An homage to the original

It had to happen. At some point, we knew winter would settle in and remind us just how bone-chilling it can be in northwestern Illinois. The words ‘polar vortex’ aren’t particularly conducive to exterior restoration.

So we turned our attention to the interior. The goal of the interior restoration is very much like the exterior — keep the original architecture and make necessary updates and repairs. That means the original floorplan stays, and we try to make modern mechanical upgrades in the least obtrusive way possible. As those of you who have taken on restoration work know — this approach takes lots and lots of planning. It involves meetings with contractors and HVAC, plumbing, and electrical experts to get the best solution. Our architect, Adam Johnson, and our contractor, Renaissance Restoration, have been invaluable partners in this. We’re so grateful for their expertise — and their patience — as we wade through all the options, the pros and cons, the knowns and unknowns.

When taking on restoration work, sometimes it just isn’t possible to duplicate an original detail exactly. That’s the situation we found ourselves in with the mansard roof. As much as we would have loved to replicate the original design using original materials, it just wasn’t feasible for our budget or our timeline.

We chose an architectural synthetic slate tile rather than natural slate. The synthetic slate tile, we felt, was a great alternative. The colors were a near exact match. But the sizes and shapes of the tiles were quite different.

It took a lot of discussion and planning and even a full-size mock-up to come to a design solution that would work. We couldn’t copy the design exactly. So our goal was to come as close as possible to the defining features of the original design. We used three colors and two different shapes. The end result was a perfect homage to the original.

The roofers worked in unbelievably cold weather, all while paying close attention to every detail. We were amazed. By the end of the month, they had figured out a pattern and scale we were all happy with. The first section of the mansard roof was done. And it was beautiful.