Renovation
The Grand Foyer
An Entryway Dressed to Impress
The grand foyer at the front of the house was intended to impress visitors with high ceilings, large cased openings to the wide center hallway and parlor, and a staircase with two landings. Numerous weddings were held at the home over the years with brides descending the staircase to greet guests.
Many layers of paint covered the decorative outer stringer, obscuring the original egg and dart details. The railing and newel post were also painting but thankfully the this baluster which is most arduous part of a stair case to strip and refinish was left untouched. Stripping back the paint on the outer stringer remains in progress and is slow work with tiny dental tools.
The Drawing Room
Comfort in the Heart of the House
The drawing room served as the private retreat for the family in the heart of the house. The large room with a cozy fireplace and wood paneling adjoins the main center hall and has a separate door to the veranda.
At some point in history, likely due to the large size of the family, the wall between the center hall and the room was removed creating a larger space. However, this created structural concerns and created an awkward proportion for the room, for example, leaving the fireplace off-center on the wall. The wall has now been replaced, securing the structural integrity of the center of the house and recreating the original proportions. The original fireplace has been fitted for gas logs for convenience.
The Parlor and Dining Room
Be Our Guest
The public side of the house was just through the large french doors in the foyer. Guests would have been welcomed into a lovely high-ceiling parlor with a fireplace. The room offers excellent views of the large field in front of the house and the hills just beyond. The parlor had previously sustained significant termite damage which was repaired and mitigated. There was a large built-in bookcase that was likely added in the 50’s that has since been removed for access to structural components.
Just behind the parlor is the dining room which adjoins the kitchen. This room is the biggest project in the home with significant rot and termite damage to the outer wall. The rim joist of the home is entirely missing in one small section and a build-up of silt had to be dug by hand from the crawl-space and shoveled out the window. The structure will be jacked up and the framing replaced before any work can progress on that side of the house.