When a home is too small, a homeowner has three choices: Move, make do or expand.

Kim Horton, her husband, Greg, and their three sons needed more space in their Hawthorne Avenue Dutch Colonial.

“We had basically outgrown the house,” said Horton, explaining that moving wasn’t an option. “I liked the neighborhood. I liked this part of town. There was just no reason to leave. I was happy here. And this way I could make it (the house) the way I wanted. I changed the things I didn’t like.”

One was the need for a mud room. More about that in a bit.

The Hortons planned a makeover that is attractive in a cozy and livable way—thanks in part to a four-level addition and decorating choices that celebrate different eras.

Built in 1922, the house is no shrine to the Roaring '20s.

There is a modern kitchen, for example, with a soapstone-topped center island. The floor is a sleek slate. (“I do love it,” said Horton.) The painted-white wood cabinets are traditional.

“Everything’s new, but hopefully, not made to look new,” said Horton.

And although the kitchen was redone, the footprint remained the same.

The kitchen opens up to the family room, the main-floor portion of the four-floor addition, an extension that goes from basement to attic.

The room features comfortable seating, a TV (of course) and a long, narrow wood table ideal for sharing meals or tackling homework. The Horton boys are 14, 16 and 18.

“This is truly a great room,” said Horton. “It serves every purpose. I can cook (in the nearby kitchen) and talk to them. I can answer their questions.”

Horton, whose husband is an educator, is a freelance tutor and interior designer. The addition allowed a spacious master bedroom/bath suite that includes one of Horton’s favorite spaces—a walk-in cedar-lined closet. Another favorite space is a mud room, where her sons and their friends can peel off muddy sneakers and sports gear. (Her only regret is not installing a shower downstairs so the boys could wash up after games before entering the main part of the house.)

“This is my favorite part,” said the practical mom. “That and my laundry chute are my pride and joy.”

The new portion of the basement is a game room with a terra cotta tile floor.

The home is covered in cedar shake, somewhat unusual for a Dutch Colonial in South Jersey, but the Hortons went to great trouble to see the exterior restored. Workers removed “layer upon layer upon layer” of paint that had hidden the cedar shake’s natural beauty.

A sunroom hosts a painted armoire and the living room has a marble-topped inlaid table that once belonged to Horton’s mother. The living room floor is oak, and it creaks a bit, but Horton said the aged, noisy planks don’t bother her.

“I feel like they go with the house,” she said. “The house is a little scarred, not perfect.”

It was more imperfect when they bought it about 15 years ago. Roof, plumbing, electric, heating—all needed major work.

“No one had ever really loved this house,” said Horton. “No one had invested in it.” The, she added: “We got stuck with it. That’s the way it goes.”

But anyone could tell Horton wouldn’t have it any other way.

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