Design Awards: Gold Historic Renovation - Normandy Builders

Historic Renovation

LaGrange, Ill.

Normandy Builders, Hinsdale, Ill.

Normandy Builders was faced with the challenge of updating this 155-year-old home with today’s conveniences but still maintaining its vintage charm.

Normandy greatly increased the functional value of the home with the new two-car garage, attached storage space and mudroom. The new master suite incorporates modern luxury with a steam shower, whirlpool tub, direct vent fireplace, large walk-in closets, a home office and exterior French doors leading to a small second-floor balcony.

Careful attention was paid to matching the existing details of the home, including the 10-foot, 6-inch first-floor and 10-foot second-floor ceiling heights. The 7-foot windows were matched with custom Pella windows, while 36 custom corbels were crafted to match the existing ones.

Normandy also restored the home’s original turret, which had been lost at some point in the past, but appeared in old photos of the house. The resulting copper clad turret is an important focal point of the restored home.

The judges were wowed by the finished product: “Seamless integration of improvements to existing structure. It’s better after than when it was built,” said one.

“(The) interior details maintain the historic character of the house,” said another.