A Renewed Sense of Luxury

Restored to a historically accurate street frontage, this 1909 bungalow in downtown Orlando more than doubled in size thanks to a fully finished basement and a two-story addition to the back.

Credit: James F. Wilson

When the design/build team for a neglected 1909 bungalow in downtown Orlando, Fla., first discussed how to restore and remodel the house, they envisioned a likely buyer. A mature couple or family, probably with an older teenager still in the nest and perhaps an elderly parent to care for, the fictitious owners would have certain needhanks Mees, and passions.

Among several ideas bandied about, a pair of truly upscale features emerged to address those demands. Combining attractive form with practical function, an independently conditioned wine cellar and a residential elevator fit the bill for the conjured couple and their lifestyle, one shared with homeowners of similar age and status across the country. “Multigenerational households are increasingly common,” says Stephen Gidus, a partner with his brother Paul in PSG Construction, the remodeling company charged with the renovation. “We see families dealing with issues of aging in place, accommodating an elderly parent or bounce-back adult child, often at the same time,” a circumstance in multistory homes that increasingly calls for an elevator.

Though an ample 2,460 square feet across two levels, the original house was inadequate for an upscale, multigenerational family; it also was a mess, having been converted to makeshift offices and storage space and then eventually abandoned and allowed to deteriorate. By 2005, it was forced to move two lots away from its corner lot to make room for another house.

Need a lift? The residential-scaled elevator is placed in a central location along the long hall of the main floor (see paneled door across from the kitchen) and in the flex room of the basement; upstairs, it opens to a semi-concealed vestibule to the master suite, making it easy for the owners to enjoy a second-story master and to age in place. The elevator also serves an elderly parent, eases the chore of hauling stuff up and down the stairs, and boosts resale value.

Credit: James F. Wilson

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) formed a team to renovate the house as a showcase for the 2007 International Builders' Show. PSG, along with local designer Lucia, Kassik & Monday and the interiors firm of Robb & Stucky, set the house on a new foundation, added living space and a detached garage to the back of the lot, and revived the cottage into a three-level, 5,439-square-foot luxury home, complete with a full-height, day-lit basement housing the wine cellar and with all floors accessible by the elevator. “A basement is an anomaly in Orlando, so we wanted to use it to showcase a variety of possibilities,” says Gidus of the 1,400-square-foot below-grade space.

Of course, the design/build team upgraded the entire house; except for the restored front formal areas comprising the dining room, foyer, and an office, the rest of the house is completely remade to attract a well-heeled buyer looking for an urban oasis.

But of all the home's luxury features, from a morning kitchen serving the master suite to an outdoor room tucked into the detached garage, the brightest stars are the wine room and elevator. “These are upgrades that serve the needs and interests of an upscale buyer,” says lead designer Karen Kassik.

Though perhaps less practical than an elevator, a conditioned wine cellar is no less desired by upscale buyers, providing connoisseurs and would-be collectors with ample space to properly store and age fine varietals. Located in the home's new, full-height basement, the cellar takes advantage of insulated precast concrete walls on its far wall, while the rest of the space and its components are fully insulated and sealed to maintain an ideal environment.

Credit: James F. Wilson

From the outset, the project team planned to incorporate wine storage into the home's new basement. The only questions were “where” and “how big.” The team eventually settled on a 10-by-13-foot space at the foot of the stairs. “People who want a wine cellar tend to stick it in a closet or dig down a few feet to create a small cavity,” Gidus says. “We wanted something larger that felt like a real cellar and created a focal point.”

To accentuate the wine room's impact as the owners and their guests descended the stairs to the finished basement, the independently conditioned space is outfitted with an insulated, exterior-grade glass door flanked by side lites that allow full view of its custom racking system and 1,600-bottle capacity.

The decision to condition the space evolved from the project team's desire (and ability, in a spec remodel situation) to push the envelope. “Someone who wants or demands a conditioned wine cellar is a collector and connoisseur,” Kassik says. “We anticipated buyers who like to entertain, so even if they aren't wine experts, they'd appreciate the cellar,” and may be inspired to get even more serious about wine.

In addition to the stained and lacquered mahogany racking system, including an arched counter area for decanting and the addition of a small pub table to host tastings, the wine room features a veneer brick floor finish. “We wanted it to feel rustic, like a real cellar at a winery,” says Jessica Iaconis, a former Robb & Stucky design consultant.

The finishing touch, though, was creating an environment for proper wine storage and aging. Relying on ductless split-system cooling equipment that operates independently from the home's HVAC system, the room maintains a constant temperature of 55° F, and a relative humidity of 60% to 65% — though the owners can manipulate the climate.

To enable that consistency, the room is built akin to a walk-in refrigerator. In addition to the insulated and weather-stripped glass doors, the walls and ceiling were built out with a vapor barrier and then fully insulated (including expanding foam in the ceiling to air-seal the recessed lighting works) before being finished with moisture-resistant drywall and paint. (See “Grape Escape,” below.)

A baby boomer couple caring for an aging parent in their home is hardly a far-fetched concept these days; more than 20 million boomers do it, according to the latest U.S. Census figures. In addition, boomers themselves are staring down the likely prospect of physical limitations of aging that can render their homes, or at least some areas, inaccessible.

The upshot is a quickly maturing industry of residential-scale elevator systems, including those that accommodate the existing conditions of a remodeling project. Specifically, such systems employ a chain drive and track mounted along the length of one wall of the shaft to move the lift, replacing and saving the space of the hydraulics (and adjacent mechanical room and below-grade pit) of a conventional elevator; a motor and controller at the top of the shaft easily fits into an attic space (see “Elevator Works,” opposite page).

The gutting of and significant additions to this house also enabled the project team to pinpoint the elevator's location to maximize its functionality. “Ideally, you want to centralize it on the plan in a main traffic area,” Gidus says. On the main level, for instance, the elevator opens between the kitchen and family room along the main hall through the length of the house, which also makes it accessible to the live-in parent's suite; it's also a straight shot to the garage, allowing the owners to load luggage onto the lift when leaving for or returning from a trip. In the basement, the elevator serves the flex/media room so that the entire household can participate in that space, as well as having access to the laundry, pantry, wine room, home gym, and mechanical room.

On the third floor, the elevator appropriately serves the master suite, opening to a small but adequate vestibule in front of the bedroom door. “Elevators are in huge demand in this market, especially when the owners want a second-story master suite to capture views and gain privacy,” Kassik says. “They want to age in place rather than move,” or remodel for a main-level master suite.

Among a wealth of improvements and additional spaces and modern conveniences that bring this 1909 bungalow into the 21st century, it's the wine room and elevator that perhaps best address the needs of the home's intended buyer. “People are building and remodeling homes to retire in,” Gidus says. “That means they want a house that doesn't keep them or their passions captive.”

Rich Binsacca is a contributor to UPSCALE REMODELING. He also wrote a “Before & After” profile of this house in the February 2007 issue of REMODELING.

Corralling a prime spot at the foot of the basement stairs, the conditioned wine cellar employs an independent cooling system, a rustic veneer brick floor, a 1¾-inch-thick insulated and weather-sealed tempered glass door with airtight side lites, and a 1,600-bottle-capacity racking and cabinet system.

Credit: 2006 Smartpic / constructionprogress.com

The mahogany used for the racking, naturally suited for humid climates, is derived from sustainable timber resources and finished with a stain and lacquer finish, an odorless formula specified by the supplier to protect the wine.

The ductless, split-system cooler combines an outdoor condenser and a wall-mounted, hard-wired evaporator inside the cellar, enabling it to be shielded by the racking. Unlike a conventional air conditioning or refrigerating system, the equipment does not remove humidity from the air, thus maintaining ideal conditions for aging and storing wine.

Behind the finishes, the walls and ceiling (consisting of an insulated precast foundation wall, a concrete block wall, and two wood-framed walls and floor joists above) were outfitted with a vapor barrier and high-density fiberglass batt insulation (walls) and expanded-foam insulation (ceiling) — the latter of which also sealed the recessed light fixtures against air infiltration from the floor cavity — and moisture- and mold-resistant drywall.

The biggest misconception about an elevator is that it is too complex,” says Jim Quinley, general manager for the residential elevator division of ThyssenKrupp Access in Kansas City, Mo. “Really, it's a very simple and easy plug-and-play system.” In fact, manufacturers such as ThyssenKrupp have developed kits that are up and running in a few days' time by a trained installer, including models that are especially well-suited to the existing limitations of a remodeling project.

Framing and finishing for a residential elevator kit is basic carpentry. The shaft is framed and sheathed, albeit with mid-span blocking for additional load capacity.

Credit: 2006 Smartpic / constructionprogress.com

Following the supplier's planning guide, remodelers Stephen and Paul Gidus framed the hoistway with conventional 2x4 construction with mid-stud blocking (left, center photo) and sheathed the shaft in plywood to achieve the desired inside dimensions. The model, called the LEV, is designed to work on a chain-driven track rather than using hydraulics, enabling the works to be contained within the shaft rather than in an adjacent mechanical room.

Installer Steve Pizzo of Castle Elevator in Charleston, S.C. (with an outlet in Orlando), warns contractors to make sure the doors to the elevator accommodate the rail on one side of the shaft rather than centering it in the opening. The cab requires a 6-inch deep pit to allow it to sit level with the basement floor, while the system's motor and chain drive are housed in the attic. (Another Thyssen-Krupp Access model, the Rise, is designed as a “pitless” elevator, easing a remodeler's job even more.)

One critical consideration: locate the door slightly off-center to accommodate the elevator's rail on one side to create a clear opening into the box.

Credit: 2006 Smartpic / constructionprogress.com

A standard 220-volt 20-amp circuit powers the lift. Residential elevators also are regulated by code for speed (no more than 40 feet per minute), weight capacity (up to 1,000 pounds), and size (no more than 15 square feet of floor area); a 5-foot clear space at each opening allows a wheelchair and an attendant enough turning radius. Inside, the cab can be finished with a variety of matching wood-toned paneling, accordion gates, and handrails, as well as recessed lighting, a telephone, and electronic controls (above, right photo).

Supplier: ThyssenKrupp Access; Installer: Castle Elevator, Charleston, S.C. (Orlando office). —R.B.