Distinctive Remodelers creates new, double-sized basement for Mokena homeowner

June 14, 2011 - PRLog -- Theodore Roosevelt once said some people can live up to their loftiest ideals without ever going higher than a basement. Step down to Mokena homeowner Mari-beth’s bigger, better new lower level and you’d be hard pressed to argue with that axiom.

What was previously a perfectly utilitarian but otherwise ordinary 1,500-square-foot basement has been transformed into an extraordinary 3,000-square-foot space perfectly suited for entertaining, gaming, movie watching and more—compliments of Orland Park-based Distinctive Remodelers.

“Originally, we had two bedrooms and a full bath downstairs,” said Mari-beth of her two-story, 18-year-old home. “It functioned as more of a guest suite for when my in-laws would stay with us. But after they passed away, our needs changed. We have four children and I have 10 siblings, so we do a lot of extended family entertaining in our home these days.”

Enamored of their community, schools and neighbors, Mari-beth and her husband didn’t want to move. So they focused their attention on expanding and improving the home they loved. They chose Distinctive Remodelers to reinvent their kitchen, build a family room addition and completely rework their backyard space. But it was the untapped potential in their basement that particularly intrigued Mari-beth and her family.

“We host a lot of parties here, sometimes attended by up to 100 people, so we needed to adapt our lower level to our current lifestyle and make it more conducive to entertaining, relaxing and having fun,” she said.

Distinctive Remodelers essentially doubled the size of the lower level by building out a 12-foot-high extra space underneath the family room addition that opened up to the existing eight-foot-high basement, which was gutted. Distinctive’s crew fashioned a dedicated home theater space served by a digital projector and 130-inch screen, a wide leather sectional sofa, and high-top tables and stools for extra seating. In the corner is an elegant wet bar equipped with cherry cabinetry, a custom marble bar top, sink, microwave, dual dishwashers, refrigerator, wine cooler, icemaker and bar stools.

Right next door is a game room housing a pool table and Wii game system. An elegant spiral staircase was also chosen to lead from the new family room to the lower level. Bright can lights were peppered across the ceiling, along with a few strategically positioned pendant lights.

Continuing the sports bar theme in the bathroom, the crew installed a flatscreen TV on the wall, removed the shower and fashioned a separate dry sauna in its place.

“We created more of a sports bar type environment downstairs with a tropical theme to it that evokes a comfortable, warm weather vacation feel. It’s a getaway space where family and friends can gather to watch a game, enjoy a cocktail, shoot pool, or indulge in a movie,” said Bryan Nooner, president of Distinctive Remodelers.

In addition to the bar itself, Distinctive Remodelers implemented three eye-catching focal points. First, in the gaming area within the older basement space, Distinctive’s team built what the Mari-beth’s children call “the shrine.” It’s a bump-out in the wall that displays all of their trophies and sports memorabilia on special shelving and lighting faced with glass. Secondly, behind the bar, a high definition TV screen was hung, framed carefully by cabinetry so that it looks like a giant aquarium stocked with live fish when a special Blu-Ray disc is played. Third, an impressive custom built round recessed ceiling dome with warm, deep orange lighting was created.

“We were posed with a challenge from the customer of how to camouflage a few vertical steel posts within the older basement area,” Nooner said. “To make these impediments more functional, we decided to box them out with trim and wood and put tabletops around each post, turning them into wall-to-floor mini-tables served by stools.”

Additionally, Mari-beth gained more storage space when Distinctive Remodelers crafted a long, narrow closet behind the bigscreen TV wall: the perfect spot to store boxes, Christmas trees and miscellaneous.

“Our new and improved basement is like an extra home within a home,” she said. “An instant vacation is waiting just a few steps below,” said Mari-beth.

Mari-beth added that the smartest decision she made was “choosing a remodeler who also has vast experience as a builder. Apart from countless remodeling projects, Nooner and his crew have built hundreds of homes across the suburbs, so he brings a much broader, more comprehensive perspective to the job. He’s designed so many great floorplans and knows what a homeowner values in a residence. And he understands how to retrofit within an existing structure as well as how to plan for present and future spatial needs and create maximum flow and efficiency in a living space.”

Nooner noted that, especially in this economy where trying to sell your home may lead to disappointing results, staying put and making what you have better can be a smart decision.

“Many homeowners overlook the endless possibilities a basement can provide,” he said. “While many lower levels are unfinished areas simply used to store items and handle laundry, they can be utilized in many other ways. The basement is a great spot to add a fitness room, home office, guest suite, hobby space, home theater, dance and karaoke studio, pet sanctuary—you name it. The prospects are as limitless as your imagination.”

Distinctive Remodelers can accommodate any size basement project and work within your budget to fashion an ultra-functional yet esthetically irresistible living space. Additionally, the firm specializes in a wide assortment of renovation projects, from room build-outs and second-level additions to kitchen makeovers, and roofing, siding and window replacements — with no residential job too large for the firm to tackle. Additionally, all work is backed by a full warranty.

Aside from its highly skilled crew, the company has an unparalleled reputation for outstanding quality and value. Plus, Distinctive Companies has a 3,000-square-foot, full-service design studio, making it simple and convenient for remodeling customers to choose their exterior and interior product, finish and material selections. From cabinet pulls and plumbing fixtures to flooring options, door handles, appliances and trim packages, everything is there under one roof. Homeowners can browse through plentiful wall and floor displays, samples and swatches.

“When you enlist our services, you can rely on experienced, courteous professionals. Everyone on our crew has been carefully screened, and they will treat you and your property with the utmost respect,” said Nooner. “And you can count on punctual responses to your questions and requests.”

Moreover, he added, “you can rest assured that you’ll receive the highest level of customer service from a project manager specifically assigned to your home who will supervise your job from start to finish.”

To make an appointment for a free estimate, contact Distinctive Remodelers at (708) 479-7700. For more information, visit www.DistinctiveRemodelers.com.