When a couple with four young children purchased a circa 1936 home in the Orchards neighborhood of Baltimore, they knew right away it had everything they wanted: a large foyer with a picture window looking into the backyard, a u-shape surrounding a patio with access to the exterior spaces from many rooms, and a beautiful yard. What it lacked were modern conveniences and a certain vibrancy that only a family and updated décor can create. Acting as their own general contractors and interior decorators, the homeowners embarked on an ambitious demolition and renovation project that breathed new life into the house in just over a year’s time.“I knew we’d need to do an addition, but the landscape was right,” says the husband. “You can always change the house but you can’t change the land.” After attending the broker’s open house, he immediately called his wife who was at the pool with their four children. She toweled everyone off and came right over with the kids. “It had a great feel and it flowed well,” says the wife. “When you’ve looked at so many houses, you know when it feels right.”
New built-in shelving and moldings throughout the home complement the original structure's architectural style.
While they wanted to preserve the home’s traditional, old feel, they didn’t want it to be “dated,” nor did they want something overly grand. “We wanted it to be fresh, clean, open, and comfortable,” says the wife. “And with the kids, it had to be livable.” Having renovated several properties in the past, the husband knew exactly what he wanted to do. He sketched out his designs and took them to architect Paul Gorman who translated his ideas into drawings the builders could utilize. The day the couple signed on the dotted line to purchase the home, demolition began.
In the foyer, closets were ripped out and replaced with bookcases designed by the husband to flank the entryway. They added a mudroom, a necessity in a home with four children and two dogs. Now each child has his and her own cubby for storing coats, shoes, and backpacks. They gutted a sitting room, replacing obsolete, dark wood paneling with custom designed horizontal paneling. They replaced all the moldings in the house and placed mullions in all the windows. They tore out pink porcelain toilets and sinks and reconfigured entire bathrooms. They updated an old butler’s pantry by adding glass cabinets and a state-of-the-art wine cooler. When they took on their biggest project—the demolition and reconstruction of the kitchen—this small pantry was outfitted to double as the family kitchen.
Prior to the renovation the home had a small kitchen, an old maid’s quarters, and a garage.These were all removed to make way for an open floor plan kitchen and family room on the first floor and two new bedrooms for the children on the second floor. The planned called for a large bay window looking into the backyard as well. From many vantage points in the house there are places where mom and dad can, “always keep an eye on the kids.”
“I love to cook and we entertain, so I wanted room to move,” says the wife. The new kitchen features the professional-grade appliances the homeowner desired and is minimally designed so as almost to feel industrial. There aren’t even any window treatments, just pure white cabinetry, marble countertops, and steel appliances. Yet there are elements, like the lime-colored stools and a large wooden farm table that add warming touches. Since its completion, the kitchen has hosted impromptu neighborhood cocktails, a Christmas party, and the onslaught of 25 family members for Thanksgiving, all with style.
The traffic generated by the large family puts these new spaces to the test so particular attention was paid to the durability of the materials. The couple chose carrera marble for the kitchen countertops because they can be wiped down and the couple likes the patina the marble gains with age. The vibrant pink and green print on the family room chairs is an outdoor Thibaut fabric; the raspberry sofa covers are washable cotton. “We chose floors that hide dirt,” says the husband, pointing to the Italian porcelain tile floor in the kitchen. “The pine floor we did [in the family room] because the more it nicks the better it looks.” He continues that, “We’re not afraid to use anything – it’s not a house where you can’t put your feet up.”
The sitting room was gutted, and dark wood paneling replaced with custom horizontal paneling.
They employed numerous builders and were constantly tracking down the plumbers, the tile layers, and various other craftspeople. The key to survival is organization. “You have to be ready to hit roadblocks,” says the husband. “You will hit hiccups along the way so you need to be prepared to make quick decisions and problem solve.”
For every room in the house the couple made up a collage on a large piece of black foam board where they mounted pictures from magazines and catalogues of looks they liked, color chips, fixtures, and other specifics. They also had an oversized calendar where they tracked deadlines and appointments. Phone numbers for everyone from the electrician to the carpenter were listed next to the calendar for easy reference. When the major construction was completed, the couple started moving from room to room with the interior design. “We like the idea that you start with one color and lighten it or darken it to the next room instead of doing a whole bunch of colors,” says the husband. Hence, the front rooms are variations of celadon green and soft yellows and the family room is a transforming shade that can appear blue or even gray depending on the light. After living with a master bedroom painted blue, the couple swapped the paint for a subdued striped wallpaper by Thibaut in soothing shades of green, yellow, and beige, which underscore the comfortable and elegant simplicity of the room. “I think they’re all very settling colors, nothing drastic,” says the husband.
Although the children factored into many of the decisions, the family did not scrimp on luxury entirely. Fabrics include designs by Scalamandre and Pierre Deux, but they are used judiciously so the house doesn’t appear overdone. For example, the wife designed all the window treatments, like the simple silk hangings in the dining room, and her mother-in-law sewed the designs. The house is filled with pieces the couple has collected over time from tag sales and antique shops. Many of the oil paintings in the home are gifts they’ve given to each other as anniversary presents.
According to the owners, people often misjudge the house as overly large because of its commanding curbside presence. In reality, it is a comfortable house with livable spaces, all of which are used. The living room is the husband’s favorite place to nap, for instance. “It’s not obnoxiously large,” says the husband. “When people leave here they think this is a home, not some big trophy.”
The family believes they’ve brought to the house—and to the street—a breath of fresh air. The wife recalls how one of the neighbors commented that she loves walking passed the house, seeing the lights blazing and hearing the sounds of children’s laughter. “One of the most rewarding things [about the house] is to be able to share it with others, with family, with friends,” says the husband. “To have a place that our kids can come back to with their friends and hopefully, one day, their children.”
Christianna McCausland is a Contributing Editor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
Paul Gorman Architect: 410-242-8101
