Winnetka Colonial Chronicles Part 7

In our last installment of WCC Part 6, we took advantage of an unfinished attic and created a bedroom and bonus room, each with a window seat in the dormers. 

My 8-year old instinctively picked a good spot for reading. It feels a little like discovering buried treasure when I think that this attic was creaky, dark, and poorly insulated for more than 90 years. Sometimes unusual spaces have a purpose waiting to be revealed, or they must be pre-planned in new construction before the architect erases them in the quest for efficient space utilization.     

While "the treehouse" on the third floor was taking shape, we completed the master bathroom on the 2nd floor. Demolition started like this:

That is one expertly crafted mess, no?

And then it became this:

"The tub goes here, the sinks start there, and you're driving to swim practice in eleven minutes." Of course nobody said these words to me. This whole account is fictional. You know better than to trust what you read on the Internet.

Finally, the former pile of debris cleaned up into this:

And just like that, a new master bathroom is born. The mirror-like finish of the polished stainless steel shower niche is fine for shaving or showing me the relief on my face now that this bathroom is finished. In the next installment of Winnetka Colonial Chronicles, we'll wrap up this project with a run though the first floor. Thanks for reading along! 

A Wine Cellar

Maybe it's the February chill in Chicago, or our recent Presidential election. Or maybe it was a memorable trip to Sonoma. Whatever the reason for enjoying wine, it's time to start thinking about the environment in which the wine is preserved.

A basement flood inspired this couple to rethink their basement plans and add a wine cellar in place of a lightly used storage closet.  

This wine cellar was created to hold hundreds of bottles in different formats behind insulated glass and a special door with a thermal break in the frame to maintain 55 degrees fahrenheit and controlled humidity. The walls and ceiling are fully insulated to help the cooling unit operate efficiently. The custom wine storage unit is a modernized take on the traditional dark wood cabinetry. 

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One design problem with wine cooling units is that they often project out of the wall much like a window-mounted air-conditioner. In this instance, we built a custom shelving unit with a grill to allow for additional storage, air transfer, and better visuals. Removable panels allow for easy access to the wine cooling unit if it needs service.

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Another look at the wine storage with antiqued mirror glass in the center and multiple storage options to accommodate different wine formats. The custom wine storage unit is a modernized version on the traditional dark wood cabinetry commonly found in wine cellars. The bottom shelves are removable for case storage.  

A custom wine cellar is a pleasure to build because it sits at the intersection of design and engineering; we want it to look smashing and simultaneously safeguard the valuable contents. We certainly think it's an efficient use of a former storage basement closet! A day could come when your wine collection outgrows the storage capabilities, and we would be honored to assist you on that happy day :)

It was great fun to complete this project with the input from a great couple. We hope they fill and re-fill this wine cellar many times!   

Navigating Remodeling Costs

Of all the perplexing issues you might face in life, determining the financial cost of remodeling is probably on the list. It might even be near the top of the list if you are planning to tackle a project in your house this year. The traditional approach of collecting multiple bids is the most common method of so-called price discovery, but it suffers from certain drawbacks.  

First, it's difficult to measure the quality of workmanship and the all-important installation without prior experience or having seen examples of prior work from all of the contractors. Comparing commodities such as bathroom vanities or toilets is relatively easy in comparison.

Second, multiple bids can be confusing if not calibrated to exactly the same specs. Was contractor A assuming something in the plans that contractor B never considered? Did you say the word mosaic, and the contractor heard French Provincial? This puts the burden on the homeowner/architect to be extra thorough and precise in the pre-bid scope of work.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, the range of bids can be bewildering. Is the low bid a sucker's bet designed to win the business and mushroom through change orders? Is the most costly proposal coming from a contractor too busy to take the job unless there is a very persuasive reason to do so? Is the middle range reliable, or does it simply appear to be more reasonable because it happened to fall between high and low bids?

These are merely a few of the questions that arise in multiple bid situations, and it's not often easy for homeowners to answer them. In fact, a poll of contractors usually shows that explaining the range of remodeling costs is not always easy for the pros to answer, either. That's where the Remodeling 2016 Cost vs Value Report comes in.        

In our experience, it's roughly accurate in estimating the true remodeling costs for a variety of projects. The survey of pros includes detailed bids on hypothetical projects, it controls for regional differences, and it's statistically "reliable enough" for helping homeowners guide their budgets. It distinguishes between midrange and upscale projects: for example, a midrange bathroom remodel in the Chicago area is approximately $22,000, while the upscale version is typically closer to $64,000. An upscale bathroom renovation in your home might cost significantly more or less than $64,000, but it's highly unlikely to land in a ballpark near $22,000. 

While it is not the oracle of remodeling costs, we believe it's good enough to supplement the bid process for various types of projects. Complete data from the Remodeling 2016 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com and is published by Hanley Wood Media Inc. (c) 2016. We have no affiliation with the publisher and did not participate in the survey or data collection.               

Dante's Inferno of Residential Architecture

If you need to start 2017 off right with a laugh and you also have an interest in residential architecture, it's time to visit McMansion Hell. Abandon all hope ye who enter here! 

The 2016 look-back is a gem, and there are many more in this vein. Be sure to check out the 10-part seminar on what makes a McMansion at McMansion Hell 101.

Many excellent reminders will be found under the category of "what not to do to your home" in this informative blog. No exterior or interior space is spared from the author's sharp tongue. May your New Year and new home projects take a beautiful form!