Since retiring, Doreen and Robert Berg wanted their home to be a place where they鈥檇 enjoy spending time and that could accommodate aging in place. They didn鈥檛 want to move, as their house offers one-level living, a large yard and a convenient midtown location.
Lulu, a green Amazon parrot Doreen has owned for 26 years, enjoyed the noise and confusion of the reno and came to recognize several workers. The office the couple used for work is now the 鈥減arrot room.鈥
The front fa莽ade of the 1950s era bungalow has been completely transformed. The house is double-brick construction, and the old, exterior, reddish orange, brick course was removed by hand, without disturbing the inner course. New modern, off-white, linear bricks were added and tied back to the old, interior bricks for support. ACM (Aluminum Composite Materials) panels add a contemporary look and tie in with the fluted fireplace surround and front door wall. The front roof was reformed to remove sags and make the front look proportionate to the rest of the roof.
The front fa莽ade of the 1950s era bungalow has been completely transformed. The house is double-brick construction, and the old, exterior, reddish orange, brick course was removed by hand, without disturbing the inner course. New modern, off-white, linear bricks were added and tied back to the old, interior bricks for support. ACM (Aluminum Composite Materials) panels add a contemporary look and tie in with the fluted fireplace surround and front door wall. The front roof was reformed to remove sags and make the front look proportionate to the rest of the roof.
A new fireplace with stone surround and hearth was added to the living room. The old mantel was repurposed by spraying it to match the trim. With a bigger fireplace, the surround is now more in proportion with the mantel and fireplace viewing area.
The stairs leading to the basement had been poorly finished. They were fixed so they match the flooring now. The Bergs were able to source matching flooring so new could be spliced with old, and used that to fix areas that had been done improperly. Floors were sanded and restained.
When the Bergs bought the house in 1985, it had no proper front entry; they walked directly into the living room. They added a 10-by-10 entry during a previous renovation, but its ceiling was just eight feet tall. The new renovation creates a cathedral ceiling with a hanging light fixture that gives a sense of volume.
The master bedroom and bathroom were reconfigured to accommodate a much larger four-piece bathroom. It has a new walk-in, glass shower, separate bathtub with lighted wall niche and floor-to-ceiling, large-format porcelain tiles. Floor tiles were taken 42 inches up the wall. A floating vanity with accent lighting looks great against the tile surround. The bathroom has heated floors and towel bars, LED strip lights and a heated toilet seat with automatic lid.
As Doreen and Robert Berg鈥檚 lifestyle needs changed over the years, they didn鈥檛 change houses. They changed their house. Again and again.
When the couple bought a small 1955 海角社区官网brick bungalow in 1985, it was large enough for two. Following the births of their son and daughter, they had an addition built, putting on 700 square feet.
Since retiring 鈥 Doreen from the health care industry and Robert as a management consultant 鈥 they wanted their home to be a place where they鈥檇 enjoy spending time and that could accommodate aging in place. They didn鈥檛 want to move, as their house offers one-level living, a large yard and a convenient midtown location.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 want to leave home to have luxury,鈥 Doreen says. 鈥淚 always wanted a bathroom with a separate shower and bathtub, and better lighting. It鈥檚 been 25 years since we鈥檝e updated the bathroom.鈥
鈥淲e did this project for us,鈥 says Robert. 鈥淭his will be our last reno. We didn鈥檛 add space, but we made it nice.鈥
, helmed by Chris Smith, designed the project and carried out the work. The most dramatic change was a modern remake of the home鈥檚 outdated, decaying red brick exterior. The interior got a refresh too, as worn hardwood floors were repaired, insulation added, along with new doors, windows, baseboards and pot lights and paint. Doreen got her dream ensuite bathroom.
Lulu, a green Amazon parrot Doreen has owned for 26 years, enjoyed the noise and confusion of the reno and came to recognize several workers. The office the couple used for work is now the 鈥減arrot room.鈥
At 1,650 square feet plus finished basement, the house is large enough to host overnight visits from their children and partners, and their grandchildren, while not being 鈥渢oo big,鈥 says Doreen.
鈥淲e wanted to renovate for tomorrow, without taking on technology that wouldn鈥檛 have staying power,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e have both gone through looking after elderly parents, and we didn鈥檛 want to leave a headache for our kids. If we are no longer able to live here, we didn鈥檛 want to double-down on the headache and leave them a house that would need a lot of updating or be tough to sell.
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