Homes & Interiors
by Nancy Tujague
When Mike and Gail Wales decided to renovate and redecorate an outdated cottage in the Whitland neighborhood, it was unlike any other project they had undertaken in 10 years of remodeling and selling houses. As a real estate agent with French, Christianson, Patterson & Associates, Mike knows what it takes to ready a house for sale. Meanwhile, Gail learned from her developer father what attracts buyers to a property. But their latest project was personal as they set out to transform a 1930s cottage—owned first by Gail’s grandparents and then by her parents—into a home of their own. In the following Q&A, the Wales describe how years in the residential real-estate trenches prepared them for the challenge of customizing an older home into an updated oasis for themselves.
How did the family history of this house affect your design plans?
We wanted to keep the house in the family. In the 1970s, Gail’s father added some space, so this is just the next generation’s evolution of ideas of the house.
What would you have done differently if you were going to sell the house rather than make it your home?
I don’t think we did something differently here than we would do in any other place. From a standpoint of quality and design, we try to jump into someone else’s shoes and make it as if we are going to live there ourselves.
|
---------------------------Advertisement---------------------------
|
|
---------------------------Advertisement---------------------------
|
Often with older homes, it is difficult to transition smoothly from the older part to the addition. How did you make that transition gracefully?
The windows were a big part of this process. We worked with Lee Peterson of Builders Windows Supply, who helped us match up the new windows with the old in terms of number of panes and size. In the end, we had new casement windows with the old look.
Great Room Traditional planking makes a smooth transition between old and new parts of the house. photo: Eric England
We had carpenters re-create the casing trim around the new windows to match the old style. The house has a more contemporary layout, so we used the older construction features, like the high-based molding and the door and window casings, to stick with the style of that time period.
In terms of flooring, we matched the width and color of the old hardwoods to draw them into the addition. We used red oak and chose a more narrow profile (like the original hardwoods) than what is the more modern style.
And we saved the old windows, doors and doorknobs.
What was the most difficult obstacle in your remodeling process?
photo: Eric England
When you are dealing with a really old house, you just don’t know what will pop up...and we had a lot pop up. Because of lack of codes in the past, you’ll find lots of framing issues with additions. Really any mechanical and structural work is questionable. You’ll find a number of surprises that will affect the original thought process and plan. Because of this, you have to be flexible and willing to move on things that you didn’t count on.
Things that structurally seem to be OK are called into question when you are redoing them 50 or 60 years later. You find that the support, for instance, was not good enough, so the ceiling sags by 10 inches and has to be raised back up with another structure built underneath it to give it the proper support.
We actually ended up tearing out all of the old plumbing and electric. Originally, we weren’t going to tear off the back of the house, which Gail’s father had added, but the slab of the old addition wasn’t up to code. It was an expensive surprise. We ended up having to tear out all the way to the foundation.
One day, we were painting in here, and all of a sudden we heard water running. It was actually a leak caused by the electricians, who had mistakingly sent a jolt of electricity through the whole house that ultimately connected with the metal screen in the old plastic work. Water came rushing from the second floor through the first floor onto the raw, newly installed hardwoods. That was, to say the least, unplanned.
Also, lots of rain caused a month-and-a-half delay.
From a budgeting standpoint, you should come up with a number and add 30 percent and then be prepared to add another 50 percent. You inevitably run into things you had no idea were there. You really should have a plan and an architect involved, and in some cases, a structural engineer. Have a plan, but don’t be surprised when you have to deviate.
Beaming Raised ceilings create airy bedrooms in renovated attic space. photo: Eric England
What were some of your sources of inspiration for décor and style?
Travel. A lot of travel and looking at other homes and magazines.
Things like tall, cased openings and high windows are a very California and Mediterranean influence. They help bring more of the outdoors into a house. It’s a very European concept.
At the same time, though, it’s about appreciating this area and the style of this area, and trying to incorporate local style. We didn’t change anything as far as curb appeal, except color. In this way, we tried very hard to respect the area and the character of the neighborhood. Especially in the Whitland area, the styles are so varying. It’s important to maintain the neighborhood flavor and feel. So when we redo a house, we make a serious effort for the finished product to blend in with rest of neighborhood, simply out of respect for the neighbors.
What were some of the more innovative things you did to create the space you wanted?
The placement of the stairwell. You mostly find that they are centered in the interior. But to put that stairwell going down into the finished basement in the middle of the house would have reduced our space. And we ran into issues of existing foundation, which we would have had to cut into.
Probably the most challenging thing was getting this great room. I knew I wanted really high ceilings and big doors, so getting that done was a challenge. I also really wanted the screen porch to have cathedral ceilings. We had to raise the ceilings in order to accommodate the windows and doors due to their size.
What is your favorite aspect of the house?
It’s this whole living space: the kitchen, the great room and the screened porch. We recently had a 35th reunion of Hillsboro High School, and it was largely in this room. It is such a comfortable and great living space.
Gail’s grandmother had a canning room in the basement, and we took a piece from the cannery, painted it and had the carpenters do an augmentation. It’s just an interesting reminder of her grandmother.
Randy Gore and David Street are the most incredible carpenters. They can build anything from the ground up.
How did you keep expenses down?
In terms of renovating, you always run into surprises, and contractors who do this work know that. If you can, work with a contractor on a time-and-materials basis. That is the way to go, because things will change and you will have to be flexible. The last thing you want to do is try to make a contractor stay within bid when he runs into things that he just can’t anticipate.
Really, changes that an individual homeowner makes can be very costly, so make sure you are certain about your decisions. Tape out areas with painter’s tape and mark out where furniture will be so you can really see what something will look like.
Floor Show Original attic hardwoods get updated with a coat of paint. photo: Eric England
What’s the best advice you would want to pass on to other remodelers?
Hire an architect and hire a decorator. In general, if you can find people who know their trade well, then just listen to them. It is worth paying for their advice, because it will save you a ton of money and time. Then you can go shop around.
Also, don’t automatically tear everything out. Use what you can. On the other hand, you can save a lot of money by going ahead and tearing something out. Knowing what to leave and what to take away is key. If you don’t know that, hire a professional.
The Wales’ house, 200 Carden Ave., will be on the Whitland Neighborhood Home Tour, Oct. 7, 3-7 p.m. and Oct. 8, 1-5 p.m. Home Tour tickets can be purchased for $12 a person, $20 per couple at American Artisan, Davis-Kidd Booksellers or at www.whitland.org.