The Gracious Gambrel: Before and After

Front elevation - Before

It's a wrap!  We've pulled out and the new owners are moving in.  This was a huge project, that took many months.

When we started, we knew this house had good bones - a solid foundation, strong structural members and a tight roof.  The potential was there - but I'm not sure we realized how much work would be involved!

The side yard wasn't easily accessed, but thanks to a new door, patio and fence, now it provides wonderful exterior living space.

Entrance Before

And the whale house number above the front door?  Well that's still our favorite exterior feature!!!

This was a major upgrade - we had to tear out the entire floor, new door, columns, insulation, the works!!

Of course, the new homeowners can enjoy an evening cocktail, sitting on their patio, enjoying the view of Rams Head Light.

The interior?  It was stuck in a 1980's time warp and needed updating.

We started from the foyer and worked out from there.   The wall between the foyer and kitchen was opened up, to improve the flow through the house.

You get a better feel for the magnitude of opening up the kitchen wall, when you look across the foyer - from the dining room.  

The 80's cabinets were removed and we gutted the space to upgrade the wiring and insulation.

By moving the refrigerator to the back wall, we gained a lot of space in the kitchen.

And the pantry, with its antique door is a great addition!  

In the dining room, we opened up the 'window' to the living room, to create a circular flow.  And we created a new mantle, to highlight the beautiful fireplace.

The living room got a major upgrade - literally.  We raised the floor by two steps, added the new exterior door, and installed new custom cabinetry.

Sunken Living Room - Before

Doesn't the room look better, now that the windows aren't sitting up so high above the floor?   

Oh, and we added a powder room in the foyer!  The former, awkward closet (because seriously, you couldn't hang much in there, with the old flue running through the back)was moved to the living room.  

The second floor got an even more dramatic makeover.  This house started as a 3 bedroom one bath home.  We completely changed that and now have 4 bedrooms and two baths.  This meant a pretty dramatic change to the floor plan.  We ended up gutting the entire space, moving walls, floors . an unused chimney and more (including getting rid of the pull chain on the light fixture!!!)

To help show how much it's changed, here's the before and after floor plan.

The old bathroom is now a brand new bedroom.  Can you believe this is the same room?

The front bedroom got a bit smaller, when we stole a few feet to add to the bedroom next door.  But it is still a good sized room.

And this unusual Jack and Jill closet (it was shared by two bedrooms) is now the hall bathroom.

The third bedroom 

But the most dramatic change was in the master bedroom.  What started as a plain, rectangular room is now a big suite with lots of closets and beautifully appointed bath.  

We added a blue 'feature wall' to add a bit of drama to the space, after the closets were removed and the ceiling was raised.   I've tried to capture the difference that new ceiling line makes.....but it's much more impactful in person, than in a photo!

And what was an empty corner of the bedroom now contains a walk in closet and master bath.  

So, what do you think?    Is this a house that's ready for a new generation of owners?

Want to see more?  Follow along with our next project - The Ugly Duckling here on the blog.  And for even more photo updates, follow us on Facebook or Instagram.  

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Gracious Gambrel: Master Suite Before & After

There wasn't a master suite when we bought the house....just a large bedroom with maroon carpet and a row of closets.   You entered through a small room, that really didn't have a clear purpose.

We opened up that wall and added a row of wardrobes in the small room, to provide lots of storage space.   See the angled wall on the right?  That's the only thing we didn't change.

The wardrobes provide lots of storage for all of your clothes!

Opening up the old ceiling and creating a cathedral ceiling resulted in a huge change!  I tried to capture it on camera - but it really doesn't do it justice.  We added a lot of lighting - recessed lighting in the ceiling, an 'art light' over the far wall and a chandelier over the bed.

Master Bedroom - Before

Master Bedroom - After (new Master Bath was added on the right)

At the far end of the old bedroom, we added a walk in closet and a master bath, in what was previously just bedroom space.  

The master bath includes an intricate marble floor, double vanity, and a large shower.

There was a lot of investment to make this a real master suite.  But we think it was worth it!  What do you think?

Back wall - before

Back wall - after

Sources:

Light Fixture - Pottery Barn

Duvet, Shams & Bed Skirt - Pottery Barn

Wing Chair - Pottery Barn

Zinc Table - HomeGoods

Drapes & pillows - Custom made - Nate Berkus Fabric

Vanity - Home Decorator's Collection

Painting - MJ Benson original 

Wardrobes - IKEA PAX with custom installation

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Project Number 10: The Ugly Duckling

Yup - that's our next project.  And without a doubt, our biggest project yet!  

It's created quite a bit of conversation, so I thought I'd start with the FAQ's:  

• Was it in a fire?  
• Surprisingly - no.  The top of the house has shingles that were painted black.  As shingles age, they start to curl up, so that's what you're seeing.  I guess black shingles were popular at some point in time.
• Did you start to knock it down and then changed your mind?
• Again - no.  Someone else had bought it and had completely stripped it, inside and out.  They also dug for an addition.  But they had a change of plans and they called me about buying it as-is.  I'd seen the house a year earlier, but couldn't buy it at that point in time.  But was happy to snap it up this time!
• So you bought just a shell of a house?  With a big, big hole in the ground?
• Yup!  AND, I'd excited about it (yes, call me crazy!)
  
• Are you going to tear it down?  Doesn't look like it's worth saving!
• Well that's a good question.  As we started looking at it, we realized there are some serious challenges.  Some of the foundation is questionable.  The staircase would never pass code.  The floors are over spanned and need to be reinforced.  We will be moving every window location in the house.  And economically, it's probably cheaper to build new.  BUT - it has some architectural charm and we would hate for that to disappear.  We hate to tear down old houses.  
• Does it have water views?
• Maybe.  We are close to the water and up on a hill.  We think it might, if we expand.  More about that later.
• Will there be a Before Open House?
• No!!!  Our insurance company would never allow that.  Only licensed contractors are allowed in.

So, we're calling it the Ugly Duckling (that black and yellow combination makes me think of a duckling every time I see it!).  And we hope it will be a swan soon.  Stay tuned to see our plans!

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