Jan 12, 2009

Illinois couple downsizes for a simpler lifestyleBy Clare HowardTheHawkEye.com

Kewanee, Ill. — Sue and Will Sagmoen no longer commute to their business in Kewanee. They no longer have lawns to mow and leaves to rake around their suburban home. Frequent trips to Chicago start with a walk down the block to the Amtrak station to catch the Illinois Zephyr.

If there are trade-offs for the couple, it’s hard to see the disadvantages of their move from a two-story, 1960s home with a large, demanding yard to a once-abandoned space over their retail store, Heartfelt Gift Shop & Framing.

After grilling dinner on their roof-deck, something they do year-round, they often walk downstairs to the shop for an hour or two of paperwork.

“This is just a simpler lifestyle,” said Sue Sagmoen, who enjoys cooking and entertaining in the spacious, open floor plan connecting their living room, dining room, kitchen and access to the rooftop deck and garden.

Their building, constructed in the late 1800s, was once a grocery store, carpet shop, offices for the American Red Cross and a martial arts studio. Most recently, the second floor was storage space.

When Will Sagmoen, 57, retired from a 25-year career with the YMCA, he started a custom framing studio in the space. He also bought a real estate business with offices across the street.

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