.
The Longueils’ new addition reflects the family’s multi-generational status, their autonomous lives and the reality of their current and projected needs. Their mutual interests, compatibility and high regard for family mitigated anxieties about the project. Jeannine’s apartment does not reflect a dependent care-giving arrangement, but is one of mutual interest and benefit. Jeannine is as likely to watch the children as Kristen or Richard is to bring her to an appointment. Because of the addition’s thoughtful design, the new living arrangement has enriched their lives and offered more opportunities than obstacles.
Project overview
Budget: $240,000
• Build a three-story addition to a 1980s saltbox
• Include separate living quarters for Richard’s mother
• Create a master suite for Richard and Kristen
• Create a family recreation/media room
• Make the addition appear as if it were part of the original structure
• Upgrade septic system
For a complete list of verified Interior Designers, see our Verified Directory.
Home Remodeling Cape Cod, the Islands & the South Coast magazine
143A Upper County Rd. • Dennisport, MA 02639 • Phone: 508.398-6101 • Fax: 508.398.4711
Rose worked with the Longueil family to design an addition to Richard and Kristen’s Sandwich home that would include an apartment for Richard’s mother, Jeannine. A young 75, she had an active social life within and around her condominium community in Hudson, but her mobility was limited by macular degeneration in one eye. After the death of her husband in 2003, she knew access to her family in Sandwich would become increasingly difficult. Relocation was not a problem for her; it was a solution. 
As part of the remodeling project, the septic system was upgraded, backyard brush was removed, and the Longueils gained significant usable yard space by landscaping the whole area. Kristen says that their landscaper, Brian Daggett, “did a fantastic job” on the extensive landscape redesign. He not only expanded the backyard but also landscaped the front yard, redefining the pitch of the yard’s gentle slope to incorporate the new addition while creating boundaries to emphasize its separate entrance. 
The Longueils’ new addition reflects the family’s multi-generational status, their autonomous lives and the reality of their current and projected needs. Their mutual interests, compatibility and high regard for family mitigated anxieties about the project. Jeannine’s apartment does not reflect a dependent care-giving arrangement, but is one of mutual interest and benefit. Jeannine is as likely to watch the children as Kristen or Richard is to bring her to an appointment. Because of the addition’s thoughtful design, the new living arrangement has enriched their lives and offered more opportunities than obstacles. 
