RENOVATIONS FOR LIFE

Now the nest is empty — well, most of the time. Maybe you have college-aged children who are gone often but still occasionally return to home base. Perhaps there are grandchildren in the picture, or not. Now you can finally take on a renovation project you’ve been considering for some time. Ages and phases cer- tainly direct design projects and many are considering how their homes can be reconfigured, redesigned or totally re-imagined to suit the years ahead. Here are some in-demand projects design-build firms are completing for clients in this transition time of life.

By Kristen Hampshire

Time For Us

“The kids are out of the house, we’re not paying for college — it’s time for us,” says David Nystrom, sharing a popular sentiment. As regional partner of Alair Homes in Hudson, Nystrom sees demand for gourmet kitchens, luxury bathrooms, screened porches and stacked suites. Not to mention, some ask for spas, golf simulators and wine cellars. Workout rooms, home theaters and offices replace playrooms, says Brian Pauley, owner, Remodel Me Today in Olmsted Falls. Bathroom trends include freestanding soaking tubs and zero-entry thresholds to showers. In the kitchen, expect large islands and professional 4-foot ranges.

Expanding The Ensuite

Creating a first-floor bedroom is a priority when you're renovating a home to suit life’s next chapters. “That can mean converting a firstfloor office space into a master (bedroom) while keeping the master upstairs, and that could be if parents move in, or as they get older, they can stay in the house,” says Ken Perrin, the president of artistic renovations in North Royalton. Some request additions specifically to house a room that has the amenities of an apartment, including a sitting area, reading nook or entertaining space, Nystrom says. "We're typically doubling the space of the original bedroom," he adds.

Repurposing Bedrooms

For families with college-aged kids, shifting a kid's bedroom into a multipurpose space allows for a flexible place to stay. Pauley has installed Murphy bed systems, such as a bed that folds into a credenza or a system that suspends the bed from the ceiling with a desk underneath. "We can make bedrooms into dual-purpose spaces so there is still a bed, dresser and maybe a desk," Perrin adds, "but part of the room is carved out for what is relevant for them today." Pauley also points out, “Their kids are getting married, having kids of their own, and when everyone comes home for the holidays, more space is needed.”