From the early 1990s until 2006, the average size of newly constructed, single-family, detached homes in the United States only went one direction — up. Those golden years of the housing boom gave rise to the construction of many thousands of homes well in excess of 4,500 sq. ft. as more Americans sought and purchased the homes of their dreams.

One such family with a newly constructed home approached Gardner/Fox Associates, Inc. with the uncommon request to de-compartmentalize their walk-out basement. With ample living space on the home’s first and second floors, the family of three challenged architect Damian Kelly with the task of actually removing a guest bedroom and bathroom to create one large living space for sitting, playing billiards and general relaxation. The upshot: Many thousands of such dream homes remain in need of remodeling based on changing individual lifestyles.

As constructed, the home’s basement level was fitted with a small family room, a billiards room, a bar and an unfinished theater-style media room. Guests had access to a bathroom adjacent to the family room. Meanwhile, almost half of the basement’s finished space was devoted to an exercise room, a bedroom and a second bathroom, which were not needed. The existing basement floor plan looked and felt like a rabbit warren with rooms leading to more rooms.

By removing the center bathroom as well as an exercise room and bedroom, a larger, more open, light-filled room became possible, but de-compartmentalization was only part of the objective. The owners also sought to create a rich, club-like room for enjoying cigars and wine, rooms that were to be distinct from, yet visually joined with the enlarged basement living space. In addition, says architect Kelly, there was an overriding goal from the owners to make the lower level live and feel like the rest of the richly appointed home.

“They wanted the space to feel like another level of the home, not just a basement,” says Kelly.

To that end Kelly created a cigar and wine room area with arched brick entryways, custom-made cabinets and a beautifully executed coffered ceiling. The adjoining wine room was made to feel like an old vintner’s wine case. This was quite a challenge in a new home, but the authentic feeling was accomplished via a combination of masonry and masonry veneer finishes. Two courses of masonry brick veneer in antique red accent the arched opening to the wine cellar, creating a distinct, semi-private gathering area for adults. The interior of the wine vault was covered with caramel-colored country ledgestone and Brandywine-dressed field stone. Barrel-vaulted and covered with brick, the ceiling of the wine room mimics a true rathskellar, like a European bar below street-level.