Evanston Historic Landmark Renovation

This construction project was completed in two separate stages to allow the owners to remain in their home during the process.

Stage One – Interior Renovation of the Second Floor

During previous remodeling, the house had been divided into two apartments. A major portion of our job during the first stage was to convert the house back into a single family residence. We started by demolishing the rear exterior stairs and existing kitchen to make room for the new master bathroom. Then we also built a master bedroom with two closets, partially renovated a second bathroom, and added some Marvin windows and doors.  We finished by carefully restoring the old interior trims and existing doors and repairing and refinishing the hardwood floors.

Stage Two – First Floor Renovation and Exterior Renovation

Our focus during the second stage of remodeling was to bring back the wrap-around front porch and repair structural damages.  With help from Foster Dale Architects Inc., the owners obtained approval for the project design for the City of Evanston’s Preservation Commission and moved to the second floor to allow us to demolish 80% of the first level.

We installed new steel beams and columns, reconstructed the front porch and living room, and rebuilt parts of the walls and roof after discovering structural damages in the family room area. Then we created a new back porch and a new kitchen with custom cabinetry, a mahogany island, as well as a mahogany hood. After repairing and refinishing the existing hardwood floors and adding new quarter sawn oak and Brazilian cherry floor sections where necessary, we rebuilt the stairs to the second floor.

During the second stage, we also replaced most of the existing plumbing, renewed and reconfigured the existing hot water heating system, and installed a new Space Pac air conditioning system. On the home’s exterior, we replaced damaged siding and trim, installed new roofing, and rebuilt and tuck pointed the chimneys. The front porch received new fir flooring, columns and railings, and we finished by giving the whole house a new paint job.

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Arlington Heights – Home Addition, Remodeling and Renovation

We completely gutted this brick ranch house in order to create a modern single-family home. To complete this dramatic transformation, we started by lowering the basement floor and replacing the structural steel columns and beans to create a more open layout. Then we built the second floor addition as well as a two-story addition at the back of the house. On the exterior we replaced the face brick, constructed a new front porch, and installed new Pella windows and cedar siding.

On the interior, to increase the energy efficiency of the home we installed a hydronic floor heating system in the basement, two new HVAC systems, and added spray foam insulation. We finished with Brazillian cherry floors and stairs, custom woodwork and mahogany cabinets. 

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Chicago – Conversion of a two-flat to a single family house

On this project, the main purpose was to convert the two-flat house into a single family home. We started with completely demolishing the interior, then we excavated the basement to create a greater ceiling height, and finally we replaced the old timber beams with new steel beams and we leveled-up existing, sagged  floors. After that we completely reconfigure / remodel the interior of the building; the new oak staircase was moved to a different location. On the second floor, we constructed a master suite with a steam shower, a whirlpool tub, a custom tile work, and large walk-in closet. In addition, three other bedrooms, bathroom and laundry room were created.

On the first floor we created a living room with a wood burning fireplace with a marble surround and custom cabinets and mantel. In the new Foyer, we installed a marble mosaic flooring, one of two reconditioned hutches, and a stained glass window. The other set was installed in the Family room. The powder room also received a custom upscale tile work. In the basement we built a kitchenette, a home theatre, a guest bedroom, and a bathroom. The whole house received custom oak woodwork with custom cabinets, tall baseboards, raised panel cased openings, and crown moldings.

At the exterior we constructed a new modern front porch with a limestone bench and stairs, and a steel canopy. We installed new Marvin windows, doors, and electric operated skylights. In the back we built a steel deck with stone-like pavers, a masonry three car garage with a rooftop deck and steel pergola.

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Chicago – Second story and back additions and complete house renovation

This 3 bedroom frame house, located in Chicago historic landmark district, was completely gutted in order to create new living space.

We constructed a two story addition in the back for a family room on the first floor and a master suite on the second floor. We raised the roof to create two dormer additions for a master bathroom, closet, and laundry room and remodeled second bathroom. While doing excavation work for new addition, we excavated the existing basement to achieve greater ceiling height. We poured structural concrete bulkhead and we installed insulation and copper tubing for the future heated floor in the entire basement area. We installed a new water service and a completely new plumbing and electric systems. To increase the energy efficiency of the house, we installed all new Marvin windows, two modern HVAC systems, and we used high performance spray foam insulation. On the first floor, we installed quarter sawn oak flooring and restored the original oak trims. We also created new custom made oak trims to match existing original trims. The new kitchen received cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops. On the second floor, we installed painted trims and doors that matched those that previously existed. In the bathrooms we installed walnut cabinets, porcelain tiles, and granite countertops.

For the exterior, the owners choose to leave the front facade for the second phase. During the first, we repaired the structural walls from damage caused by a previously leaking roof. We also installed new roofing, gutters, vinyl siding, and aluminum clad trims.

The second phase will include construction of new front porch and restoration of the wood siding at the front wall.

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Three story addition, interior and exterior renovation.

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Chicago – Lakeview – Second story addition and house remodeling

Second floor addition, two story addition at the back and complete renovation.

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