Photography by Alise O'Brien
An addition was always part of Tom and Megan Wall’s plan for their 2,700-square-foot home with no basement and a dated master suite.
When the Walls purchased the Creve Coeur house, in 2011, their two boys, now 7 and 4, weren’t yet born. But once they came along, renovating the property to modern standards became even more important. The couple began with an overhaul of the first-floor living space and kitchen, then moved on to the kids’ rooms and shared bathroom.
“Once they started getting older, their toys and their lives started spilling out into the common spaces, and we realized we didn’t have space for everything,” says Tom, owner/principal with Mitchell Wall Architecture and Design, “so we started talking about how we were going to tackle the addition.”
Tom began working on the design in 2016, seeking to create a space that would match the style of the house while providing a place for storage and room to entertain and raise a family.
“The whole thing was designed around being family-oriented,” Tom says. “We wanted a house the kids could grow into. We decided that, once we do this, we’re here for the duration.”
The home’s proximity to the property line meant that the Walls were limited in how far they could expand to the north, so the addition would have to run east/west—but the home’s north-end roof already had a vault running east/west.
“To add another at the same level would create problems with water runoff, not to mention being awkward to look at,” Tom says. “It became apparent that the best option would be to expand not only out but also up. What the house required to look correct drove a lot of what we did.”
Creating a two-story addition to the existing home allowed the new roofline to mirror the old one, sitting adjacent to and above it. It also enabled the Walls to have a more dynamic rear elevation than the one that would have been created with a single story.
The plans included a new master suite, expanded laundry room, a powder room, a second-floor multipurpose room, a guest room with bath, and a new basement with a playroom for the boys, an entertaining space for the grownups, and another bathroom and unfinished storage space. Once complete, the home was more than 5,900 square feet.
At the same time, the couple tackled the home’s outdoor living space to create a backdrop for the addition. Tom and Megan decided to bury the original swimming pool, tucked away in a far corner of the yard, and enlist Pool Specialists to build a new one closer to the house. They also built several tiered outdoor seating/entertaining areas, including a large party deck off the living room; a walkout patio off the finished basement, with a fire pit, leading out to the pool; and a small private deck off the master bedroom.
Along with a glass door leading to the deck, the new master suite includes a vaulted ceiling and a wall of windows overlooking the yard, mirroring those in the living room and dining area.
Tom wanted the addition to feel seamless. “You have to be respectful of what’s already there,” he says.
A stunning feature wall behind the bed, made up of hand-painted teak tiles by IndoTeak in a bright turquoise-and-cobalt geometric pattern and framed in walnut, provides most of the room’s visual interest; a pair of George Nelson Cigar wall sconces completes the modern minimalist look.
The master bath is what the Walls refer to as “unintentional family design.” The boys have all but abandoned their own bathroom in favor of the new double shower and freestanding tub. “They haven’t used their bathtub since we built ours,” says Megan.
On the other side of the shower, a double vanity of oiled rift-cut white oak is set against a wall of custom cascading waterfall mosaic tile by Artaic. What was once an office/study off the foyer has been expanded to create a family library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
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Photography by Alise O'Brien
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Photography by Alise O'Brien
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Photography by Alise O'Brien
Next to the library is the new powder room, which pops with color (“Megan’s department,” says Tom). Its fun turquoise-and-white Stanley wallpaper, by Flavor Paper, is offset with a bright orange Diresco quartz vanity.
But the home’s largest family space—and the one that’s perhaps most telling of their individual personalities and interests—is the loft-style multipurpose room on the new second floor. An open staircase of oiled white oak tucked behind the living room wall leads the way there.
“I have my architecture studio, Megan has her quilting studio, and the boys have their architecture studio and our LEGO/ping-pong/conference table,” Tom says.
Off the room, a full guest suite provides a private space for visiting parents and friends.
Another set of stairs behind the opposite side of the living room wall leads down to the new basement, where there’s even more room for family fun and entertaining. The boys’ playroom is filled with their toys now, but in time will morph into a private hangout spot. With comfy furniture and a large TV, it doubles as a family movie room, which the Walls enjoy on most Friday nights.
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Photography by Alise O'Brien
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Photography by Alise O'Brien
Just down the hall is a “playroom” for the adults, with a bar and an entertaining space with doors leading out to the deck and pool area.
“We like to play board games with our friends, so Tom and I kind of differed in our opinions of what this room was going to be,” says Megan. “He wanted a table and I wanted a sectional, so we compromised with a big table and chairs paired with a sectional, so the table is a little bit of a lower height than a normal table.”
The bright turquoise Joybird sectional—another Megan find—provides a touch of color, and Abstract doodles graphic wallpaper by Wall Sauce adds whimsy to the area.
Since the expansion’s completion, the Walls have been enjoying their home, both together and with friends.
“Once the pool was finished, we started having Sunday fun days for families,” says Tom. “We entertain a lot.”
