feature story / 13 He was aiming for a move-in date early this year. Unfortunately, his fa- ther came down with pneumonia and died in October before the work was completed. On top of that, Mary's mother, Joan, died unexpectedly three days later. All this happened after they had just finished mourning the pass- ing of their beloved dog Dexter. The accumulation of sorrow was almost too much to bear for Tom and Mary and their young children, now 11 and 14. They credit their strong Catholic faith for helping them through such profound loss. In the midst of grieving and hav- ing to attend to the necessary activi- ties connected with a family member’s death, they were forced to reimagine the new space and how it would ac- commodate just the four of them. “The first thing Tom did when he heard his father had passed was take out a tape measure and start reconfig- uring the space,” Mary recalls. Throw- ing himself into the home design was his way of coping with the otherwise crippling grief. The result is a stunning and seam- less expansion that is modern, yet ut- terly true to the house’s shingle-style heritage. What’s more, it has a sense of home that feels deeply personal and suited to the family. On the first floor, Tom opened up the walls on the south side of the house so that the dining room, kitchen, fam- ily room and breakfast nook are open with one room flowing into another. They were able to convert the space from the original garage to a good- sized family room that now features a large sectional. For a family who likes to entertain, the room can accommo- date plenty of family and friends. Upstairs, Tom and Mary’s new mas- ter suite has a connected bathroom far more luxurious than they ever had before, along with a spacious closet to accommodate both of their wardrobes. In fact, they took advantage of this ren- ovation to add several more closets in the hallway to compensate for the lack of storage so typical in older homes. Next door to the master suite is Mary’s studio, where she works as a voice-over artist. The room has a hushed quality to it, as it is fully insulated and features special curtains to block street noise. What stands out about the redesign is the way Tom personalized the space with nods to some of their favorite va- cation spots, many of them nautical. Take the mudroom entryway: The pat- tern of the floor tile looks like some- thing they’d seen while visiting Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. Hung through- out the home are various pieces of art- work featuring Cape Cod, a destina- This circular window mimics a ship's wheel, a nod to the family's love of the ocean. An old-fashioned mechanical doorbell hangs on the new door near the garage and rings a bell inside when the knob is pulled. Many pieces hang in the house reflecting the family's love of Cape Cod, where Tom has been vacationing since he was six years old. SERVICE  KNOWLEDGE  EXPERTISE Broker / Sales Associate 973-214-4636 Susan.Blodgett@cbmoves.com Sales Associate 973-219-8865 Virginia.Spiegel@cbmoves.com Susan Blodgett, ABR Ginny Spiegel @WeKnowNJRealEstate MAKING HAPPY HOMES  EVEN HAPPIER. 145 Maplewood Avenue Maplewood, NJ 973-378-8300 MAKING HAPPY HOMES  EVEN HAPPIER. Our 62+ well-maintained community is located in the heart of vibrant South Orange Village near restaurants, shopping, parks, entertainment and transportation. Our carefree lifestyle includes plenty of social activities, engaging monthly programs, a live-in super and available kosher meals. NEW LUXURY APARTMENTS One bedroom w/open floor plan, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, a walk-in shower and more... $1600/mo. Now Accepting Applications. Owned and managed by the Jewish Community Housing Corporation of Metropolitan New Jersey Village Apartments of the Jewish Federation Come Home to Our Village Contact Site Manager, Cheryl Kasye: 973-763-0999 110 Vose Ave., South Orange, NJ All Faiths and Beliefs Welcome Join Us For An Open House Be One of the First to Preview Our New Luxury Apartments! Thursday, March 15 (3 p.m.-5 p.m.)