Don’t you give anything to have your grandma live next door? This is what this grandma decided to do. She gave up her townhome in Springfield and moved to live with her son and grandkids in Centerville, VA.

Her son owned a five-acre property with a 5000 square foot single-family home on it. He had a lot of space to build two more homes on his lot. She wanted her independence yet be in close proximity to be involved with the grandkids’ lives. They all came to a mutual solution to build her a detached home across the driveway — close enough, yet still her own place.

She wanted to make sure that her new place had some age-in-place amenities for her golden years. He wanted to have his workshop on the first level of this dwelling, just to be able to move out of the existing garage.

Our design team put together plans for a 32’ x 50’ free-standing dwelling for them. This two-story addition was placed across the driveway, about 40 feet away from the main house.

On the first level, they have four-door garage space — two bays for his workshop and two spaces for her garage parking. The main entrance is to the left of the structure with a corridor leading to the back utility and storage room, along with a dog-washing tub station. An in-home elevator was designed and placed just off the garage entrance door. The stairway leads to the second floor, which is her main residence.

Designed with a 10-foot ceiling, the large living room, dining room, and kitchen share an open floor plan. Lots of windows on three sides make this nest airy and bright.

The elevator opens to the dining room side of this level. A cozy screened-in porch was built just outside the dining room sliding door for her afternoon tea time.

A master bedroom suite with a walk-in closet and large master bathroom is just a few steps away, giving her a serene space. A large walk-in shower, soaking tub, and double vanity — all covered with large-scale porcelain tile and heated floors beneath the side-arch window — make this bathroom stunning and unique.

A second bedroom, which now serves as her sewing and art/craft room, is just down the hall. The laundry room and pantry are located just next door.

The entire addition was covered with matching brick fascia to maintain the look of the main house. The owners had to relocate the entire septic field to a different part of the yard to open up this space for the new structure.

Having her own utility lines, power, and HVAC made this building completely independent.

A covered breezeway at the end of the driveway connects the two structures. This also hides the drop-off from driveway to backyard, creating a beautiful scenic view when standing on the brick walkway.

Now, the grandchildren get to enjoy their favorite grandma every day of the year — and that is truly priceless.