Donna and Don Jensen have lived on Kenilworth Avenue in Oak Park since July 1979. This fall, they’re making a big move. They will travel two miles south to join their son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons to live in an accessory dwelling unit in the younger Jensens’ back yard.
The two couples are collaborating on a new, three-car garage with a two-bedroom coach house above it. The space will provide a number of benefits to both generations.
When Claire and her husband Collin found the family’s new house in South Oak Park, they knew the old garage was in bad shape.
“We had just gotten a note from the village that we had to do repairs on the garage,” she recalls and notes that the structure was a “falling over, one-car space.”
They began thinking about building a coach house and decided to go for it over a family Easter dinner. Don and Donna thought it was a great answer to their quest for a home for the next stage of their lives.
Don Jensen says, “When we sell our north Oak Park house, it will pay for the coach house. It’s kind of a trade.”
“Downsizing to a smaller house or condo would probably cost more,” says Donna.
Claire Jensen notes that before her boys were in school full time, Donna and Don were loving caretakers for Arthur and Freddie, so they are used to spending a lot of time together.
All parties are big fans of multi-generational living. Donna grew up with a grandmother in her home, and she and Don relish their close relationship with Arthur and Freddie.
Working with contractor Kevin Hibbits and architect Bob Bell, who just happens to be the former owner of younger Jensens’ home, the two couples came up with a design that suited them all.
Don Jensen knows Bob Bell from his local running group, and when Bell was ready to sell his long-time home, Jensen suggested that his son and daughter-in-law might want to take a look. Bell sold them the house along with his plans for the garage and coach house.
The garage is divided on the first floor. There are two parking spaces for the younger couple. The grandparents have a separate parking space, with its own door, entryway, and a small room that can double as a workout space.
Claire says of her father-in-law, “Bubba is a very active person. There’s room in there for his Peloton.”
“They’ll enjoy this space for many, many years,” Claire says, “but eventually, the apartment can be used as a rental so we wanted to make this entry and staircase a separate space.”
Upstairs, the kitchen isn’t much smaller than what Don and Donna enjoy in their single-family home, meaning the couple don’t have to downsize much in terms of their day-to-day belongings.
They have a sizeable living room, with plenty of room for a Christmas tree to be displayed in front of large windows. A primary bedroom has room for a king-sized bed. The second bedroom can be used as an office by day and will include a Murphy bed for sleepovers with the grandkids.
During the construction, everyone focused on efforts to make the space accessible for the future. The shower door has a low threshold, and the staircase is made to accommodate a chair lift in the future.
Claire and Collin have plans to later renovate their own home, so one of the biggest decisions they had to make was what colors and finishes to choose for the exterior of the coach house. While the siding and shingles mimic the main house, they are planning to paint with the colors that will eventually be used on their home after their future renovation.
So far, Claire and Collin say their neighbors have been incredibly receptive to the project. Claire says, “I wouldn’t be surprised if others on the block want to do it too. It’s the dream to be able to stay in the house you live in and pass it on to your kids.”
Arthur, a rising third grader at Lincoln Elementary School, and Freddie, a rising first grader, like the idea of eventually living in the main house as adults and seeing their parents live in the coach house. Although both agree there are a few details to work out on who gets the bigger bedroom.
Claire, who is a fifth generation Oak Parker, calls their neighborhood the type you never want to leave. She moved across the street from one of her friends from Oak Park and River Forest High School, and now their kids are best friends.
“We landed on the best block in Oak Park. It just felt like everything fell into place.”