As the old adage goes, a man's home is his castle. That doesn't mean that every home is a castle or a mansion, but in this day and age, it could very well be a McMansion. In this episode, I explore the history of mansions and how the style has been interpreted by millions of suburban homeowners. I also revisit a conversation I had with Kirk Mitchell of AKT Designs about his single-family home renovation in Englewood, New Jersey that exemplifies how to avoid tired McMansion tropes. 

In the suburbs of New York City, it’s common for developers to knock down existing properties and replace them with supersized homes. Instead, Kirk found a way to marry the client's desires, budget, and current design trends to create a modern ranch-style home. 

By adding a second kitchen, home gym, and billiards room, the house now strikes a balance between the client's request for a modern ski chalet and a bachelor pad. Kirk shares his step-by-step process for renovating this type of property, including coming up with floor plans, construction drawings, and interior design ideas. 

We also discuss the importance of having the right development team, using Pinterest to create mood boards and design ideas, and some of Kirk's other multi-family and commercial projects. 

About the Guest:

Kirk Mitchell is the Founder and Principal at AKT Designs, an architecture and interior design firm based in Bergen County, New Jersey. He focuses on residential projects across New York and New Jersey. He has particular expertise in combining historic details with modern technology, having completed over 80 townhouse projects at AKT Designs and previously as the Director of Design and Construction for a Dixon Advisory.

Topics Covered:

• What is a mansion? 
• Typical design elements of mansions and McMansions 
• How the McMansion trend continues to affect suburban neighborhoods 
• Insight into the community in and around Bergen County
• How to add value to a property while honoring a client's desires
• The pros and cons of modernizing instead of rebuilding 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Bad Manors by Kate Wagner 
• Kate Wagner’s blog: McMansion Hell 

About Your Host

Atif Qadir is the Founder of Commonplace, a company dedicated to tackling one of the biggest barriers to more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable development: improving access to capital. Commonplace helps impact-driven developers and capital providers with shared values discover and connect with each other.

Connect with Kirk Mitchell

• Connect with Kirk Mitchell on LinkedIn
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• Learn more about AKT Designs

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