In order to unify this 1955 house that had suffered numerous insensitive remodels, we carefully studied three interventions to maximize the impact of the design within a tight budget. These include; 1) an exterior fence of varying degrees of opacity that provides privacy from an adjacent school yard, 2) a new entry with central stair under a splayed skylight which opens for ventilation and 3) removing walls and adding cabinets to unify the house while maintaining definition between functions.