Before & After: Their Chicago Bungalow Needed a "Magic" Transformation—and They Pulled Off the Trick

When Kris Rey and Kev Cahill started meeting with architects in 2021 for their house remodel, they had lived in their Chicago bungalow for several years and had a good grasp of its pain points. The main floor was cramped with small rooms. The second floor only had two bedrooms—one for them, and one shared by their two children—but now they had a baby on the way. The basement was a Tiki bar leftover from the 1960s—and although it was admittedly fun for karaoke parties, it wasn’t working for the whole family. "Our daughter was too afraid to go down there," says Kris.

The couple wanted to open up the main floor, add more bedrooms, and refinish the basement. But the first person that they interviewed didn’t see their vision. "He was like, ‘I’m an architect, not a magician,’" says Kev. Then they met with William Scholtens of Elements Architecture.

The couple shared their wishlist with Sholtens and asked him if the spatial redo was possible while preserving the home’s original charm. "He said, ‘It’s all about making those magic moments,’" recalls Kev—and the couple were thrilled. "He literally said he is going to make magic," Kris remembers thinking. "He is a magician."

Before: Front Exterior

After: Front Exterior

Before: Front Room and Stairs