Introducing the Winkler Project!
The summer is hot and the projects are cookin'! While the Oak Brook project is in the throes of Finish Carpentry, we are beginning another project in the Western Suburbs - please allow me to introduce the Winkler project!
This project involves the interior remodeling of the 2nd floor of a 2-story, mid-century modern style single family home. The scope includes the re-construction of the 1st/2nd floor staircase, installation of hardwood flooring, installation of new trim mouldings and window casings, the gut rehab of two full bathrooms, and the remodeling of the Master Bedroom suite. I am also excited to say that the bathrooms are an original Integro design!
Mid-Century Modern houses were built between 1945-1980. These buildings feature prominent geometric lines throughout the house, large quantities and sizes of windows bringing natural light and nature indoors, and a focus on access to nature and outdoor space from the interior. The Winkler project is no different and my clients have created stunning gardens and tasteful outdoor spaces which characterize the interior space.
Speaking of character, our biggest challenge on this project was the Master Bedroom. Since the building features a dramatically sloped roof, large skylights were installed to bring plenty of natural light indoors. These skylights shine into the Master Bedroom...what's the catch? Well, they shine into the Master Bedroom from over the Living Room. The Master Bedroom doesn't actually have any windows of its own - instead, the Master Bedroom features operable sliding doors that open over the 1st Floor Living Room (a picture says a thousand words, right?).
Now, look below the sliding doors on the floor...see that beam? It's just kinda...hanging out there. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely load bearing so we have to keep it. After having several flash images of small children opening the sliding door, stepping on the floor beam, and falling one-story down into the Living Room, I thought it best to start brainstorming a design solution that made sense, was safe, and was code compliant. So, as always, we called our friends at SMNG-A.
Our resolution? Remove the sliding doors and build a new wall on top of the beam! This gets rid of the eye sore and safety hazard. The only remaining issue is an operable window and natural light. Having the light from the skylights shine into the Bedroom was a priority for my clients, not to mention we need to meet building code which requires an operable window. So, our solution was to install two large sliding windows which capture the light from the skylights.
Hopefully the drawings help - let's be honest, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. That's okay! I'll keep you posted with photos on our progress until we all collectively exclaim "Ah ha!"
Here are more Before photos:
Master Bathroom
Master Bathroom
