This family came to me with a special request: they'd found a site just west of downtown Naperville with some of the oldest oak trees in DuPage County, and they wanted to build around them, not despite them. The challenge was designing a 4,500-square-foot home that honored those trees while creating the space they needed—four bedrooms, multiple offices for working from home, and a play room for their children.

The solution was to orient the main living spaces toward the wooded backyard, preserving the oaks and giving the kitchen, breakfast area, family room, office, and master suite views into that natural canopy. Natural light was equally important, so we positioned the decorative main stair at the front of the house where tall south-facing windows and an open roof dormer above bathe it in daylight throughout the day.

Outdoor living was central to their vision. A pergola and open porch with stone fireplace extend the family room outside for evening gatherings, while a side porch with built-in grill connects directly to the kitchen for easy entertaining.

The finished basement became a retreat of its own—custom bar, game area, and family room with fireplace and built-ins. A home that balances the energy of family life with the quiet beauty of those century-old oaks.