The first time we walked through the house, I remember feeling slightly overwhelmed looking at the areas falling apart—there’s even a portion of the living room where you can see the grass in the front yard. Magically, the more we were in it, the less daunting of an adventure it seemed. This 124-year-old home had style and a past that was worth preserving.
Prior to purchasing it, we had two general contractors and countless subcontractors look at the house. In order to get an accurate bid, we had to play the “if this house were ours” game. Every decision needed to be made. It was exciting and stressful all at the same time. We needed to determine what materials we would use, the layout of the kitchen, new plumbing and HVAC needs, where to put electrical outlets, how many shower heads we wanted… every little detail.
Meeting all the various teams of subcontractors took about two (long) months. We couldn’t completely commit to the house until we knew a ballpark of what we were facing. As the process continued, I looked at Josh and said, “I think we are going to be really disappointed if this does not come back in our favor.” It did not take long to become emotionally invested. Luckily, we were not disappointed!
While remodeling, we are keeping with the era of the home to maintain the value and character. Plans consist of only changing a couple of walls and doorways. The layout of the home will be close (as we can tell) to the original floor plan. That being said, we are adding a few modern conveniences to our old home. Additions like a walk-in closet and updated heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical systems are all on the list. For the most part, we are repairing not replacing the wood floors, interior doors and windows. Unfortunately, we will need to replace all of the original external doors.
We compiled a list of everything we would want if we were to build our dream house, instead of purchasing this home. We thought about a future family, our pets, our hobbies and our lifestyle. Then we thought about design and how this space could support it.
Josh and I love to entertain. In fact, we hosted Thanksgiving for a 20+ friends and family members at our current home just days after our wedding! While making plans for this home, we looked for ways to make each gathering space work for us. Ideal spaces included a family and TV room, a homework-friendly eating area, an efficient cooking zone, separate work spaces for both of us, play areas for pets and future kids, storage or closet solutions, and even individual areas of retreat after a long day.
Use the two arrows in the center of the photos to slide back and forth and compare the before and after of the floor plan that we have in mind.
*Floor plans are not drawn to exact scale.