Three Generations Share a Home

Could this be the future of your family?

The revival of multi-generation living has been on the rise since 2009 and continues to be a lifestyle trend for 2012.  “What we’re seeing is the demise of the notion of the nuclear family in favor of the extended family,” said John L. Graham, co-author of Together Again: A Creative Guide to Successful Multigenerational Living.

Motivations range from necessity to convenience to culture.  While some situations may be temporary, others aren’t so short-lived.  Many factors influence a family’s decision to live together:

• Aging baby boomers are moving in with children
• Young adults are living with parents for longer lengths of time or are being forced to relocate home due to the stagnant economy
• The expected growth in home ownership among Hispanics and Asians, for whom multi-generational living is more common

With life expectancies increasing, baby boomers retiring, pension funds failing and minority household growth, multi-generational living will likely be a trend that is with us for a while, if not a new way of American life.

Multi-generational living may sound unnerving yet living together can offer many benefits:

• Help with household expenses
• Child care or elder care
• Allow the older generation to remain independent longer, none of them wanting to admit they’ll ever need formal assisted living
• Emotional intimacy that comes with frequent contact among family members and the opportunity to make a strong connection with your grandchildren and pass on your knowledge and experience
• Reconnect with your adult children at a different stage in both your lives
• Luxury to travel with piece of mind that your house and pets are taken care of; perfect for the snowbirds

In order to make this new way of life enjoyable and comfortable some changes will need to be made.  It is essential to map out your ideal space and to run the numbers on re-do versus buying new, Crimson Design and Construction can help you with this.

If you set up the right space living together under one roof won’t break the bank or drive you crazy. Integrating design that encourages social interaction yet also provides privacy away from the communal living space is the most effective strategy.  Separate entrances and kitchens are critical to success.  Members of the household share many activities and frequently eat together, and the grandparents often take an active role in the care of their grandchildren.  But, at the end of the day, each generation bids adieu and retires to separate quarters.

How do you feel about multi-generation living? And do you think it is something that may be in your future?

Converting A Finished Basement To A Bedroom Suite

We have just started work on a basement bedroom suite in Naperville.  The existing basement was one giant finished room.  We are splitting it in half and using half for the new bedroom, bathroom and walk-in closet.

One of the challenges in fitting a bedroom in a basement is having the code required window.  In this case we had to dig in a new window well and install a four foot square window.  This will allow for some natural light in the basement as well as allow for someone to escape if there is a fire or emergency.

The window well was dug out by hand (8 feet deep!) because there was not room to get a piece of excavation equipment around the side of the house.  This is very common for these situations and we usually end up hand digging the windows.

So far on this project the room has been stripped of old paneling, we have dug in the new window well, and we have cut up the floor and installed the new underground plumbing required for the bathroom.  Overall this project will take about 8 weeks.  Stay tuned for more updates.

Work Begins on Batavia Mother-in-Law Suite

We recently started the renovation of an existing basement in Batavia to accommodate a mother-in-law suite.  As you can see in the photo, the first step was to add a new exterior basement stairway.  This is not as impossible as most people think.  The stairs took about two weeks to get to the point you see in the photo.  We still need to add a railing and some landscaping to complete the stairs.

Inside work is underway to create a full bathroom, kitchenette, bedroom and living room.  It’s almost a complete house in a basement.  Because of Batavia zoning regulations there are some things we cannot add to make it a fully independent home.  However, it’s still a great way to have an older relative live independently will still having them close if help is needed.

This project has been a great way for Joel to put to use his Certified Aging in Place designation (CAPS) from the NAHB.  CAPS takes into account everything from shower grab bars to locations and style of light switches.   As people age and their physical skills become less agile many things can be done in a home to make living there more convenient.  This is something we have seen a lot in the last couple of years as the baby boomers plan for their future.

We’ll keep you updated on this project.

Naperville Basement Finish With A New Twist

We just finished a basement in Naperville where we did something new for us. We left the ceiling alone and painted it flat black. All the joists, ductwork, and pipes are still visible but the flat black paint makes it all disappear. It really is quite amazing!

By leaving the ceiling exposed the client gained valuable ceiling height in a house built before a 9′ basement was more common. Not only did they get an extra 4″ of ceiling height but it feels like even more because you can see up into the spaces between the joists.

The painted ceiling costs less than a traditional drop ceiling and quite a bit less than a drywall ceiling. On the other side, you have to be comfortable with the urban/industrial look of the black. No other color would work as well. The flat black hides all the pipework exceptionally well.

Naperville Basement Renovation

We just finished a basement project in Naperville. One of the nice things about this project is the new stairway. Previously, this stairway was just a carpenter built stair from when the house was built in the late sixties. It was just pine and only suitable for carpet. We replaced it with an oak stair that matches the stairway from the client’s main stairway upstairs. Oak treads and rail with painted risers and stringers. The split paint/stain look is very nice.