It’s got ‘good bones’.
How many times have you heard that about a house? And what does it mean?
Well, for our new project, it means we have a good solid
house, with the foundations for a sophisticated, gracious home. The ‘bones’ are the generous sized rooms, the
wide staircase, structural integrity and the great floor plan.
But for now, it’s still sporting an 80’s look with dark
kitchen cabinetry, tiled countertops, and only one bathroom.
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| This was the height of fashion in the 80's! |
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| Ditto for the light! |
Best of all, it’s a Gambrel Colonial – often called a Dutch
Colonial if you live further south.
I
think of this as a quintessential New England style, with the steeply pitched
roofline, that gives the house so much more character than your basic
colonial.
Our new project was built in 1930 and still has many of its
original features.
I am in love with the
foyer light fixture and can’t wait until we get it shined up to its original
luster.
But the fixture at the top of the steps isn't quite as exciting :-) We'll say farewell to the pull chain soon!
We have 3 large bedrooms.
The master bedroom is large - and has 3 big windows.
and one very tired looking
bathroom, that will be gutted back to the studs (we had the pipes freeze last
winter, causing a bit more excitement than we needed, late one night).
The doorknobs are large glass globes, a bit different than
I’ve seen in other homes in the area. LOVE them!
And we have a few of the old fashioned push button light
switches, that give the place such a historic feel (although truth be told, it
probably means we have knob and tube wiring as well…..sigh…..).
And it has a few other challenges as well. Per building code, we can’t have a wood stove
venting into the fireplace. And while I
love all the built ins, the living room might be too sunken. It seems odd to walk down so many steps - and it makes the windows seem oddly high. But if I raise the floor, that would mean
getting rid of the built ins, or changing them dramatically. I'm still scratching my head about that one!
And I can’t decide if we should keep the original
kitchen/dining room combination and use these two spaces as multiple living rooms.
Or, create a giant kitchen, with a formal dining room and just one large living room.
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| Should this be a Dining Room or second Living Room? |
Oh, and did I mention that it has a fantastic view of Rams
Head Lighthouse from the yard?
I’m
thinking we need a little patio out there – so you can sit and enjoy the view!
Want to come check it out?
We’ll be holding a ‘Before’ Open House on Sunday, July 17th.. 1-3 pm. Feel free to stop by
and see it for yourself. I’d love to get
your input on some of the design concepts we are thinking through! And if you do come, could you please bring a donation for the South Portland Food Cupboard? They are so grateful when we can help neighbors in need!
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Now, its a big master bedroom with views of the Portland skyline. And in the winter, when the leaves are off the trees, you have views of Fort Gorges, in the middle of Casco Bay.
The closets are flanked by barn doors, made from the old roof sheathing that we cut away from the roof. 
Again, we used the reclaimed lumber - this time to create a feature wall behind the soaking tub. And the old rafters became collar ties.
At the top of the stairs is the new loft space. With its big skylight, the loft has room for a desk, an occasional chair and lots of shelving. It could be a craft space, an office space or just a place to sit and relax!
