| Built in the 1920s, the Porters’ home was a balloon-framed house, using 2X4s all the way up from the basement to the attic. At some point in the home’s life, those 2X4s were cut in an attempt to open up the old kitchen, which caused sagging. “They didn’t put up headers to hold up the weight of the house,” says Guerrero-Urbieta. “They had the wrong thickness of support, and the wall that was between the bathroom and bedroom in the existing structure was sagging into the kitchen, and the kitchen was sagging in the basement.” Urbieta Construction had to jack up the floors of both stories and replace the headers over the doorways with 2X10s and 2X8s to support the weight over the open areas and make the existing home level with the addition. Photos by Martin Biel Tile: A Tile Style Shower and pedestal Sinks: Kohler Toilet: American Standard Windows: Pella |
When the Porters turned to Urbieta Construction Inc. in Dayton, Ohio, for an addition onto their home, they wanted more space to entertain and house relatives from overseas in an environment that looked and felt of Old World England. When it came to their own retreat, they desired more light, more closet space and his-and-her accommodations in their bathroom.
The 310-square-foot master bedroom and bathroom is connected via hallway to the existing home. The bathroom has an eastward-facing skylight, his-and-her pedestal sinks and an enclosed water closet. The master bedroom features a walk-in closet. But Carmen Guerrero-Urbieta, co-owner of Urbieta Construction, says that a lot of what makes the space distinctive is the customers' furniture, fixture and finish choices (they applied the wallpaper themselves).
"We always invite our customers to participate, as long as they don't want to bring in other subcontractors," she says. "It helps them bring out the personalities in their home."
The master bedroom and bathroom is part of a 700 square-foot, two-story addition that cost $99,000 and took approximately three months to complete. The four-time award-winning project added about 10% in value to the customers' home, according to Guerrero-Urbieta.
Customers Help Create an English Retreat
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