Down Under: BARTELT. The Remodeling Resource Featured in M Magazine

Formal dining room, fiery sculpture, invisible storage areas! All this and more converge in expansive basement remodel.

Sometimes what you see is not what you get. Beyond the surface there may be a whole lot more. Built in 1928, this Wauwatosa home was purchased by its owner in the 1970s, but it wasn't until the 1990s that she embarked on several serious renovation projects. The renovations were meant to keep in line with the English Tudor and 1920s flavor in order to maintain the graciousness of the home and display collections of antiques. While many people transform basements into recreation areas, this homeowner, with the help of Bartelt. The Remodeling Resouce, accomplished more than meets the eye.

Even a decent sized home may need a nip and tuck renovation to make the space work just right. In this case, the current dining area was not meeting the homeowner's entertaining needs. The basement was dungeon-like with low ceilings and uneven floors, but this creative owner has an artistic mind, so she could easily see the potential in the lower-level of her home. She wanted to create a space that felt like a regular room rather than a room in the basement. A space for entertaining and displaying art and antiques. With very distinct design ideas, she needed the right technical mind for the project. She also needed a company to step up to the challene and make her ideas work. Bartelt.The Remodeling Resource and their project coordinator were the perfect fit for the job.

In order to create a space appropriate for entertaining, the rooms had to feel just right. The ceiling heights had to be addressed, as well as circulation and storage. The only option was to drop the basement floor two feet.

"When you take away the floor of the basement and go down two more feet, you disturb everything the house knows," comments Holtermann. "It is complex and you must support the footings as cautiously as possible. Your team must work hand in hand to achieve a successful end result".

Even with this floor-to-ceiling adjustment, the space still has three different ceiling heights. In addition, drainage and moisture issues were addressed, hydronic heat flooring was installed and adequate storage areas were required. Every adjustment to the mechanical systems, as well as the varied ceiling heights and functional requirements,needed to be disguised. The overall aesthetic was not to be compromised by these engineering and structural issues. Even with six months of designing and planning, this was a job that required on-site design work as the project was under construction.

"This project was a space planning and engineering feat," describes Holtermann. "We needed to make all the things you have to have the storage, the duct work, and the plumbing disappear."

This project worked like a puzzle with the success of each new detail dependent on the success of the last. As you tour the space, what you think is a wall could be a door, and what could be a room beyond a door is actually just a closet. There is more than meets the eye, and that is just what the owner wanted.

The lower level is approximately 900 square feet and includes a kitchen, entertaining room, powder room, art display and various storage areas. The kitchen offers adequate space and appliances for entertaining as well as the clothes chute, washer, dryer and ironing board tucked away for weekly chores. Shelving units at the entry offer adjustable display areas for antique advertising trays, and serve as doors in disguise for additional closet storage. Panel-front cabinetry masks the appearance of each appliance to create an old-world aesthetic. The owner wanted this lower level to have a European and "Tudoresque" feel.

Copper and atmospheric lighting were two key elements to the entire renovation. The owner was looking for a counter play of light and dark materials. Shimmering copper effects on the alls, as well as copper countertops, backsplashes, a decorative stove detail and hood, create a warm and sophisticated space. Creamy white cabinetry with bead board detailing is intermixed with a hutch-like sink area in the kitchen. In addition, creamy, textured plaster walls in the entertaining area contrast the dark concrete floors and reclaimed pine timbers throughout the space.

The small powder room is packed with more details than one can possibly imagine. A cherub statue was modified to serve as the sink stand and vines of light were created to wrap around the room. Stained glass windows, stone floors and walls, and birdhouses that twinkle with light are just a few of the other unique features. You step into a garden when you enter this room; the owner's vision is realized.

As you enter the main entertaining space, you are greeted by a large sculpture as a focal point in the room. The head of Prometheus, the god of fire, appropriately serves as the surround of the fireplace. This remarkable feature is an attention grabber due to the artistry of Orlandini Studios. The flowing hair and beard of this fire god swirls as if blowing in the wind. It was created with the intention to place glass votives in locks of the hair to allow light to dance across his face and around the room.

As the home of Prometheus, this space offers ample seating for large dinner parties, a space for the owner to work and plenty of storage to hide away the necessary items for both of these activities. Poured concrete floors offer a tile-like pattern. It was poured and cut to allow for color separation, and then the grout lines were painted a burnished brown in order to make the colors pop. A wood-coffered ceiling was designed to maintain a mysterious darkness to the room. The Prometheus fireplace, along with salvaged light fixtures such as old flickering sconces, creates a glow that providesa dramatic effect. "The Prometheus sculpture is a focal point from all angles, but the room has so much more to offer," comments Holtermann.

The walls offer panels of plaster texture between wooden beams. The naked eye may not see it, but these panels can be opened. Storage for dining chairs, buffet items, art supplies and other treasures secretly hide behind each panel. This is an instance where the clever mind of Holtermann engineered the owner's creative ideas. Each panel has a tiny latch to function as a door, as well as a picture hangar in which to display art. In key locations you will find large decorative wooden bolts. These can be removed from the wall in order to allow hand-carved brackets to be inserted to support buffet shelving for dinner parties. When the party is over, the shelving is stored behind the plaster panels, and the bolt is replaced to disguise the hole in the wall.

To keep in line with the materials throughout, a large entertainment center was designed and crafted by Bartelt-Filo. Again, wood was distressed to achieve the European feel. This custom piece completes the function of the space by offering television, stereo and computer needs without sacrificing design. This could not have been accomplished by a store-bought item.

"This is probably the most custom project I have ever worked on," describes Holtermann. "It is so extremely detailed. Everything was drawn out and worked out on paper and then refined again in the field."

According to president and head of production Rick Filo, "A project like this requires a deep understanding of the client's vision. Everyone knew they were part of something unique. We had to be at our best and timing was crucial. This was like an extreme makeover project where different craftsmen areintertwined and the timing and scheduling is critical."

Reclaimed pine and salvaged brick are key materials in the space. Due to the skills of the Bartelt-Filo craftsmen, they are aged appropriately to achieve an old-world feel. Brick arches and a brick ceiling offer a warm textural aesthetic, but in order to accomplish that perfect look, careful engineering was required. Brick veneers were cut and then held in place while they set to form the ceiling detail.

"This project is a conglomeration of details and things that came together over time," describes Holtermann. "When you have a creative and visual client, you have to ensure that every detail meets her expectations. The end result needed to look like a photo, that is what she wanted."

There is a mystery behind every photo, as what you see is not necessarily what you get. In this home the end result is a pretty picture with a whole lot more hiding behind panels and closed doors.

To Read More, download the M Magazine Article [PDF]!

To see more on this project, visit the Gallery and view the Tuscan Kitchen.