Lake Ave Addition
The Lake Avenue Addition was a complete renovation and makeover by a real estate investor who wanted a refreshing new look along with a master suite addition. The house was originally constructed in 1956 and had never been remodeled.
Due to budgetary constraints, the front entry pediment and columns could not be substantially altered, and the master bedroom addition needed to utilize the home’s existing footprint. So we achieved the requested refreshing new look by incorporating the existing Colonial Revival-style pediment as an architype for the new aesthetic, repeating its proportions and minimizing its detailing. The new master suite above the garage provided an opportunity to balance the house’s massing with the existing second floor and to visually provide scale to the existing front entry pediment. Removing the faux shutters, replacing the white windows with new black windows, and developing a new color scheme produced a new modern aesthetic.
Another design challenge was creating direct access to the small side yard since the existing house didn’t have yard access. So we replaced the existing living room windows with new patio doors and added a new indoor/outdoor gas fireplace to reinforce the new patio and living room connection.
Inside, we replaced two straight-run stairs with a new c-shaped stairway to form a new foyer and provide a new continuous stair connection between the basement, main level and upper level.
Developing a creative solution that met the client’s unique goals and constraints, while providing a design that inspired an approval from Whitefish Bay’s Architectural Review Commission was critical to the project’s success. Balancing the public and private interests is a professional role we take seriously as architects.