Photo By Normandy Remodeling. Adding On For A Growing Family

Adding on for a growing family

It's common for families to outgrow the size of their homes; which leads to two options, either add on or buy a new home. These homeowners decided that they loved their home and their neighborhood, and an addition would suit their growing family the best. They had several specific requests when they began working with Normandy Designer Stephanie Bryant for their home addition. Being located in a community of Frank Lloyd Wright homes, they requested that Stephanie be sensitive toward the existing architecture, without stressing the style. Also, the wife (being the only lady of the household) desired a master bedroom suite with a luxury bathroom to serve as her "escape." Those requests among others, led to the final result of a two-story addition, with a full basement. The entry to the addition welcomes you into a great room with a coffered ceiling, with a simple but charming fireplace as the focal point. The room features elegant French doors leading out to a new deck, ideal for entertaining. The wife's escape was achieved on the second floor with two walk-in closets and a five-piece bathroom, featuring an oversized shower and privacy water closet. "The homeowner and I decided on a Robin's egg blue for the walls to add a sense of calmness and serenity to the room, giving the bathroom a spa-like effect," commented Stephanie. The new portion of the basement consists of an office, exercise area and a full bathroom. To further meet the homeowners' entertaining needs, a media area and wet bar were also included in the new basement. The finished addition has been recognized with a First Place 2011 Remodeling Excellence Award from National Association Remodeling Industry (NARI) Greater Chicagoland. More importantly, the homeowners love their new addition! Their 4th grade son was so happy with how the design affected their family, he used their kitchen as his topic for a Social Studies project!