Once we finished adding the garage, the carport seemed a bit redundant. Our plan was to eventually enclose the carport and make it into a family room. This is a nice house, but configured quite unusually. What it was really lacking was a good "living room" or "den" or whatever you would want to call it. It was also lacking a meaningful entrance. It had a door going up into the hall off the kitchen, and that was about it. There is a door off the deck on the "front" (lake) side of the house, but that would not be the door that any visitors would use or people coming over would see and use. Enclosing the carport would enable us to have the nice family room as well as a real main entrance.
**********

Here is the carport. The door on the house was the main/only real entrance on the house. From the lake, the house looks nice. From the back, well, it's like no time was spent on design at all. After the garage was built, many neighbors came by and commented how nice it looks. They also commented on how blah it was before. Some called it "the nothing house", and so it was. Truth be known, first time we pulled in the driveway, I didn't want to get out of the car to look at it... it was that uninviting. Main thing to notice in this picture is the beam running down the center ceiling of the carport. It is a support beam and as such, cannot be eliminated. We needed to think of something to do with it.
**********

In this picture, you can see the wall going up on the lake side. There will be four floor to ceiling windows there to take advantage of the lake view. In this picture, you can see the center beam a bit better.
**********

What we did with the beam. The builder had used existing beams such as this as design elements and thought it would work here as well. The beam was reinforced and then cut into an arch, which will ultimately match the arch over where the house is opened up and the existing door removed.
**********

This is starting to look like part of the house! The door in this picture is a temporary door, and the wood up at this time is to keep the weather out while they are not working on it. There is a temporary window on the lake side as well.
**********

A close up of the doorway. Notice that it is inset. We didn't want just a plain flat entrance, so thought that would dress it up a little. We like it!
**********

The front door from the inside. A modest platform evens the floor and adds interest. It will be tiled, and the rest of the floor carpeted. Next to the front door, under the end of the beam will be a coat closet.
**********

This shows a bit more progress. Electrical is run and ceiling panels up (but not mudded). Note the opening to the left of the outside door. What used to be the "main" entrance is now temporarily moved to a new location, the wall opened up and an arch installed, to match the main arch. This should enhance the flow in the room to the rest of the house.

I was a bit concerned that the camera lens was dirty, with the spots etc, but it seems to be that those specks are large dust particles in the air, lit up by the flash. Haven't run into that before.
**********

More ceiling, and more specks. Progressing nicely.
**********

Here is a view of the room that was a place to park cars. The window you see is 2 feet shorter than the window that will be there. There will be four windows there in total. Numbered from left to right, the window you see is in space 2.
**********

This is a closer view of the last picture. We wondered about the decking/railing. At first we were going to add a walkway around the new room, to match the rest of the front. But on further thought decided that we wouldn't. We don't have any need to walk out there and putting a railing there will block an otherwise very nice view.
**********

Here, much of the sheetrock is up. You can see the effect of the large arch, here terminating at the coat closet. For reference, you can see the temporary front entry.
**********

Similar shot. Reference the front door. No pictures of the other two walls at this time, since they are pretty much either sheetrock or the plywood which will become windows. My understanding is that the windows and doors should be in next week. Sheetrocking is a dusty job. Gets everywhere. Mudding and sanding will be worse.
**********

Most changes on the inside today were further plastering and such that is typically involved with drywall. So I didn't take any additional pictures of that. On the outside, the siding is starting to be installed. This should all blend in nicely.
**********

Front door from the inside. I guess I feel I need to state the obvious. But most everything is primed here, so it is coming along. Final painting of the ceiling and the painting of the walls will be next. The smaller windows on the door side should be in soon, as well.
**********

The view from and thru the new windows. Trim will be up and stained shortly as well.
**********

Lake view windows from the outside.
**********

Two windows installed on the back of the house. Paint installed.
**********

With the windows in and the siding on.
**********

The lakeside of the house with the siding on.
**********

This is the view from the edge of the kitchen. If you look at the wooden floor, you will see where the door was. Right there. Open that door and you would be outside. This is a bit of a difference.
**********

Looking out the mostly trimmed windows. The neighbors house isn't as in your face it appears to be. It is the angle of the picture that does it.
**********

Another interior shot. Shows the baseboard and crown molding. The blue on the door is masking tape.
**********

Another interior shot. This shows the entire beam arch, as well as the fans. Lights are now in as well.
**********

Finally done! Well, not 100%. Still need some window treatments, and hang more pictures. Move the couch and install a couple of recliners should do the trick.
**********

The blue around the doors and sidelights is tape. It has been too chilly to do any outside work.
**********

Another interior shot.
**********

We like it!
**********