Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SPRINg 2011
Bringing the
outside inside, Page 5
Fun on the
rooftop, Page 19
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A
s the days begin to lengthen
and we all begin to hold
out hope that the season’s
last snowfall is behind us,
thoughts turn to spring
and the ability to actually enjoy the
outdoors again. In Oak Park, two local
families don’t have to wait for Mother
Nature to turn up the heat to take ad-
vantage of the outdoors. These families
took matters into their own hands and
added enclosed porches — or garden
rooms — onto their homes, bringing in
outdoor vistas year-round and provid-
ing an ideal spot to relax and entertain
when the weather is warm.
On Harvey Avenue, local interior
designer Becky Brofman and her
husband John had been dreaming of
opening up their home to their back-
yard with an enclosed porch since they
bought their farmhouse 13 years ago.
The couple completely overhauled the
home before moving in, but settled in
before tackling their outdoor room.
According to Becky, the addition
was a long time coming. “We’ve been
dreaming about this for years, and
once we did it, it really finished the
back of the house. We knew exactly
what we wanted out here. We wanted
lounge seating and dining space with
wraparound views of the yard.”
Becky, who has 33 years experience
in design and had worked for architects
for several years before opening her in-
Photos courtesy BECKY BROFMAN dependent firm, was able to conceptu-
In And Out: This newly built enclosed porch — or garden room — in Oak Park, alize the space. She didn’t have to look
highlights the outdoors with wraparound views of the yard.
HOMEBOOK // SPRING 2011 5
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too far for building expertise. throughout the home’s inte- better than working with good Spring.
Local architect Tom Bair rior. Becky’s design touches people, and we really had that
lives just a few blocks from are apparent in the form of on this project. With these Celebrating
the Brofmans, as does general the reed sconce covers and older houses, you want any 60 Years
contractor John Peterson, and decorative accents like her work to feel as if it belongs to
their visions of the project Thai blessing swans and the house, and I feel like this Forest Park’s Largest
meshed perfectly.
The resulting enclosed back
metal Haitian birds.
Becky says that her hus-
really does.”
Hardware Store
Schauer’s
porch opens off the home’s band John was the real driv-
The diagonal wall trick
family room with two sets of ing force behind the addition. Mena and David Bou-
French doors, allowing light “He does all the maintenance langer had a similar desire Do It Best Hardware
to fill the interior. A railing out here, and it is very simple to open up their living space
system of copper stiles, a with the system that Tom Bair to the outdoors when they
7449 W. Madison St.
beadboard ceiling with white and John Peterson created,” added a garden room to their Forest Park • 708-366-1100
beams and four skylights, she says. “The storm windows 1892-built home several years Get In, Get Out,
bring a homey, outdoor can be removed from the ago. Their house had an older Get It Done!
style that complements the inside, so we don’t need to get porch with a second story
100-year-old house. on a ladder to remove them deck above it, and they faced Visit our
An outdoor sectional sofa seasonally, and the screens some unique challenges in
with slip-covered cushions store neatly underneath the their effort to create an all-
and an industrial table base porch in a storage area Peter- season enclosed porch.
topped with Corian are practi- son planned for us.” David notes that they
cal touches that bring modern The porch is everything thought for some time about
style into the room. Tomato- the Brofmans hoped for and how to approach the project. Card Shop
red accents in the storm door more, thanks in part to the “We’d been thinking about Just a few steps away!
and pillows add cheer even craftsmanship of their profes- doing this for 15 years, but we Cutest Store on the Street!
in the depths of winter and sional neighbors. According couldn’t figure out a way to do 7443 W. Madison St., Forest Park
coordinate with red accents to Becky, “[T]here’s nothing it and still be able to eat out- 708-771-7761
HOMEBOOK // SPRING 2011 7
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side while protecting our fa- kept our cabinets and coun-
vorite paper-white birch tree. tertops from the 1950s and just
One side of our home is only reconfigured them,” she says.
one foot from the property “We put in a shelf around the
line, so it was very difficult to walls of the garden room for
plan the project.” my plants so that we could have
The Boulangers addressed blooming year-round. David
The practical approach to improving your game one aspect of the problem built window boxes to hang on
by using a diagonal wall on the outside of the new windows
one side of the room. They so that we would have views of
also were able to top the new colorful flowers in the sum-
150-square foot room with mertime.”
a deck, so that the existing The new, triple-paned
It’s the new way to play a round of golf regardless of doors on the second floor windows with built-in blinds
the weather, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Play a round could still be used. between the panes are practi-
with your favorite foursome. Practice your long or short Mena notes that not only cal in all seasons, providing
game. Or, take a few strokes off your score, with the was opening up their space protection from the elements
instant shot feedback you get with every swing. to the backyard important, in the winter, and allowing the
but so was incorporating the Boulangers to block the sun
Eyeputt simulates real green slope of the garden room into the rest of during the hottest part of the
play to provide a real putting touch. the interior. day in the summer. A vent-
“The garden room opens free fireplace and plenty of
into our kitchen, so we had to space for dining has made this
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By LACEY SIKORA High above the bustle of down- SKYvIEw: The eco-friendly rooftop
Contributing Reporter town Oak Park, the building’s deck deck at Oak Park Place offers
W
space expands on the interior green
panoramic views of Oak Park
hen Oak Park Place design, offering residents a chance
opened its doors in to get away from it all. Tracy Vegler, and neighboring communities.
2009 it promised to general manager of Oak Park Place,
bring a new kind of says that the deck, built on top of
residential experi- Trader Joe’s market on the seventh of community activities and people
ence to Oak Park. Eco-friendly floor of the building, was designed to really love hanging out up here,” she
design and materials as well as a be as eco-friendly as possible. says. “Even in the winter months,
central, walk-to-everything location “All of the plants are self-irrigat- residents enjoy the outdoor land-
made the new construction appeal- ing and the native grasses and other scape of the deck through the walls
ing to a wide range of potential plants require little, if any upkeep,” of windows of our indoor recreation
residents from young professionals she says. room, and the grills are used year-
to students to retirees. The modern Vegler notes that besides offering a round.”
mid-rise building at Harlem Avenue gentle environmental effect, the deck Resident Jen Kaufman has lived in
and Lake Street was built around space truly influences the building’s the building for a year and can’t say
the concept of green living, but the community feeling. enough good things about the deck
apartments themselves aren’t the “We have tables and chairs out and its positive effect on resident
only things to benefit from such here and community grills. Come relationships.
design concepts. spring and summer, we have a ton “The deck is a great way to meet
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2211 N. Oak Park Avenue
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708/ 848-4800
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your neighbors,” she insists. says. “One of the great experi-
Can’ttfhinindg to
“Oak Park Place sponsors par- ences is the potluck dinners
ties once a month, and during bringing together people
the nice months, we also have from different cultures and
some this week’s
do in dar section?
yoga out on the deck. With its their different foods. We have
wide-ranging views, it’s a very students and other residents
peaceful atmosphere. Between
the barbeques planned by
from foreign countries. I’ve
met people from Saudi Arabia,
calen Wednesday
Journal, Septe
Oak Park
mber 10,
2008 47
CALENDAR
Club
Photography 51
and River
that Oak Park
about events We’ll work to get the
es notices ng.
Journal welcom businesses are planni Wednesday a week
building management sets up with different area chefs.” school stop and Cicer
’s four ensem n,
o. The group ghout the regio
throu
bles
Today’s after-
se Park perform g the holid
ays.
go, Melro Oak Park but o-
gh in Ballet durin5 p.m. in the audit
ed throu rehearse Joffrey 3:30 to Oak Park.
have work e com- with the
educators young peoplFigaro” including ions will be froml, 416 S. Ridgeland, al.net.
cians and
DAVE NORRIS
to make of The audit n Middle Schoo c@sbcglob
Local musi almost 20 years “Marriage bers range of Julia or e-mail oprfc
you get for ng from mem rium 71
make sure , Sept. this group c rangi Chorus from Oak ls, call 383-19
to sing, with musi bled Water.” For detai out artist
who likes (Wednesday fortable school
and come -
Sept. 12. Checkwine at her
Trou ood, Chica
a child afternoon Children’s Cho- ge Over to high yn, Mayw
If you have auditions this to “Brid rgarten p.m. Friday, g
her to
t
River Fores scholarshi
ps are
from kinde Forest, Forest
Park, Berw RED 6 to 9 tt’s work while sippin show a
him or Park and prepared, and . Check River Madis on, Forest Juliette Herwi tt’s paintings
Oak le. 7300 Herwi
10) for the needs to
be group
achieving tm.
Park, availab ion. at night time, of
material group rates opening recepturban environments
and the yoga classes, I’ve met different foods and learning
Arts rs.org.
Oak Park and ions/Commu Performing . www.village-playe 3 p.m. Recept www.oakpa EN OF EDEN
Communicat 866-764-1010
The Sept. 10 at Free. Call Jessica Cochra University’s PARK’S GARDsnapdragons, sweet pea
Foran, OPRF or kforan@oprfhs.org. ESCAN ABA IN LOVE Jeff Oct. 18. Domin ican . VISIT OAK of
RE’S n by urday, du g flower show
708-434-3099 CIRCLE THEATl, Escanaba in Love, writtep.m. It will www.dom.e n, River Forest
LOVERS for details. Gallery, 7900 W. Divisio the ongoin
FOR MUSIC
at 8 AT HOUSE
Escanaba prequeWednesday, Sept. 10, s, O’Connor Art
ERALD’S 8 p.m. Friday 2, 9, PAINTINGS
C AT FITZG Daniels, opens 12 through Oct. 26. HERWITT’S
Try
ays Oct. JULIETTE
ROOTS MUSI singer spot- run from Sept. Sundays. 8 p.m. Thursd shows, $26.
ConCrete
Sidewalks •Stairs •Driveways
Patios •Foundations
Curbs •Repair
Call George
(773) 497-1217 Cell • (708) 442-9828 Office
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-Virginia Woolf
from different countries were the deck is a huge benefit to
708-383-3535 loving it. Not everyone is living in the building. When
This Mother’s Day from a place that gets a lot of he and his wife moved into the
give her the gift of her own space. snow, so they really enjoy the building in November of 2009,
they didn’t know how much
Room redesign special: $200 weather in all seasons.”
The deck faces west and they would enjoy the outdoor
• Interior Decorating • Feng Shui north, offering panoramic space, and it has come to be a
For more information, contact Alexisviews at: of the village and part of their daily lives.
• Color Consultation • Home Organization “We really started taking
(708) 752-2255 or alexis@alexisnielseninteriors.com neighboring communities.
• Home Staging A glass, wrap-around wall advantage of the deck in the
ensures that the views are spring, and now we use it all
not obscured. Winding paths the time,” he says. “We social-
lined with landscaping lights ize with our neighbors and
and carefully placed benches enjoy the dinners building
alexisnielseninteriors.com Alexis Nielsen Interiors encourage residents to sit and management sets up with dif-
708.752.2255 enjoy the outdoors. ferent area chefs. My wife’s a
Retiree and Oak Park Place teacher, so during the summer
resident Dave Norris says months we tend to grill three
20 HOMEBOOK // SPRING 2011 Offer valid through 5/31/10
6KRS$UWIXOO\
OAK PARK ARTS DISTRICT
Where you find creative ways to grow, live and play.
• Galleries and studios
• Restaurants
• Healing centers
Shop Artfully
• Architects and designers
• Home furnishings
or four nights a week on the festivities. Norris and his
• Salons for men and women
deck. Even in the winter, we wife entertained friends on The Oak Park Arts District...
• Shoes and clothing stores
use the grills, and if we want the holiday last year and can’t where you find creative ways to grow,
live and play.
• Pet care
some company, we can eat in wait to keep up the tradition • Galleries and studios
• Residential and commercial
• Restaurants services
the adjacent common room.” this year. “It was magnifi- • Healing centers
• Classes and activities
• Architects and designers
Norris tries to get outside cent last year. You could see • Home furnishings
• Salons for men and women
as much as possible. “I’ll have fireworks from downtown to • Shoes and clothing stores
lunch on the deck, and I enjoy sky was lit up.” What’s Bloomin’ Art•Festival
Classes and- activities
May 20 & 21
spending time up there alone All-in-all, residents sing Art on Harrison - September
2011 EVENTS
16 & 17
What’s Blooming on Harrison-May
as well. I’m retired, so if I the praises of the deck that Holiday Lights - December 9 & 10
Art on Harrison-September
Holiday Lights-December
want to get out of the house, has become a natural exten-
I’ll grab a cup of coffee, or a sion of their apartment life YOU SHOULD
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