330 Homes Summer 2021

s p a c e l i f t | f r e s h d e s i g n | o p e n a i r | s m a r t t e c h

by VINCE GUERRIERI and photos by TYLAR SUTTON

GROUND UP A basement gets finished as a fun hangout for a cultured couple.

T he plan was always home, custom built in 2001, to have a finished basement. But the homeowners didn’t get around to it until recently, which led to some inauspicious timing. They started meeting with Medina-based designer Dena McLaughlin and Tim Englert Construction of Wadsworth in late 2019, for this Bath Township and the contract was signed March 11, 2020 — right before Ohio shut down amidst the COVID 19 pandemic. “We waited a month and said, If you’re comfortable, we can start,” says vice president Justin Englert. The space had outdoor access, so the workers could social distance from the homeowners, and the project took much longer than usual. At 2,300 square feet, the basement could accommodate a large open common area with alcoves that fulfill the homeowners’ must-haves — a workout room, bath room, TV area and game lounge — while affording ample space for a distinct design incorporating the couple’s “love for old things” from travel rel ics to castle motifs, all in neutral tones. “It really was a dream project,” McLaughlin says.

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