Additions That Read as Original to the Home
Large, architecturally integrated additions, new wings, raised and rebuilt structures, expanded living, composed so the new and the original become one continuous home.
An addition is not a room bolted to a house; it is a second composition that must speak fluently with the first. Martire designs additions that extend a home's architecture, proportion and character so seamlessly that the seam disappears, a new wing, a raised storey, a rebuilt and expanded structure that feels as though it was always intended. Principal-led by Courtenay Martire and shaped from the pre-construction phase onward, each project is composed around how you genuinely live, so the added space carries the same intent, craft and quiet confidence as the home it joins.
Integrated, never appended
The difference between an addition that endures and one that announces itself is design discipline. We begin by reading the existing home, its rooflines, the rhythm of its windows, ceiling heights, materials and the way light moves through it, and let those cues govern the new structure. Floor levels are reconciled, sightlines are carried through, and the meeting of old and new is resolved as a single architectural idea rather than a join to be disguised.
The result is expanded living that feels native: a wing that completes the home's massing, a raised structure that lends it stature, a rear addition that opens the house to its garden or its view without ever reading as a later thought.
Best begun before the architect
Additions are most successful when we are engaged early, in the pre-architect, pre-construction phase, while the possibilities are still open. We can recommend or work alongside your architect, guide or create the plans, and hold a single artistic direction from the first conversation through structure, finishes and styling.
Because the design and the build are directed as one, structural decisions and design decisions are made together rather than negotiated after the fact. That is how a new wing arrives with the right proportions, the right placement of light and the right interior architecture, resolved on paper long before it is ever framed.
From new structure to soul print
A considered addition changes far more than square footage; it rebalances how the entire home feels and flows. We weigh what the new space asks of the rooms it touches, then design the interior architecture, custom millwork, cabinetry, lighting plans, drapery, textiles, materials and finishes, so the addition and the original home read as one continuous expression of you.
This is the part many builders overlook. We carry your story into the materials and the detailing, crafting your soul print into space that is as thoughtfully resolved at the threshold and the trim as it is at the roofline.
The scope we take on
This service is intended for substantial, architecturally ambitious additions, typically part of a larger luxury renovation or whole-home transformation, across Chicago, the affluent western and North Shore suburbs, and the lakefront communities of Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana, with select availability nationwide.
We direct each project end to end, including custom joinery, finishes and styling, for clients who value a single, trusted creative hand from pre-construction through the final detail. Where an addition is one chapter of a broader vision for the home, we are glad to carry that vision in full.
A complete, considered scope.
Engaged as your design lead, Martire carries the work across disciplines so nothing falls between trades.
- Architectural integration of new wings and expanded living
- Raised, rebuilt and re-massed structures
- Pre-architect guidance and plan development
- Selection of or collaboration with your architect
- Interior architecture, custom millwork and cabinetry
- Lighting plans, drapery, textiles and finishes
- Material direction and full styling
- End-to-end project direction from pre-construction to completion
Good to know.
How do you make an addition look original to the house?
We begin by reading the existing architecture in detail, its proportions, rooflines, ceiling heights, window rhythm and materials, and let those qualities govern the new structure. Floor levels, sightlines and finishes are reconciled so the meeting of old and new resolves as a single design. The aim, always, is that the seam disappears.
Should I involve you before or after hiring an architect?
Ideally before. Additions are most successful when we are engaged in the pre-architect, pre-construction phase, while options are still open. We can recommend or work alongside your architect, guide or create the plans, and hold the artistic direction throughout, so design and structure are decided together rather than reconciled later.
What size and type of additions do you take on?
We focus on large, architecturally integrated additions, new wings, raised or rebuilt structures and substantial expansions, usually as part of a wider luxury renovation or whole-home transformation. Smaller, disconnected add-ons are generally not the right fit, though we are always glad to discuss the fuller vision for your home.
Do you design the interiors of the new space as well?
Yes. We direct the interior architecture and finishes of the addition, custom millwork, cabinetry, lighting plans, drapery, textiles, materials and styling, so the new space and the original home read as one. Carrying both the build and the interiors under a single creative direction is central to how we work.
If your home is ready to grow, we would love to consider how it might grow beautifully.