Not sure what you are starting with but something like these should translate style wise

You need to consult with someone locally.

Personally I would struggle to imagine Mediterranean in Rhode Island.

However, I also struggle to understand a total remodel/expansion as a "normal middle class, young family's first home".

So I would say in the interior find the things that you like about French country and Mediterranean, and incorporate those elements into your home without overwhelming it.

You don't want a clash between the interior and exterior.

Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Check out the Mansions in Newport, RI. You will find some homes there with carriage houses that “go with” the mansions. The architectural styles there are eclectic. Many are stucco, stone, etc. Some are modeled after French Chateaux. Look at how those French styled homes are designed. Those homes’ carriage houses might serve as your inspiration for your home. Lisa Caudill Design’s images, above, are great examples!

I can’t imagine this being more cost effective than a teardown and rebuild. A teardown is usually cheaper. Especially with the year’s worth of rental housing factored in. It’s certainly not a real world normal response for a first time homeowner to spend multiple hundreds of thousands on a new to them home. HGTV has fueled a great deal of unrealistic dissatisfaction with living in a starter home. And unrealistic cost expectations for remodels.

Real world budget redos include painting kitchen cabinets, and removing carpet for a DIY laminate install. Not a 400K+ expense.

“How can I make it work in this climate and on a normal, middle class, young family’s-first-home budget?” is 180 degrees from “adding second floor and completely remodeling main/first floor.”

Those statements would be incompatible at any point in time. Even the second statement is incompatible with the word “budget” for any stage of life. A project like that is for someone who is 48, on the 5th house, and has 400-600K in the bank earmarked to make that grandfathered house backed up to a lake be the 25 year house. The house has to be spectacular to start, have regulations that prohibit a teardown, and be envisioned (and designed) for long term usage.

Buy a different house

Since you are adding another level, now is the time to consult with your architect about your thoughts as you will have to be finishing the whole exterior anyway. Roof style, shutters, landscaping can have a big influence as well, if you can’t add stone or stucco. House below could be New England but also rural French Country. It really depends on what you are working with to start and how the budget can create the look.

My suggestion, given your details is to concentrate on the inside (which you will enjoy more) and even the garden.

Enjoy your first home!

Dang, some of you are savage! I’m

not an idiot and realize we’re lucky to even have a home at this point. What I was trying to say is that we are cutting it close with our modest budget so I realize that I’m not even in a place to worry about “style“ or what the house really looks like at all, but would love some tips if someone knew something I didn’t. We live on an island and our families and friends are being pushed out because of the rich fleeing NYC. We bought the only house we could afford so that we could stay here, which was a 1000 sq foot ranch that hasn’t been updated in 50 years. Trust me, I never thought I’d be remodeling or designing a home any time soon, especially not our first. The price, however, was just right (and we are lucky enough to be in and have friends in many trades necessary for a renovation) so that we can do a basic addition of a second floor and make the first floor liveable. I guess when I say “young” I mean that we have young children but we are in our early 30s and have been planning on and preparing to buy a home for a little under 10 years so that we could hopefully have options. Just looking for insight into how to incorporate the styles I mentioned without getting too crazy, “theme”-y, or expensive.

You’re not understanding. The basic project is not an ”affordable” alteration. At all. It costs more than buying the bigger house. Or tearing that house down and starting over with a new design. But if you don’t care a bit about recouping expenses, and do have the cash in the bank for a teardown, it’s time to pay an architect for design time.

^^^

Bingo!

You have no idea where I live or what the market/situation is like here. One bedroom apartments that were once (ie two years ago) $2000/month are now renting for $12,000/month. We’ve got the architect, multiple bids, and just signed off with a contractor- but thank you. “Affordable” is subjective but it doesn’t matter because I didn’t post this to discuss semantics- please project or seek validation from strangers somewhere else. It would be one thing if you were trying to help but it’s clear that you’re not. Just looking for some nice pictures or information on materials I may not know about. Thank you, Maureen.

I think it will be up to your architect to help you design the second floor so you can get what you want within your budget. I'd focus more on getting the addition to blend with the current style of your home, which will be more budget friendly, and use the French country influence for your furnishings inside. You may be able to do something with landscaping as well that better fits the style you like.

Geographically French would make more sense. Look at images for Quebec architecture. You don’t have to get very literal, and considering higher reno costs right now, just get the basic shape on the exterior and allow for it to be refined in the future with updates and focus on the interior first. Just get the “bones” right. These simple homes are similar to your ranch, but the high pitched rooflines helped deal with snow and will be easier to translate on your house. Good luck.

Too bad there’s so many snarky replies in these forums lately. They should save it for Twitter and try being more helpful here 😉

Everyone does know the starting point, and where you live, because you told them. “1960s ranch in coastal RI”. And they know the scope, “adding second floor and completely remodeling main/first floor” because that’s what you said. Anyone in the industry is aware of Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs Value Report‘s too. As well as lumber being up 300%, plus all the rest up 5-50%. And the trade labor availability, and high rise in demand, which also equals higher prices. Plus any great contractor’s 60-70 month wait list to even get started.

That math all adds up and makes scary sense.

Hiring an architect and not letting them architect is what doesn’t make sense.

Alexandra, I encourage you to dream and plan and consider and think about your home. Make it yours, one step at a time. You love French Country and Mediterranean style. French Country, as suggested, makes better sense for where you are located, geographically. You ask if the inside and the outside need to match? No. They should “go” but need not match. French Country touches could be integrated into your interior and exterior designs....even with a ranch as a base. And influence your landscaping and gardens. I applaud your enthusiasm and your energy. You should create design idea books for exteriors, interiors, landscaping. Include historical images that you love....All of this will give the professionals with whom you will work an understanding of your desires. Good luck to you!

I, too, love French country. There are a number of magazines on that theme and, while not cheap, they will give you lots of inspiration. Maybe you can convince your local library to subscribe!

Interior themes might include white linen slipcovers, Vichy (checks), flowers in rustic containers and white pottery. I think that will work better for you than Mediterranean.

A country garden would be great and something you could do over time.

Construction costs have definitely skyrocketed. Make sure you have a real handle on costs, particularly on adding a second floor. If you don't need that space right away, maybe you could renovate the existing space while you see if costs moderate.

Here are some unique two-story homes that would fit in New England but are not the plain saltbox or Cape Cod-style so often seen there.

Alexandra, we have a summer home in coastal RI. The small town in which we live has many grand homes of all different styles that would surprise people who think NE has but only colonial salt boxes! I see no reason why you can’t scale your home to fit your vision provided it doesn’t look too out of place. That will take some planning and research.

I think a modified carriage style house would certainly be doable and look appropriate for the area.

I copied what I found interesting. "Provincial style: whitewashed furniture, structural wood/wrought iron details, limestone or light-colored lime-rendered walls, and terra-cotta or sandstone floors.
Bit rustic yet chic, it needs STRONG ARCHITECTURAL elements to shine... it might look bland in a GENERIC SUBURBAN home.
While many French people do like such style, they often use it merely to add accent pieces in a more contemporary setting.
[They might embrace the style in older, rustic homes/but the total look is often created for tourists in Bed/B]."

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Mediterranean sensibility emphasizes curves, and colors blend into related shades and merge to make a circular whole that draws the eye to a center

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New England sensibility emphasises perfect angles, and colors stay clearly defined, and everything is squared off and framed, frames within frames

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If this New England scene had included a town on its flat horizon, its chief feature would surely be a vertical spire ending in a perfect triangle and a cross, not the curvy church bell tower of the med.

But both artists unite the interior space with the exterior space by using the same colors and shapes inside as outside. The New England artist feels more compellled to create an obvious formal transition of cultivated flowers on the window ledge, but its leaves blend into the trees in the background, and plainly it is nature that is dominating both spaces, invading both interiors in terms of color tones, what people owe to nature.

The Mediterranean artist has people permanently embedded everywhere in the natural landscape. For New Englanders, the important view is an unobstructed horizon, a vast blank that will be filled.

PS: I think it is a really great idea to look at the styles of French immigrants to the far north of the American continent to see what they evolved combining local available resources with French (if not necessarily Mediterranean) sensibility and memories. French Acadian style might have ideas you can borrow

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I don’t see French country style cottage being out of place if one incorporates local materials. Balancing the interior with your exterior would be more to your liking and design aesthetic. As RI is so heavily wooded a cottage such as these would sit nicely into the landscape.

Wanted to add that if i was furnishing a home on a budget for a family with kids and I wanted european rural style, if I didn’t have a dining table already I might buy this, and add chair cushions in a French country style.

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I follow christiandawdesign on Instagram and when I saw this house, I though of your posting. Not French Country, but a great look that wouldn’t be too expensive to do to a ranch. Thought you might also appreciate the kitchen...a touch of rural France, but with an updated feel.

IMO all we can do is guess. I really think look around what is the style of most of the homes around you. I have no idea of your budget but i will tell the best way to lose a friend is to have them work with a bunch of people they don’t know on a project that is probably underfunded but you think friends will keep the budget in check. This is IMO a really poorly planned adventure with many pitfalls that I am pretty sure you have not discovered yet. To start can you even put a second storey on your house , and is that allowed where you are. IMO the best is to get an architect who can design what you want within your budget. If you want even a bit of info here you need to post pics of the house , floor plans and for sure your budget. We renovated a 1600 sq ft ranch with walkout basement in Canada BC to be exact it cost 200K and we did 80% of the work ourselves so budget first item of business and along hard talk with your bank. Right now lumber prices are at an all time high so not exactly the best timing either

As I understand it, a more affordable second story will be one which doesn't entail lots of fancy angles and is instead more simple. The materials that you choose--stone, stucco, wood etc. will also make a big difference in costs.

I once lived in RI for less than a year. And, my favorite region in France is Brittany. You are talking similar climates both places, although Brittany is further north than RI. Google Brittany cottage to get visuals. I think this may be a really good direction for you to go. And, as someone above suggested, maybe now is the time to add the shell for the second story (or half story) but leave it unfinished for a while.

I think Alexandra may have left us. I certainly don’t blame her; to assume she doesn’t know what her costs and limitations on this project are is a bit insulting. Having lived in RI for over 50 years I do know one thing; the close knit communities of the small shore and island people will indeed come through for Alexandra as they have for us during many times over the years! I would encourage her to start a file of the things that she loves. The things that appeal to her and remember that taste evolves and changes over time. Be patient with yourself. Do what you can afford until you can do more later on. Congratulations on your new home. You are so lucky to be in such a beautiful place!

I get what you're trying to convey. You want to incorporate the French country style, or Med style into your modest home. You will be hard pressed to find anything on your scale looking on Houzz, as they cater to mostly high end clientele (with people on here with the accompanying attitudes at times). However, you can try to search for country cottage French style, with descriptors of rustic or primitive to find what you can easily do to your house so that it won't look out of proportion. I personally don't think it matters that much if all the houses around you are the typical New England square house....at least your house will be uniquely you. You can put any style home anywhere, as long as it is built well. There are big stucco Mediterranean style houses here in my southern town that look like they could be on the Italian coast. Not your typical Louisiana type house, but you enjoy them because they are different.

Look up Julia Child's US homes and see how her houses looked. Even her home in France is more modest than the photos you will find on Houzz. Maybe you can incorporate brick work on the exterior of your house, maybe add more curving lines in the 2nd story addition. I think I found some photos that may give you an idea of some things you can do decor wise to give you that feel you're going after.

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One more thing.....you see here all the time where people want to modify the exterior of their homes to take away the arched windows and doorways. This makes their homes look square and just like everybody else's square house. The arches and curves are exactly what you need to add to your house. Or a modified version of them so they look like they were there all along.

@lynartist- I didn’t leave! Just trying to raise toddlers and figure out how to answer each comment individually. I love the first house in your second comment! The biggest obstacle we’re facing is that the most obvious way to tap in to either Mediterranean or French style (besides the architecture) is the exterior. That is, using stucco or stone. Right now our budget will only allow a structurally simple second floor and vinyl siding, so we will have to focus on the interior and landscaping; maybe the exterior color palette could also tap into these styles somehow? What do you think?

And you’re right- although I think some people are just looking out and trying to provide tough love, as I read through many of these comments I realized people just don’t understand because they’re not lucky enough to live in the type of tight knit community that we belong to. Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement!

Hi Alexandra, I found this house the other day while looking for places in Brittany. It shows how people with a couple of kids are actually living in France. In visiting Europe, it seemed many of the younger people had moved to the suburbs and are living in newer homes with dishwashers, central heat etc. but they do not have the charm of the older picturesque houses. Those have been left for the British (before Brexit) and Americans to restore. IMO, French style is really how Americans visualize it, or how the really wealthy live over there.

Click through the pictures!

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Something that hasn’t been said is that Mediterranean/ Spanish style (assuming that’s what you’re referring to) would be much more accommodating to a simple second story addition, where it’s not uncommon to see boxy 2 stories— vs French country which almost always involves complex (/expensive!) rooflines, gables, dormers, etc. -With lumber as expensive as it is right now, have you checked out costs of stucco alternatives like fiber cement stucco panels? Or strategic use of stucco (real or panels), ie stucco on main level and board and batten on upper floor (and sides/back)? These might be going a little more modern than you are wanting— and may not be within budget— but could be worth considering now or in the future when you go to reside the house. Good luck and congrats on your future new home!

The Mediterranean is a very big pond, with 1000s of miles of coast, and while it is true there is precious little hard wood anywhere on the Med that people can use to build houses (rather than heat and cook with it), the style and colors of their houses are really very, very different depending where you go on the Med.

If @Alexandra has visited places in Mediterranean that left her with happy memories, that might be her reference point for what “Mediterranean” style is — which can bear no resemblance at all to what gets called “Mediterranean style” in southern California or Florida.

If there is no hope of using stone or stucco in the house design, but still a desire to incorporate some Mediterranean color palettes, then consider

From around Nice: canvas white, strong yellow, navy and aqua blue, gray/lilac

From the Italian Riviera: creamy white, mustard yellow, coral, olive green-silver

From the Amalfi coast: stark white, turquoise, lemon yellow, deep green

From Sicily: stone white, gold-yellow, aqua blue, purple, rose

From Tunisia: stone white, sky blue, terracotta, black

From Spain: Gold, pink, sandy white, emerald, cobalt, iron gray

Just about nowhere on the Med do you find red anywhere (maybe in Sardegna)

Interestingly, there are many parts of the coast in both France and Spain where modern rectangular 2-story houses made of light materials are really quite popular (around Barcelona, around Marseilles), but they make a lot of use of glass.

I think a house in New England with modern windows (without grids or grilles) that used pure whites, strong blues (both deep sea and sky) and lilacs, with touches of yellow might pass with the neighbors and not look out of place, while bringing in a lot of Mediterranean sunshine, even with a great big green American lawn.

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