The Homeowner's Journey Pt. III - The Grand Finale

The Rudolph Residence Completed: 2025 size: 4000 sq.ft. Features: "SINGLE LEVEL LIVING" DESIGN FOCUS 1900 SQ.FT. BASEMENT WOODSHOP WALK-IN PANTRY WIDE GALLERY FOYER

​Allow me to backtrack to recount some background on the Rudolphs and their project. Jill and Jeff lived in their previous two-story home for many years; it housed their two children who have since left the nest to the east and west coasts. While aging in place had only recently become a point of consideration, it ultimately proved to be the best next step for the two. Staying in their own home also meant staying in the community they loved, as well as maintaining independence and quality of life. Their journey towards aging in place began with exploring the possibility of remodeling their current home; namely, putting a primary suite on the first floor. After some investigation, they came to the conclusion that it would be costly, and because of a remodel they had done to the home ten years prior, there was no likelihood of recouping those costs in a sale. Jill and Jeff then started to look at homes on the market that fit their needs and unfortunately, in Naperville, a first-floor primary is quite the rarity. ​Thus, they decided to embark on a custom home build and hired Studio21 Architects to design their last (and hopefully best!) home. Single level living was the main motivator, but there were other big-ticket items on their wish list, including

​ ​With that being said, let’s jump into the design. To say I was wowed was an understatement. Walking in through the front door, two things immediately caught my attention. First, the height. To be abundantly clear, this is a ranch house, but the Rudolph home shows that single level living does not preclude you from the grandness of high ceilings. In the main living area, the fourteen-foot ceilings allow in ample natural light, through the French doors below and the clerestory windows above. The second thing that caught my eye was the color. The foyer welcomes you into the home by offering a gallery-like experience, where you are drawn to perusing the colorful art pieces collected by Jill and Jeff over the years. To the lefthand side of the entrance, the stairs to the basement are framed by glass paneled railings and a massive surrealist seascape, the dimensions of which seem to be almost made for that location. As you make your way into the heart of the home, more beautiful and colorful artwork can be found. A personal favorite were the statuettes climbing down to the living area’s shelving (pictured right).

Curated art collections bring a vibrancy to this modern home.

A woodworker's dream workshop!

While there are many more spaces to talk about and design elements to share, there simply is not enough room for it all. But this Project Spotlight would simply not be complete without speaking on one of the more unique aspects of the Rudolph residence: the wood shop. You can see examples of Jeff’s work throughout the house, but the basement is where is all happens. Almost 2,000 square feet of the basement was built out to house a fully functioning wood shop, complete with a special ventilation system and electrical service. The workshop does have direct stair access from the garage, which lends itself to the ease of getting wood into the shop, as well as getting

See the full gallery here.

By: Emma H. 

Emma works as the Marketing Manager at Studio21 Architects. For each of our newsletters, Emma conducts interviews, writes articles, and formats the pages to make sure they reflect the great design we value so strongly at this firm. She may not be an architect, but she certainly makes sure that our marketing materials have the same high-quality design as our architecture!

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Glad To Be Grateful

A Note From Bill

Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner as I begin to write my article for this issue of the newsletter. Every year, I am reminded of the unbelievable sacrifice of those who gave their lives for our country. Although never perfect, I am extremely grateful to live in this country—it truly is the land of opportunity. In light of the timing, I’d like to share some of the things that I am personally grateful for. ​At the top of the list: my successful open-heart surgery and (relatively) smooth recovery. “Open-heart surgery” is something that I had only ever thought about in

By: Bill Styczynski

Bill Styczynski is the president of Studio21 Architects, as well as an architect in his own right. Every month, Bill writes an article for the Studio Pages newsletter about design topics that he believes will be informative, helpful reads for all of our clients, established and potential. ​

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DuPage PADS' Drive for 195

The Race to End Homelssness

Homelessness is not a moral failing, but a cycle that one can find themselves in through no fault of their own. Losing a job, a car breaking down, or a health crisis can all become the catalyst to a person becoming unhoused. At DuPage PADS, providing housing is the first step; they also provide support for health and employment, among other things to help a person break the cycle. Last year, PADS served 1,221 individuals in DuPage County. Among those people, about one third of them were children—mostly under the age of five years old—and another third were seniors. And in a circumstance that is all too common with those experiencing homelessness, 283 people were survivors of domestic violence.  ​Their annual Drive for 155 karting race has the goal in the name: to raise 155,000 dollars to continue their crucial work

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