It started with the simple desire for a Jacuzzi-style bathtub in Pat and Gene Bowles' master bathroom. And it grew into a full-scale renovation with the addition of several rooms, a two-car garage and a new front porch to their understated Dunwoody home off of Johnson Ferry Road.

Retirement was just around the corner for me," says Gene, "so we wanted a home with more room to spend time in."

The couple looked at houses in Big Canoe, Ga., but nothing struck their fancy as much as the home they already lived in. After considering all their options, they decided to remodel their existing house, so they chose Edwards, Hopkins & Assoc. to lead the project.

"We decided to add onto our house and give it a more refurbished look," said Pat. "We love this area, all of our friends are here, and everyone we see is only five minutes away!"

"We used the renovation as an excuse to eat out a lot and gained lots of weight," says Pat. She says if they could do it over again, they would have created a small kitchen or moved out of the house entirely while the house was being renovated.

Kitchen
Everything about the kitchen was remodeled, including the actual space, fixtures, appliances and cabinetry. The wall between the original breakfast room and the den was torn out to accommodate a bay window with a ledge. Hardwood floors, which replaced the tile, a granite island and maple wood-paneled cabinets were added. The new butter-yellow kitchen features antique bronzed door pulls and knobs, recessed downlights and under-the-counter halogen lighting.

Back of House
While the only change to the front of the house was the new front porch, the back of the house was completely overhauled. The large patio replaced a tangled lot of trees and bushes. Rose, hydrangea, tomato, pepper and cucumber gardens were planted in place of the small whiskey barrel garden the couple had before. Pat's favorite part of the design is that the garden attracts more birds and butterflies.

Sunroom
The sunroom to the right of the great room was added onto the back of the house. What used to be a concrete driveway was removed to make room for the windows and window seats and white oak flooring. The pine paneling was actually turned around because the color on the back of the paneling matched the look of the existing paneling throughout the rest of the house.

Guest bathroom
This warm and colorful bathroom used to be a small walk-in closet. Part of the neighboring linen closet was used to enlarge the room, which has a small shower, toilet and ceramic sink painted with colorful tulips. The wall was custom-painted with the same flowers to match. Ceramic accessories were added to match the sink.

Hallway
This magnificent hallway with its travertine marble floors, plantation-shuttered windows and elegant French doors leads to a new garage and a bonus room for the grandchildren to play in.

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