Kate Gancer’s love of home design had long been satisfied by working on her own house, but once she exhausted all renovations and decorating there, she knew she had to find another outlet. Teaming up with her brother Matt Lattner, she decided to start rehabilitating Oak Park homes that had lost some of their original charm.
The pair’s latest project, 630 S. Maple Ave., has returned to that block a bit of its former glory. When Gancer and Lattner purchased the home in June 2011, it had long been used as a two-flat. At one point, the home had been owned by Oak Park Hospital which was considering expansion. Though expansion plans changed and the block retained its residential balance, the home remained in a state of disrepair.
Gancer knew there was more to the structure than met the eye, but it took a lot of work to get there. When she first saw it, the home lacked curb appeal. It featured a faded brown-and-yellow exterior, an ill-planned rear addition with a flat roof and a tacked on outdoor staircase to the second floor.
“You can tell it was a beautiful house at the time it was built, but we had to completely gut it. The high ceilings and heavy front doors remain, but we took it down to the studs and installed all new mechanical systems.”
Realtor Julie Downey, who is listing the home for $575,000 for Gagliardo Realty, notes that the house features all the modern amenities plus the spirit of an older house.
“You can tell it’s an older home,” Downey says, “because of these high ceilings and tall windows. All the windows, moldings and wide-planked hardwood floors are new but made to look like what might have originally been here. Kate really tried to blend what people want now with an old farmhouse feel.”
Gancer worked with local contractor Joe Burns to meld the best of old and new in the home. Downey notes that his experience was invaluable.
“Joe is familiar with these old homes,” she says, “and is very skilled at making sure they maintain their integrity during a remodel.”
One of the first steps in updating the home was addressing the main floor, which had been converted to a self-contained, two-bedroom apartment. Gancer replaced the low-ceilinged, flat-roofed addition with a higher ceiling add-on, taking down some walls in the process to create a large kitchen that opens to a family room.
The kitchen features honed granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, custom cabinets and period appropriate subway tile. A large island delineates the kitchen and family room, offering plenty of storage, a built-in microwave and a seating area.
Gancer notes that this room makes the house conducive to how families live today. “We tried to think about what people want in a living space,” she says. “Most really enjoy a big, open kitchen and a family room. We brought the roof-line up to the rest of the house and kept a deck off the back so that there was easy access to the outdoor space.”
Gancer’s use of simple, classic design ensures that the new space fits in with an old house aesthetic. Built-in cabinets on one wall of the family room blend in seamlessly with the moldings of the home and feature bead-board backing for a continuation of the farmhouse feel.
Off the kitchen, a reconfigured hallway is a nod to how people use their homes today. Gancer relocated a basement door that formerly took up a wall of the dining room, a first-floor powder room and a large closet into one area off the kitchen. Easy access for the homeowners and guests keeps the necessities close by the main living areas, but does not interfere with the flow of the main rooms.
The family room opens into a formal dining room and the home’s formal living room at the front of the house. Gancer and Burns worked together in this area to maintain the old house feel. An original fireplace in the living room received a facelift with new tile and a new mantle. Burns hand-crafted the wooden staircase to make it look old.
The entry to the house was not overlooked. Bead-board ceilings on the front porch now feature a fan and recessed lighting. The home’s entry vestibule is flanked on either side by the rehabilitated original front doors, and Gancer chose a diamond-patterned dark marble for the vestibule floor, paying homage to the patterned tile that probably once graced the space.
The second floor features three bedrooms with re-worked closets, a light-filled second-floor laundry room and a completely new bathroom. In keeping with the other design choices throughout the home, the bathroom looks as though it could have been original to the house, but sparkling new finishes include a marble floor and countertop and subway tiles.
The third floor was originally cramped attic space, but Gancer and Burns worked together to make it a spacious retreat.
Gancer notes, “We dormered out the south side of the room to allow for more headroom. Joe built in tons of storage along one wall, including a space for a TV. This space could be used as so many things. With its two connected rooms, it could be a great bedroom for multiple children, a guest suite or a private office space. “
The third floor includes another full bathroom, which features marble-tiled floors and a marble vanity counter.
All-in-all, the project took about six months to complete, and Gancer feels it was a good use of the siblings’ time. “My brother is retired, and he was looking for a project. I just like to do home design, so this was a perfect pairing.”