Above: The bedroom area is adjacent to the sitting area in this master suite remodeled by
Carmel Builders, Inc., Menomonee Falls.

Below: Master suites can include a sitting area with a place for reading or to enjoy a lake view.

When winter hits Lake Country, sometimes the best thing to do is to curl up in a quilt with a hot cup of tea and a great book. 

Many area residents are turning their sleeping area into restful retreats to do just that.

More and more homeowners are focusing their attention on creating a master bedroom suite that combines multiple rooms for a large sleeping area, a full master bathroom and a seating area with a lounging chair or two for reading or enjoying a lake view. These retreats can have a coffee station or under-the-counter refrigerator.

Left: The bedroom area is adjacent to the sitting area in this master suite remodel by Carmel Builders, Inc., Menomonee, Falls.

ADDED ATTRACTIONS:

There are many options available for homeowners deciding to add a master bedroom suite onto an existing home.

Carmel Builders of Menomonee Falls has undertaken a variety of projects that include new master bedroom suites.  Tom Weiher, president of Carmel Builders, discusses a project that added a second story master bedroom on top of an attached garage.

 “The biggest challenge to building up is that it was over the existing garage and existing family room. We had to penetrate the existing roof system and at the same time protect the finished living space below,” Weiher says.

For this project, the home was a 30 year-old, two story colonial with modest-sized bedrooms and no master bath.

The master suite added about 700 square feet of space, enough to house the bedroom, office space, master bath, walk-in closet and a smaller cedar-lined closet.

 “They wanted a lot of open space and to bring in a lot of light,” Weiher says. Sola-tube skylights were installed in the office and hallway, which let in natural light.

A master suite was added to the back of the house so that the home owner’s mother could live there in the future.

The solution was to create an exterior alcove entry area that provides an attractive separate entry to the master suite.

Another project created a luxurious first-floor master suite as part of one two-story addition.

 “They wanted windows looking out into the wooded backyard,” Weiher says. The extravagant bedroom has a circular ceiling in which a circle is recessed and adorned with custom wood molding. Rope lighting adds a sense of elegance to the recessed circular ceiling. ,

A recessed barrel ceiling with accent lighting was added in the master bathroom. The bathroom is decorated with pillars and granite tiles and contains a whirlpool tub.

The sweetest part of a master bedroom suite is that it is a restful haven.  Homeowners can stretch out and relax, enjoy a gorgeous view without interruption or simply close the door on the rest of the world.