| |
This
stunning circa 1909 folk Victorian was one of the earliest homes built
on East Lake Drive in Decatur's Oakhurst district. When we began the restoration
in early 2005, the house had been turned into a duplex and had suffered
many attempted repairs and cosmetic remodeling attempts that didn't fix
root problems. For example, there were places where the building had been
jacked up several inches, creating extreme dips and valleys within the
interior. Added to that, termites, water damage, and a fire had nearly
destroyed the house, and a bizarre roof repair had created a flat surface
at the rear of the structure. The central hallway and kitchen floors were
missing and had been patched with plywood. After fixing all the structural
problems, we replaced the damaged floors with reclaimed heart of pine.
After a year-long restoration, this colorful jewel of a home bears little
resemblance to the battered duplex of recent history. Now, a painted lady,
it features 3 bedrooms & 2 baths, refinished heart of pine 6-panel
doors (all brought into the home), grand Victorian mantels, salvaged century-old
tiles, antique lighting, cherry cabinets, loads of granite & marble
and much more. Nearly every piece of woodwork in the home is antique heart
of pine, including the floors, doors, millwork, mantels (some are antique
oak). The original house had little of its woodwork, so most of the natural
wood found within was saved from other demolished old houses & stripped
of layers of paint. Where necessary, we custom-milled old heart-pine into
crown molding. A challenging restoration, the end result of this project
is a dream house Victorian with all the charm of a century past.
Virtual
Tour:
|

click
for larger image
|
It's all about curb appeal, and this house has it in great abundance:
from the stained glass to the gingerbread details to the stone,
gorgeous front door,
and many gables. The granite porch was re-pointed with a
"grape-vined" mortar detail. The stained glass in this
house really sets it apart from other restorations; both the entry
transom and the front gable glass were designed to match the enormous
stunning period glass in the dining room. All the stained glass
features the torch motif found in the antique glass. The homeowners
found the copper gas
light that perfectly complimented the torch theme of the house.
Aside from the aesthetic details, there was a lot of work put into
the backbone; this entire porch was rebuilt.
[Top]
|
|
|
Upon entering this warm, inviting house, guests will be struck
by the vintage woodwork, stripped of its paint and shellacked to
highlight the rich red tones of the old wood. A triple bay offsets
the left side of the living
room and is located across from the grand oak mantel,
tiled with reclaimed period tiles. The mantel, tile, restored brass
chandelier,
and millwork have all been imported to infuse this home with period
ambience. The crown
molding, found throughout the house, was custom milled from
salvaged cotton mill beams.
[Top]
|
|

click
for larger image
|
To maximize intuitive flow and entertaining possibilities, we removed
the existing wall from the central hall to the dining
room. An LVL beam was installed to support the load bearing
wall and two vintage oak
columns were added to frame out the space. The existing window
was rotted, so we installed a stunning and enormous stained
glass double-hung window salvaged from a New Jersey mansion.
This window
is spectacular in its own right & crafted by one of the four
major stained glass studios from the turn-of-the century. The heart
of pine mantel was saved from a West End Victorian home and the
tile pattern
was designed and installed by LSR from reclaimed tiles. This
fireplace - from the mantel, tile, and cast iron surround- boasts
incredibly beautiful rich colors, which complement the rich stained
glass.
[Top]
|
|

click
for larger image
|
This natural cherry kitchen
features everything that a serious gourmand would desire. Stainless
double ovens, cook top with downdraft venting, a wine
chiller with flanking wine racks, sleek granite tops, and the
richness of cherry wood. To create a custom look with stock cabinetry,
LSR took inspiration from century old designs and created an ornate
crown featuring dentil molding, and carved corbels. The toe-kick
was also custom crafted using cherry veneer. The heart pine floors
in this kitchen were salvaged from other old houses, although they
look identical to the original flooring.
[Top]
|
|

click
for larger image
|
A lovely room, the front bedroom features another triple
bay with a large double hung window that shows off the gingerbread
and hand built columns. Like the other fireplaces, this heart of
pine mantel and tile was rescued from a demolished West End house.
To maximize wall space and offer more flexibility, a pocket
door was added to connect this bedroom to the dining room.
[Top]
|
|
|
A virtual showplace, this character-rich bathroom boasts
the reglazed original clawfooted
tub, an unstained cherry vanity with creamy granite, and an
usual stainless under-mount sink. The floor was tiled with a light
buttery marble, laid on the diagonal. Beaded board wainscoting,
matching brass sconces,
a vintage reproduction chrome shower surround & faucet, and
a reclaimed late 1800's leaded, beveled window add to the sense
of timelessness.
[Top]
|
|
|
A long central hallway brings the public rooms and the private
chambers together via a well-lit ribbon of reclaimed heart pine.
An antique fir French door at the end of the hall pours sunlight
into the space and allows easy access to the deck. Electrified gas/electric
antique sconces
adorn the hallway, further illuminating the corridor in the evening
hours. All heart of pine
doors were imported into this home, rescued and restored from
other demolished homes; they feature cloverleaf hinges and beautiful
Victorian hardware. Also, the homeowners added reproduction push
button light switches throughout to further enhance the old
house character.
[Top]
|
|
|
A tucked away private master
suite at the rear of the house has the rare walk-in master
closet and a lot of light. The unfortunate windows we found in
this bedroom were replaced by a custom-crafted heart of pine window
milled from cotton mill beams. More light is provided by the fir
French door that opens into the rear deck.
[Top]
|
|
|
This mocha travertine bathroom features the signature LSR
double shower
heads, stone that runs to the ceiling, a pair of brass sconces,
a beveled leaded period window,
and beaded board wainscoting. A double cherry-wood vanity boasts
stainless undermount sinks, sumptuous Baltic brown granite, and
chrome Victorian faucets. The commode is tucked away behind a closet-sized
heart pine door.
[Top]
|
|

click
for larger image
|
This back bedroom was likely the original kitchen of this
house. It features an exposed brick chimney that probably functioned
as the flue for an old cookstove. Both custom crafted windows were
milled from heart of pine. All the windows in this house were accentuated
with bronze chains and pulleys.
[Top]
|
|

click
for larger image
|
This tree-house styled deck
has a bird's eye view of the sloping backyard and has two entry
points to the home-one public and the other private. The backyard
is fenced for privacy and backs up to a wonderful wooded lot behind.
[Top]
|
email:
paula@laughingsun.com
|