Beauty And Brains
By Elizabeth Hoppe
By Elizabeth Hoppe
The team at Silver Leaf Construction & Renovation has been designing, building, renovating and improving homes in the Hinsdale area for almost a decade, led by President Jeff Pavlatos. The company’s approach is simple but effective: an acute attention to detail on any home project, large or small. From an individual kitchen project to a start-from-scratch new home build, it’s all in scope for Silver Leaf.
One of its new projects in Clarendon Hills was a fun one for the team, says Pavlatos. “We purchased a ‘50s-era ranch home with a good location close to town and in a great school district,” he says. The location was too good to pass up, and rather than tear town the existing ranch and start over, the team embarked on a major remodel.
“We kept the existing foundation and 50 percent of the first-floor walls, then designed around it,” Pavlatos explains. After adding two more floors on top and a some additional bump-outs to the main level, the once-modest ranch is now a transitional modern farmhouse with the kind of features you’re used to finding in a new build with a bit of exterior character you sometimes don’t.
“The goal is to produce a super well-designed, efficient space,” says Pavlatos. “It has an open-space working kitchen and functional baths.” In other words, every detail in the space has been thought through and has purpose—a trend he’s seeing in the industry.
“With this flow, the living room is gone,” he adds. Instead, it’s a large family room open to the kitchen. The house has built-in banquette seating in the kitchen that’s smart and useful without taking up valuable space. A butler’s bar leads to a large formal dining room, and a mid-sized office with a barn door adds a functional space to the first floor.
“All of our projects are trending and on the forefront of design,” Pavlatos says. He describes the aesthetic look as classic design with a cotemporary feel. “You get that value of a long-term design with a splash of the latest trends.”
So what are those trends? Lighter floors, monochromatic color schemes, light and bright rooms, white kitchens. “We’re really steering away from darker colors,” he says. “Also, a nice-sized master is key for a home this size. The master has a large bath with big closets—his and hers. That’s a key thing that’s lacking in small square footage homes in this area. There’s also second-floor laundry and a third-level flex room with a bedroom and bathroom.”
Probably the piece de resistance is the bright kitchen with white cabinetry, quartz countertops, and that breakfast nook surrounded by windows, leading into the family room and overlooking more entertaining space in the backyard.
What you get with this new Silver Leaf project is a remodel that costs about 30 percent less than a new build of the same size—but it has all the same smart benefits and features.
And those benefits are evident throughout the home in every detail that has taken time and attention from a talented team of professionals at Silver Leaf Construction & Renovation.
This new property is located at 411 Colfax in Clarendon Hills, and is currently listed with Chris Pequet. See more photos and details of the home at chrispequet.com, or call 630-327-5175 to set up a time to see Silver Leaf’s work in person.
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