Laurel Circle transformed a 1948 Black Mountain home with three additions and a full interior and exterior remodel, completed in 2025.
The project won the 2025 WNC Starz Award for Best Whole House Remodel Over $750,000 and Best Addition.
Reworked roof lines created a vaulted great room and covered front porch.
This project shows how a mid-century home can gain dramatically improved space and character through thoughtful additions.
Our Laurel Circle project transformed a home originally built in 1948 by JC Cornelius in Black Mountain, adding three separate additions along with a full interior and exterior remodel, completed in 2025. The project earned two 2025 WNC Starz Awards: Best Whole House Remodel Over $750,000 and Best Addition. This page walks through what this project involved and what it demonstrates about renovating and expanding a well-built older home.
Starting with a solid 1948 foundation
Laurel Circle began with a home built in 1948, a construction era known for solid craftsmanship even by homes not specifically marketed as historic or architecturally significant today. Rather than treating this age as a limitation, the project treated the home’s original bones as a foundation worth building upon, adding three separate additions that expanded the home’s footprint and function while working with, rather than against, the existing structure.
Three additions and a reworked roofline
The project’s three additions expanded the home significantly, and the roof lines were reworked specifically to create a vaulted great room and a covered front porch, two features that transform how a home feels from the inside and presents itself from the street. Reworking a roofline to accommodate a vaulted ceiling requires structural planning beyond a simple flat addition, reflecting a more architecturally ambitious approach than a straightforward box addition would provide. Our home addition cost guide covers typical addition costs and the added complexity that roofline changes bring to a project.
Award recognition for scale and quality
Laurel Circle’s recognition with the 2025 WNC Starz Award for Best Whole House Remodel Over $750,000 reflects the scale and comprehensiveness of this project, spanning three additions and a full interior and exterior transformation. The additional award for Best Addition specifically recognizes the quality of the addition work itself, a meaningful distinction given how many separate additions this single project incorporated. Our post on 2026 remodeling ROI by project type discusses how additions generally factor into a home’s value, though awards like this reflect craftsmanship and design quality beyond pure resale calculations.
What multiple additions require in planning
Incorporating three separate additions into a single cohesive project requires careful sequencing and design coordination to ensure the finished home feels unified rather than like a series of disconnected add-ons. This kind of comprehensive planning distinguishes a well-executed multi-addition project from simply tacking on space wherever it seems convenient. Our home remodeling pillar guide covers the kind of comprehensive planning process that supports this level of project complexity.
Why Black Mountain suited this kind of project
Black Mountain’s mix of established mid-century homes and available lot space made this kind of significant expansion project practical, allowing a well-built older home to grow substantially rather than being replaced entirely. Our Black Mountain area guide covers more about building and remodeling in this specific WNC community, including this very project.
What this project demonstrates for homeowners with older homes
Laurel Circle shows that a solidly built older home does not need to be viewed as a limitation on space or livability. With thoughtful addition planning and a willingness to rework elements like the roofline, a mid-century home can gain the space, light, and architectural character that a homeowner wants, without starting over with new construction. This approach often costs less than demolition and rebuilding while preserving a home’s established character and neighborhood presence.
Working with a builder for a similar transformation
Projects at the scale and complexity of Laurel Circle require a builder comfortable coordinating multiple additions, structural roofline changes, and a full interior and exterior remodel into one cohesive result. Start a conversation about your own home’s potential through the contact page.
Summary
The Laurel Circle project transformed a 1948 Black Mountain home through three additions and a full interior and exterior remodel, earning two 2025 WNC Starz Awards for Best Whole House Remodel Over $750,000 and Best Addition. Reworked roof lines created a vaulted great room and covered front porch, demonstrating an architecturally ambitious approach to expanding an older home. This project shows how a well-built mid-century home can gain dramatically improved space and character through thoughtful, coordinated addition planning rather than replacement. Homeowners with an older home considering significant expansion should look to this project as an example of what is achievable. Reach out through the contact page to discuss your home’s potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
What awards did the Laurel Circle project win?
Laurel Circle won two 2025 WNC Starz Awards: Best Whole House Remodel Over $750,000 and Best Addition, recognizing both the scale of the overall project and the quality of the addition work specifically.
How old was the Laurel Circle home before renovation?
The home was originally built in 1948 by JC Cornelius. Rather than treating this age as a limitation, the project built upon the home’s solid original construction with three separate additions and a full remodel.
What changed about the home’s roofline during this project?
The roof lines were reworked specifically to create a vaulted great room and a covered front porch, an architecturally ambitious change that requires more structural planning than a simple flat-roofed addition.
Can an older, mid-century home support multiple additions?
Yes, as Laurel Circle demonstrates. With careful sequencing and design coordination, multiple additions can integrate into a single cohesive project that feels unified rather than like disconnected add-ons, expanding a home’s space and function significantly.
Is it better to add onto an older home or replace it with new construction?
This depends on the specific home and homeowner goals, but Laurel Circle shows that a well-built older home can gain substantial new space and updated character through thoughtful additions, often preserving established neighborhood character at a lower cost than full replacement.
