Little did Mike and Bridget dream that barely a year after they moved into their beautiful Mt. Lookout home, they would be in the middle of such an ambitious renovation project. “We began by asking how we could divide the two second floor bedrooms into three,” explains Bridget, “and it just took off from there.”
In talking to architect Sean Keith of SMK Designs, and Paul Bauscher of Bauscher Construction and Remodeling Inc., it quickly became apparent that dividing the second floor into three cramped rooms was not the solution the homeowners were looking for. “We knew we were going to need a new roof in the not-too-distant future,” they recall, “and the deck on the back of the house needed a major overhaul, so it just seemed like the opportune time to merge those separate projects into one.”
From start to finish
With a baby on the way, they decided to take the plunge and design a whole new addition, one that would not only accommodate a third bedroom upstairs, but would also allow them to renovate the existing two bathrooms and redesign the kitchen, which they felt was out of touch with the traditional design of the rest of the home.
“The kitchen, which had been renovated years ago by the previous owners, was poorly designed, making it difficult to entertain comfortably. The materials were cheap, and the whole space just felt out-of-date and cramped,” Mike says. Bridget adds, “We were excited about the possibilities of making it a modern, spacious area, but one which also felt harmonious with the rest of the house.”
The couple estimates that from beginning to end, the project went through one major revision, and “at least” a dozen minor ones. The kitchen proved to be the most problematic in terms of designing a layout that would be both practical and unique to their sense of style. Enter Randy Basselman of Bittners LLC.
“He was such an integral part of the final design of the kitchen,” says Bridget. “He was able to help us come up with a layout that incorporated new, professional appliances and worked beautifully with the existing structure, but that was uniquely our own.” Special touches that made the final cut include a beautiful stained glass window cabinet front, a faucet that extends from the wall behind the stove for filling pots and a prep sink that doubles as a wine cooler for entertaining.
As only the third owners of the 78-year-old home, Mike and Bridget were committed to preserving what made the house special, and to creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere for entertaining family and friends. Previously stark white, the kitchen underwent a major color transformation to inviting shades of sage and deep red, which complement the richly stained cabinets and stainless steel appliances perfectly.
Evident in the new kitchen is the care that went into preserving the integrity of the home. Custom 2-inch oak boards blend seamlessly with the original flooring, as do the custom moulding and the wood framed windows. A window that had been previously blocked by kitchen cabinets was uncovered and now affords natural light into the new pantry.
Untouched during the previous owners’ renovation was a single set of butler’s pantry cabinets, an original part of the home. “I fell in love with the butler’s cabinet the first time I saw it,” remembers Bridget. “It was one of many unique features that helps to create the distinctive character of our home.”
Second-floor living
Of course, the original purpose of the project was to add living space to the second floor. Previously two bedrooms and a full bath, the upper floor now boasts an additional guest room, as well as a Jack-and-Jill bath. The new bathroom design is consistent with that of the existing bathrooms, and conveniently features a dual pedestal sink, a pocket door that can be used to close off the shower area, and crisp white wainscoting. A personal touch was added to the guest room in the form of built-in shelving that Mike and his father-in-law, an accomplished woodworker, constructed themselves. Anchoring the area is a landing large enough to provide a cozy nook for oldest son Nicholas to watch TV or read a book.
Faced with a beautiful new addition but a backyard that had been ravaged by months of heavy equipment and foot traffic, Mike and Bridget enlisted the help of David Underhill of Underhill Landscaping Inc. to put the final touches on their renovation project. Completing the transformation from virtual mud pit to shady retreat in just over a week, the couple enthusiastically admits that the experience “far exceeded our expectations.” The tumbled stone patio is now surrounded by hydrangea, blue princess holly, Japanese maple and weeping hemlock, lending a charming woodland feel to this urban setting.
Admiring the house from beside the new fire pit, it would be difficult to tell where the old house ends and the new house begins, which is just the way the homeowners had envisioned it.
A few of their favorite things
When asked to reveal their favorite part of the completed project, the couple is hard-pressed to name just one. They mention the gorgeous floor-to-ceiling tiled wall behind the stove, the rich custom-designed, quarter-sawn oak Arts and Crafts-style cabinetry, the softly lustrous honed granite countertops, and the arched doorway dividing the kitchen and the new breakfast room, just to name a few.
And they are quick to point out the dedication and professionalism of the entire construction and design team as one of the most crucial elements in the success of the project. “Having people in your home who share your vision, are attentive to detail and with whom you feel comfortable is key,” says Bridget, who spent much of the last few months of the renovation at home with the couple’s newborn son, Joshua.
She recalls a workman who was attempting to match the stucco on the new addition to that which already covered the rest of the house. “He began with an area about 5 feet square. He would apply the material, stand back to survey his work, then wipe it clean with a trowel and begin again.” She estimates that this went on for the better part of two days before he found the technique that would blend the new part of the home seamlessly with the old. It is this type of dedication to quality that helped make the entire project such a success. “The whole Bauscher team was extremely attentive, and were quick to respond to any questions or concerns that we raised during the process,” says Mike.
Resources: Contractor: Bauscher Construction and Remodeling, Inc.; Architect: Sean Keith, SMK Design; Designer: Randall Basselman, ASID, Bittners LLC; Roof: Siegel Roofing Inc.; Landscaping: Underhill Landscaping Inc.; Kitchen cabinets and countertops: Profiles in Design; Kitchen backsplash: McIntyre, Mees Distributors, Inc.; installed by Darek Zubrowski; Kitchen sinks: Elkay; Kitchen faucets: Kohler Co.; Kitchen pot filler: Chicago Faucets; Appliances: GE Monogram; Kitchen table: Arhaus Furniture