fter their garage burned down, the own-
ers of a home in Elm Grove, Wisconsin,
wanted to build a bigger, attached struc-
ture to accommodate their growing fam-
ily. e original garage connected to the
house through a covered breezeway and
required people to climb several steps on each trip because
the garage as well as the backyard resides on an elevation
2.5 feet higher than the home.
"Luckily [the fire] didn't get all the way to house, so
the owners started interviewing contractors from there
to rebuild the garage," says Matt Retzak, project designer
and coordinator for Bartelt. e Remodeling Resource, a
full-service residential and commercial remodeling firm
based in Delafield. "While that was happening, they
wanted to check a bunch of other boxes off the list."
e clients tasked Bartelt Remodeling with creating a
true entryway, expanding the kitchen and establishing
a second-story master suite in addition to constructing
a new three-car garage. ey also sought to retain and
enhance the original character of the home, which had
been a barn until 1938 and exhibited rustic charm with
features such as exposed wood beams and painted finishes.
UPGRADED GARAGE
e original garage had been a machine shed for the
farm, but it encroached on the neighboring property, so
Retzak aimed to situate the new garage within the lot
lines. Although he plotted the structure about 10 feet
farther from the property boundary, Bartelt Remodeling
had to procure a building variance, nonetheless, before
the company could begin construction on the new garage.
"We wanted to make a three-car garage work rath-
er than a two-car garage," Retzak says. "e site was
challenging; there's a lot of topography. It drops off
quickly. e garage is [elevated] and then you're taking
five steps down to get to the main level of the whole
rest of the house."
Retzak designed a spacious mudroom to connect the
garage with the home and help the family enter and leave
the house more efficiently. e area includes custom lock-
ers to stash coats and backpacks, which keeps the kitchen
Bartelt transforms converted
barn into modern farmhouse
with reconstructed garage,
kitchen and master suite.
By Kyle Clapham
A
Before
QualifiedRemodeler.com QR May 2017 25