Why add a bedroom?

In the 20th-anniversary year of moving into our Portola Hills home near Trabuco Canyon, CA, I have embarked on a do-it-yourself project to add another bedroom. As empty-nesters with 3 bedrooms and an office, we don't need the extra space, but I'm sure we'll find some nifty use for this 4th bedroom.

My reasons for pursing this are threefold: (1) It's a relatively easy project; (2) It should significantly boost the value of the house; and, (3) Construction is my hobby.

The "bridge" over the dining room.

I construct two-dimensional newspaper pages for a living, but in my spare time I prefer to build three-dimensional projects.

For years, I have considered enclosing the vaulted ceiling above the dining room -- behind the "bridge" in the photo, right.

When our child was young, the bridge was "cool," and I would not have been allowed to build a room behind it. More importantly, there were scores of other projects that came first.

When this project is done, you will still see the front railing of the bridge. What currently is the back railing will be a wall containing centered french doors with glass panes, small closets tucked behind each side, and a new upper-bedroom window -- with no view.