Custom homes allow freedom of imagination

When Evan Harris starts the building process with a new client, the first thing he wants to see is the client's wish list.

"We ask our customer to show us pictures of what they want in their new house in terms of design elements, exterior elevations, amenities, and floor plans. At that first meeting we discover their major priorities versus the types of things our clients can live without."

"As a custom builder, we are able to honor almost all requests and try to accommodate them no matter how unusual they may be. After having lived in several homes, our clientele know what they want. Fulfilling their needs has enabled us to grow a successful custom home business in Barrington and Inverness for the last 35 years."

One customer who had a special request was Joanne Han. Since she does so much ethnic cooking, her number one priority was a double kitchen. Joanne and her family come from China, where it is customary to have two kitchens. Actually all of Joanne's friends live in homes with dual kitchens. The main kitchen is for food preparation, eating meals and entertaining, while the smaller secondary kitchen is strictly for cooking.

When Joanne prepares culinary feasts for her family, which includes her husband and two sons, she does a lot of deep frying and the odor has a tendency to permeate throughout the house. So the second kitchen, which is adjacent to the primary kitchen but is entirely enclosed, measures 12 by 10 feet and contains a stove, oven, cabinets, sink and garbage disposal. It also has a high velocity exhaust fan to alleviate the cooking odors. Joanne says, "Harris Builders was easy to work with and they accommodated all of our needs."

Over the years, many customers have requested health spas and exercise rooms in their basements. So when the DiCicco family decided they wanted the pleasures of swimming year-round in their South Barrington home, Harris did some research. The club-like space required moisture-resistant walls and windows. To make sure the room would be perfect in every way, Harris conferred with various suppliers, manufacturers and a pool designer so that the products selected would not compromise the space or cause moisture to infiltrate other rooms. The room is completely sealed and has its own heating and ventilation system. Water resistant materials such as a cedar ceiling, concrete floors, perma base drywall topped with stucco and vinyl clad windows keep the room dry and control the humidity.

The original idea for a splash pool ballooned into a free-form 9,000 gallon pool complete with a stone waterfall, raised spa and fireplace wall. Engulfing a quarter of the basement area, the space was designed to include a locker room with shelving and cabinets and a steam shower next to the pool. A second kitchen and family room were added, providing entertainment space so the DiCiccos can have a party that includes summer activities even during the cold winter months.

"One of our recent clients is a family with young children whose top priority was a sports court, a place where the children can play a variety of sports and invite all their friends over to join them," said Harris. Bringing the outdoors inside in the winter time is great in the Chicago area, so Harris Builders has created a 45- by 25-foot sports court with concrete floors and walls.

Here the homeowner and his family and friends have ample space for such sports as basketball, soccer, hockey, roller skating, racquet ball, tennis and virtual golf -- all in the privacy of their own home, even when its 20 degrees outdoors.

"This is a great place for kids," said Harris. Parents like the idea of children having their own space such as a sports court. It allows friends to come over and hang out together. That way, parents know exactly where the children are, who they are playing with, and what they are doing.

Since special requests are very common in the custom home business, Harris has included many specialty rooms on the lower level of his Showcase House.

Perfect for the family who loves to entertain, the 3,800 square foot lower level has to be seen to be believed. A second family room contains a fieldstone fireplace, and plenty of room for a game table, sectional sofas and large screen TV. There's also a full entertaining bar with cherry cabinets and granite counters.

"Many of our busy customers are under major time constraints and don't want to leave home to work out. That's why we provide them with their own glass-enclosed exercise room, right in their own home," said Harris. Another fun room is the spa, which features a steam shower, dressing room with lockers and a bathroom.

The 500-bottle wine room has wooden wine racks and a tasting table, while the separate Sony home theater features a 110-inch screen with dramatic theater lighting and seating.

A visit to the Showcase House and sales office brings potential custom home buyers into an Old World-styled residence adorned in brick, stone and stucco with an arched pillared entry, two octagonal-shaped stucco turrets topped with copper roofs, and a multi-gabled cedar shake roof.

From the charming barrel-covered porch, enter through an arched classic mahogany front door into a grand two-story vaulted foyer with marble floors accented in green slate. French doors bring you into an octagonal library with mahogany bookshelves, beamed ceiling, wainscoting and cherry floors. A spacious dining room is crowned with dentil molding and features a bay window, a backlit tray ceiling and wainscoting.

Straight ahead through French doors is the 27-by-15-foot gourmet kitchen with a large center island. Unique white speckled granite counters with triple pencil edge cover the hand-rubbed antique white glazed cabinets adorned in decorative moldings. Rich Brazilian cherry floors cover the kitchen, oversized breakfast room and great room.

Two stately pillars and an arched opening separate the kitchen from the oversized breakfast room with its lighted tray ceiling. Adjacent to the eating area is a sun room surrounded by nine arched windows illuminating the space in light. The sunroom opens to a two-story wood deck.

A two-story great room has an 18-foot limestone fireplace flanked by cherry bookshelves, an entertainment center and mahogany-boxed, beamed ceiling with a spectacular chandelier. Bringing the outdoors in is a two-story elliptical-shaped picture window.

Another custom home now available is The Braymore Hills Lakeside Chateau, a French-inspired residence located on a one-acre parcel in Braymore Hills of Inverness. The home showcases a two-story foyer, formal dining room and living room as well as a library with custom cabinetry. A fireplace highlights the great room, while lake views can be seen from the gourmet kitchen and eating area. All five bedrooms include private baths and the walkout lower level offers an exercise room, steam bath and locker room, a home theater, wet bar and wine cellar. This home is offered at $3,490,000.

To visit the sales office and tour the model, open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, take Palatine Road west, right on Barrington Road, right on Bradwell Road, another right to 80 Geneva Court. Call (847) 382-2210 or visit www.harriscustombuilders.com.