Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/216837
Renovating an awkward second story was a way for Linda Oakley to create an open, airy place apart for herself and her Midcentury Modern collection of furniture and art, and honor her home's bungalow style and quality craftsmanship. Oakley's master suite studio makes a great blueprint for what could be a guestroom, as well, with an en suite bath, sitting area, study and access to an outdoor deck removed from the rest of the home's day-to-day living space. From there, Oakley, a University of Wisconsin nursing professor, collaborated with Sweeney to create a sleek, lightWhen they started, the second level was divided into several rooms. "It was…wow. It was a disaster zone," says Sweeney, whose team tore it down to the studs and started over, opening it up into a beautiful new personalized space Details are key to the design. For example, the landing at the top of the stairs (just near the door to a renovated deck), features an iron railing that Oakley detree canopy, which naturally guides the eye to the door, and the light. "I wanted to be able to look through branches and look through the door," she says. Sweeney and Oakley also kept the nooks and crannies inherent in the bungalow's older construction. And they agreed to add certain features to accentuate separate spaces. Built-in bookshelves look as if they could be original to the home, and balance out the skylight. New moldings are the same design as the originals downstairs. model a house, especially an 80-year-old house, you need to do something that honors its age, and complements the marvelous construction," Oakley says. ley's vision are a nod to her collection of Midcentury modern furniture and art, In keeping with the style, the bathroom "Tile would have not have been consistent with that home," she says. "And I Embarking on a major remodel in a keeping to a client's vision as the project evolves makes it that much more challenging, Sweeney says. "It's a slow process," he says. But, it's a creative process they both enjoy. Says Oakley, "I like taking something and making it into its fullest, most beautiful space." And in that, she has found her perfect space and place apart. DECEMBER 2013 | BRAVAMAGAZINE.COM 29