J.B. Nicholson Architecture

07/28/2026

This is a quick design study for an addition to an 18th century farmhouse outside of Malvern PA. This charming home is on +20 acres has a challenging floor plan for owners that may need more bedrooms on the upper level; It presently has only 2 bedrooms on the second floor + a suite on the ground floor/walk-out basement. We were commissioned to sketch a solution that a possible future owner of this house and farmstead could employ as this house is currently for sale with James A. Cochrane, Inc.. Our solution makes an extensive addition to the rear yard/land-facing portion of the house at its second floor level, keeping the 18th century front facade and rooms unchanged while adding significant square footage, adding missing amenities (such as a deck off of a proposed new kitchen), and converting existing late 20th century additions into spaces/forms which are more period-appropriate . The proposed addition does not increase the footprint of the house but raises the bedroom/bathroom count up from 3/2 to 5/4.5 + a new second floor laundry room.
Limited scope/conceptual design consultations are one of the many services we can provide a home or building owner at a reasonable cost. If you're considering an addition or renovation and aren't quite ready to pull the trigger on a full design contract with an architect or design-builder, such limited-scope consultations are a good way to test the waters and discover design options for your house, property, or building.

06/24/2026

An extensive additions and renovation design for this colonial styled home in Malvern PA is presently under construction. The existing home is a simple modular colonial design (circa 2004) with a later-added complementary wrap-around front porch which we are saving and adding to. We were commissioned to design a new garage, additional bedrooms, expanded family entrance area/mudroom, office addition, expanded kitchen, expanded/new deck and patios, new breakfast room and screened porch, homesteading garden area (with potting shed and root cellar), and an expanded family room with a new chimney for a wood burning stove (with integral baking oven). We're excited to see the project getting out of the ground with foundations now poured and rough framing beginning. We'll be posting more updates here as construction continues.

04/21/2026

We're excited that ground is being broken for this 2 story addition project in Ardmore PA we designed last year. The addition to this early 20th century home features a new Kitchen, Family Room, and deck at the first floor, with upgrades to an existing mudroom space to make a more grand rear entrance from the driveway and reconstructed/expanded detached garage. On the second floor of the addition, a new hallway with access to a new 2nd floor laundry room leads to a sunny vestibule at the entrance to the new primary bedroom suite which features an oversize dressing room/closet and bathroom with dual vanities, soaking tub, and oversize custom shower.

01/28/2026

For some projects I am called to help assist with defining the material palette of the design. The owner and I worked with Devon Tile & Design Studio to pick tile and stone for this bathroom expansion project in Ardmore PA. We then tested these materials and others in the design & construction 3d model. Recently, the tile and stone are in the process of being set; We're excited with how it's coming along! Featuring Vanilla Onyx wall tile and Walden Bianco Select Waterjet Mosaic both by ARTISTIC TILE .

12/11/2025

In 2020 we were commissioned to design a bedroom and garage addition for this farmhouse retreat in the Pocono Mountains (& we recently uploaded photos of the completed project to a FB gallery). A few years go by and this house and its grounds have increasingly become a gravitational center for the family and thus, the existing kitchen was outgrown by surges in summer and holiday use. We were honored to be called back to design another expansion for this treasured family home; Recently we have wrapped up construction plans for a new voluminous kitchen addition with a breaking of ground to be scheduled soon. The design features a large bay window with sweeping views of the property, large center island (+10'), adjacent breakfast area/casual dining with built-in coffee/beverage center on the east side of the addition (sunrise). A new porch addresses the southern exposure with existing pool area, outdoor dining, and fire pit nearby. Additionally a new mudroom addition that infills an existing porch area adjacent to the front entrance will add capacity for receiving guests and their gear. Lastly, we're also improving the space between the new kitchen and existing dining room with a new second pantry, expanded pantry, powder room expansion, and built-in buffet-bar adjacent to the dining room. We're greatly excited to see this project take shape in the new year.

General Contractor:

12/03/2025