Project Details

The family purchased an older home and recently completed a kitchen gut rehab project on the first floor. Now they wanted to improve the quality of the bedrooms and add a separate family room. Renovating the basement was explored, but it was finally decided to add a third floor on top of the existing frame house.

Sloping ceilings in the Master Bedroom limited the furniture layout and closet space. Existing closets were under the sloped roof areas and hard to access. Floors were uneven and a large whirlpool tub in the bathroom was never used.

A third floor addition was constructed, which had to span over the existing house to eliminate interior supports which would have disrupted the first floor layout. The 2nd floor now had full ceiling heights in all rooms and closets reconfigured to provide the best storage. The master bathroom was gutted, and a more useful steam shower installed.

A new bedroom and family room were constructed on the third floor. Chicago zoning restrictions limited the height of the roofs and resulted in a new spiral stair at the back. A laundry was incorporated along with a full bathroom. The stairs were opened up as much as possible to provide a connection to the second floor.