Like many people who decide to renovate, Carol and Terry Rolecek started out with a simple wish: they wanted a bigger garage.
After 13 years in their Barrington home, this family of five had come to the conclusion that Terry Rolecek was destined to spend the rest of his life parking in the driveway unless they could find the space to store eight bikes, one motorized play car, a lawn mower, a freezer, three pairs of ice skates, and an assortment of bats, balls and gardening tools. The only solution, the Roleceks decided, was to turn their cramped two-car garage into a spacious three-car garage.
Somewhere along the way, they realized their simple garage expansion had the potential for a major home makeover. “We were already spending $40,000 to $50,000 to expand the garage,” Carol Rolecek says. “So we thought, why not take it all the way up and build over the garage? We decided to go for it after we realized that it would solve a lot of the other space issues we had in the house.”
The problem:
At the top of the Roleceks’ wish list was a designated computer room for the kids. “We used to have a computer stuck in the basement, but we couldn’t keep an eye on the kids there,” Carol Rolecek says. “We wanted a computer room in a high-traffic area that was open, but still cozy. The computer has really taken the place of the TV for our kids. They even watch movies on the computer.”
Envisioning a multifunction computer room/den, the Roleceks considered using the new space over the garage for this purpose. But the only way to access the new space would be to walk through one of the girl’s bedrooms.
What’s more, that plan didn’t really address all of their space issues. “My husband and I didn’t really have any office space in our house,” Rolecek recalls. “I would always have boatloads of paperwork spread out over the dining-room table and I was never able to find anything.”
And come to think of it, they realized it would be nice if they could carve out some space for a third bathroom upstairs. “We had three kids sharing one bathroom,” Rolecek says. “They were always fighting over the one sink.”
Unsure exactly how to configure their new space, the Roleceks decided it was time to enlist professional help. A chance encounter at their son’s hockey game led them to builder Scott Sevon, president of Sevvonco Inc. They chose Ellyn Anderson, an interior designer with Walter E. Smithe, to round out the team.
The fix:
The good news was that the Roleceks second floor sat on top of only half of their existing two-car garage, allowing them the opportunity to build over not only the new one-car garage, but half of the existing two-car garage as well. That would give them about 500 additional square feet upstairs. The bad news is it wasn’t nearly enough space to address all of their needs. Clearly, they’d also have to do some tinkering with the existing upstairs floor plan as well.
While looking over the home’s floor plan, Anderson — though not an architect by trade — came up with a clever idea. Why not reinvent the old master suite into a large shared bedroom and bath for the two girls? That way, the new space over the garage could become a new master bedroom, bath and walk-in closet for Carol and Terry.
The existing adjoining girl’s bedroom would be the perfect spot for the master sitting room/study. And the kids’computer room? That would be located in another existing girl’s bedroom, the one directly across from the top of the stairs. Although the room was small, Anderson and Sevon had an idea: knock down the bedroom’s front wall and open up the room right into the hallway. And just like that, this former small bedroom would be transformed into an open, airy loft space, perfect for keeping an eye on the kids’ computer activity.
The challenge:
One of the biggest challenges with any add-on renovation is trying to marry the new with the old – and the Roleceks’ project was no exception. “We wanted to make it look like the entire garage was all built at once,” Sevon says. “What we did was pour the new foundation, support the existing house with a temporary engineered wall, put a huge beam in there, and then connect the new floor joists with the old floor joists.” For the front of the house, Sevon salvaged existing brick from the side of the garage. The side of the garage was then recovered with a mix of old and new brick, barely discernible from the original.
Meanwhile, Rolecek had her own challenges to deal with. “I guess if I ever renovated again, I would probably reconsider living through it,” she says. “All of our furniture was in one room, there was dust everywhere, and we all had to sleep together. I found it very stressful.”
Her kids, on the other hand, took it in stride. “They loved it, mainly because I let them sleep in the basement,” she says.
And her neighbors? “We were worried about the impact this project would have on them, but they were great about it. They put up with a lot — even on a Sunday or two.”
The details
– New angled doorways into the upstairs bedrooms makes the kids’ loft space feel even more spacious.
– To give the new loft more of a family room feel, Sevon removed a small bedroom window and replaced it with two large side-by-side windows.
– New recessed lighting in the kids’ den provides adequate light for studying; dimmers set the mood for viewing movies.
– No sharp angles in this master suite: Sevon used Trim-Tex soft corners to give the master bedroom a soft, contemporary feel. A cathedral ceiling adds drama.
– The master bedroom, bath and study are all wired with surround-sound hidden wall speakers that resonate sound right through the drywall.
– A frosted glass French door into the master bath lets natural light through without forsaking privacy.
– Since it is located above a garage, the master bath features heated stone floors.
The materials
– A sage green tweed sectional in the kid’s loft not only provides plenty of seating for movie nights; it features a pull-out bed for sleepovers. A round sea grass coffee table from Pottery Barn adds an element of fun.
– The master retreat is done up in a glamorous combination of soft blue (Benjamin Moore Mt. Rainier Gray) and chocolate brown. The clean-lined dark wood furniture pieces feature brushed nickel hardware and a silver mirror hangs over the dresser.
– An Art Deco settee, a crystal chandelier and sconces, and cream-on-cream brushed satin bedding make the Roleceks feel like they’re staying in a posh hotel.
– The adjoining study/sitting room takes a slightly more masculine approach, featuring bookcase-lined walls, leather chairs and taupe silk draperies. The walls are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Wilmington Tan.
The cost
$200,000
The verdict
“My husband and I are enjoying our master suite,” Carol Rolecek says. “We wanted to feel like we were walking into a suite at a five-star hotel — and we have done it.
“Our new office space has a very clubby feel and keeps us organized with three new file cabinets and a desk area. We finally have some homework space for the kids with a new centralized open-air location. This area is also used as gathering/lounging space.
“As our kids grow and become teenagers, this room will grow with them. We have our new house — without moving!”
