Chuck Harrison doesn't remember the exact moment when his career aspirations clicked and he decided to pursue a future in home design and renovation, but he knows it happened early in his life. “I think I've known since first grade,” he recalls. Something about the creativity of it spoke to him, he says. Although animation was also an early forerunner in the category of “what I want to be when I grow up” (think hand-drawn cartoons that are now moving toward obsolete), eventually architecture won out. A graduate of Phillipsburg High School and Northampton Area Community College, Harrison opened his own firm in the Lehigh Valley in 2012. His forte is residential design. “Everything I do is a custom-based project,” says Harrison. “I'm not doing cookie-cutter.” When asked to describe his style of craftsmanship, Harrison will say he doesn't have one, and that's a good thing; he prides himself on getting to the heart of what his clients want, and then delivering the goods. “I always say a good designer has the ability to adapt to the homeowner's tastes and likes,” he says.
Seems he was just the right guy for the job, then, when a couple asked him to transform a large swath of their Upper Saucon Township property into a space that was better suited to fit their needs and the needs of their large family. Harrison describes the style of the overall remodel and additions as “transitional,” taking all the accoutrements of everyday living and adapting them to a livable home—in this case, a modern farmhouse. The majority of the initial renovations would happen behind the home, where Harrison says he had a clean slate to work with. “There was a basic patio back there, and not much else.”
And so began the months-long dance between architect and client that serves as the prelude to any major home renovation; they presented him with their lengthy wish list, and he started plotting out a course of action to turn those wishes into reality. It's a back-and-forth dialogue that Harrison says usually stretches several months before all the kinks have been ironed out and the final plans are in place. In a nutshell, the homeowners were looking for a whole new outdoor living space: “A new place for the family to come to,” he says. And that place would need to blur the line between interior and exterior environments.
A major focal point of the revamped backyard, with landscaping by Bucks Country Gardens, is an in-ground swimming pool by B&B Custom Pools, built in close proximity to the main home. It's bordered on all sides by a bi-level patio layout that marries it to the other structures that surround it on the property. And while there's plenty of room for the standard poolside chairs, recliners and umbrellas, additional seating and relaxation space is in no short supply. An offshoot from the main patio entices with a fire pit; another enclave beckons with a cozy, wraparound couch. It's one sprawling space with many possibilities that can adapt to the climate or the company.
And, thanks to another outdoor addition—a cabana bathroom—there's no need to traipse through the house with sopping wet bathing suits and towels after a day of splashing around in the pool. The space includes a shower, changing area and washer and dryer.
A set of bi-fold doors borders the pool. Tucked behind a covered porch, they open up to a bar that's part of a brand-new, two-car garage structure. And speaking of the garage, there's more to it than meets the eye. While a guest suite was tacked on to the top, Harrison says a “man cave” was added below the structure, complete with 14-foot-high ceilings, a golf simulator and an area for wine-making. “You would never know there's a whole new space down there,” says Harrison. And should the “cave dweller” or any of his guests experience hunger pangs, there's an outdoor cooking space just a few feet away. “It's an oasis,” Harrison says of the new and improved backyard. “You don't have to travel anywhere. Everything is right there.”
According to Harrison, the merging of outdoor and indoor living is becoming more of a must-have in his line of work. “It's probably the biggest area I've seen making a big change [in home design] in the past ten years,” says Harrison. “People don't want to travel and leave their homes as much. They can stay home and have the resort feeling right there.”
Just a few paces away from the pool is a multi-functional family room with three walls that are made up of bi-fold doors that can be pushed aside to open up the entire room (or just part of it) to usher in the breeze of a cool April morning or the warm sunshine of a summer afternoon. The doors fold up like an accordion, instantly transforming a standard interior room into an unexpected outdoor retreat. “A lot of the homes I'm doing today use these doors,” Harrison says.
That's not to say there's not plenty to love inside the home. The couple also had plans for their interior living space; namely, they wanted a redo on the kitchen and dining room areas. Ed Brader of Brader's Woodcraft, Inc., transformed the kitchen based on the homeowners' desires. They spent hours with interior designer Karen Morris of Karen Morris Interiors, creating what would eventually become a well-functioning kitchen. Beyond the standard new cabinets and appliances, the finished product boasts a commercial-size cooktop range, walk-in pantry and two islands (one for food prep and one for seating—another major trend in kitchen remodels as of late, says Harrison). It's also much bigger; almost twice as large as the original space. And that allowed room to add what Harrison calls a command center—a designated area to stash the mail and pay the bills that won't interfere with the traffic flow of the main kitchen. And finally, plans called for one finishing touch up above: skylights, to infuse the entire space with natural light.
Lighting was also a major addition to the dining area; here the rays are filtered through a windowed cupola that was added to the roof. “This brings in bright light and makes it an interesting space,” Harrison says.
When Harrison's work on the ground level was complete, it wasn't quite time to say au revoir to the Upper Saucon homestead that now bore his handiwork. “It kind of snowballed into redoing the second floor,” he said. Turns out, pushing out the space on the bottom of the home made it much easier to add to the top. They wanted a bigger master bedroom, with a master bathroom to match. Again, functionality and space were the biggest constraints of the existing rooms. “The bedroom and the bathroom kind of got flipped around [in the remodel],” Harrison says. And, thanks to the addition of the family room below, there was just enough room to add a second-story balcony and outdoor fireplace directly off the bedroom, once again merging indoor and outdoor comforts.
Harrison says the entire transformation took about a year—standard for a redo of this magnitude. “[The family was] pretty excited when this all came together. It was a long time coming.” Harrison says he too is pleased with the finished product. “I love the adaptability of it—bringing the outside to the inside.” And yet...
“I'm always evaluating everything,” he says. “Asking ‘What could I have done differently?' I think that's what helps you become a better designer.”
