It’s been six weeks since the last posting—six weeks filled with hard work dedicated to finishing the project before the March 31 closing. Excluding our own home, Faxon is the largest, most intensive project we have ever attempted. And, excluding our own home which we continue to work on between projects, the Faxon renovation took the longest to complete. Altogether, from closing to closing, we spent seven months flipping the house.

Where we began. Welcome to this gallery that shows the existing condition of many of the rooms.

When we first started last August, our plans were to renovate the existing living area downstairs. We anticipated the work would take four months and had hoped to be finished before Christmas. After taking a long, hard look at the attic space, and talking with our appraiser and other consultants, we decided to convert the attic into a loft. This decision contributed to the flip taking three months longer than we had planned.

It turned out so well.

Repurposing this space had many benefits, but it was very challenging. Once we decided to go this route, much of the original work plan had to be re-thought and re-quoted. For example, we had to find a flooring refinisher that understood how to work with the rough pine planks upstairs. (Thank you Midtown Hardwoods.) Even with the crew working super-long hours, refinishing the floors took eight days. To frame the upstairs walls, we had to compensate for the nearly 100 years of settling in the floor and the roof, otherwise the walls would have looked weird and out of whack. (Thank you Evan.) Sheet-rocking all the wall and ceiling angles upstairs required Felipe’s master talents, along additional days to complete.

We did not anticipate having to entirely rebuild the front porch (more info about this in a blog posting below). This required more than a week to complete, but the result is that the front has a welcoming, period-appropriate design, and the porch itself is strong enough to hold a porch swing. Maybe several porch swings.

The construction time was also extended by consequences of Covid. One of our subcontractors had to pull off the job for a period of time. It was difficult to get construction materials, and appliances were hard to find. The ice storm also caused us to lose days. And we did pause the progress to celebrate a family wedding, observe the holidays, and attend to other unexpected events.

Once the house was under contract, the days leading up to closing became particularly long for John and Evan. Together, they were completing a Hail Mary pass, going flat out to the finish. With every project, there are so many final details and completing these truly makes the difference between a good project and a great one. We were and are committed to this level of quality.

Today is April 9, and, with the exception of a few minor finishing tasks, the reno we began in August is done. Without a project on the horizon, we are taking a deep breath (at home, without a mask). And relaxing. And reflecting. And, as with every single project before, we can honestly say, this is the best one yet.

What’s next? With several of our previous projects, the houses seem to find us. If you know of a house that is ready to become a renovated home, let us know. Thank you for your interest.

“It feels like home.” Music to our ears after so much hard work.

We asked, “What do you like?”

He answered, “Everything. It felt like home when I walked in the door.”

And with that, an offer was placed and accepted on the house we have been carefully renovating since August.

How did this come about? Roughly two weeks ago, we placed a Coming Soon sign in the front yard that contained contact information and a QR code linking to this website. We also invited interested parties to contact us on the Feb. 2 Facebook posting. On Friday, Feb. 12, we had preview appointments with those who had contacted us, and on Saturday the house was under contract.

In addition to checking all the soon-to-be-owner’s wants and wishes boxes, he will be living within six blocks of his work. How great. A walk to work, a home that satisfies his wants and a great neighborhood to boot. We are glad to be a part of helping him live his best life.

Over the next six weeks, we will be completing the project punch list. Look for us to post a project page with details and photos once we finish.

So that we can work as safely and efficiently as possible, and because our plans sometime change mid-construction, we wait until we are close to completion before putting out our Coming Soon signs and inviting interested parties in to look.

Where the family gathers, meals are prepared, messes are made and cleaned up. Where the party usually gravitates. We take all these considerations of the heart when we plan a kitchen. Then we factor in the practical needs. Are there enough drawers? Is there task lighting? Is there enough counter space? Is there enough clearance for all the doors and drawers to open? Is the working triangle in place? (Don’t know this term? Check this link from Architectural Digest article about its importance. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/kitchen-triangle-best-way-to-design-a-kitchen)

And then we work to make it pretty, because as with most things, you eat it with your eyes first.

The open concept floor plan enables you to see the kitchen from the main living areas. Because of this, we have spent a bunch of time checking alignments. Are the stove and island centered in the opening?Are the upper cabinets balanced on either side of the sink. How do we treat the end of the island? So many things to hold in balance.

Of the many kitchens we have renovated, this one may be the best. The flow is great, the space is balanced and functional, and yes it will whet your appetite when completed. Take a look.

Before

Even though the space was in relatively good structural shape, it needed a big cosmetic overhaul.

During

New insulation was installed and the ceiling was sheet rocked. Recessed lights have been added. Next steps include painting the walls and cleaning the floor. As you can see (the sheet rock dust in the air helps out a bit) great light streams in from the South-facing windows

Great. A home in midtown with a detached two car garage. Even better, this garage has a room behind it that can serve a number of purposes. Previously, it was used as a worship space for a home church. The priest who still lives in the neighborhood has told us that as many as 20 people regularly gathered in the room. (We love getting to know the neighbors!)

The space measures 8’ x 20’, adding another 160 sq. ft. of living space to the approximately 2,400 sq. ft. in the house itself. Our first thoughts were that it would make a super, separate private office area. Who doesn’t want one in the time of Covid? Then again, it would be a great media room, a recording or video studio or perhaps gaming center. Who knows?

Interested in making this home yours? With all the needed Covid precautions, we will be handling the sales process for this home a bit differently. If you, or someone you know, is interested is purchasing this home, we will start scheduling appointments for pre-qualified buyers next week. Text John at 901/569-021 with your questions or to set up a time.

One thing COVID has shown us — outdoor living space is a priority. Being able to mix and mingle with friends in open air is now an important part of our normal. This thought guided our decisions for the back patio. Click through the gallery below to see how the work progressed.

Almost finished.

Although we still have a tiny bit of cleaning up to do you can see how great this space will be. Check out the new roof, the Japanese maple, and the repaired tile and brick work. Most of all, look at the recessed space with an outlet. It has been repurposed to accommodate a wide screen TV.

What a mess.

The railings were falling off and the roof was falling in and the landscaping was overgrown.

And the side view

really looked scary.

So much better

Structural repairs made, landscaping in place

During...

We were thrilled to find wood planking under the aluminum siding. We thought and thought how to best use the cavity left when we removed the window.

It took a lot

of paint and carpentry, coupled with a new roof, masonry repairs, landscaping cleanup to make this an inviting outdoor area.

This home has three tubs!

On the main floor we have refurbished the existing bath with new tile, a new vanity and toilet. We have reconfigured the space so that the storage areas are more accessible. The accent tile in the bath surround ties all the textures and colors together.

By moving a wall and closing a doorway, we repurposed a small, walk-through bed room and created a master suite with its own bath and a large closet, along with a half bath accessible to the kitchen and back entry. For the master bath, we used a glass and marble accent tile that coordinates with the new double vanity. The space feels great — balanced, uncluttered and welcoming. We hope it will be a place where the new owners can wash (or soak) their cares away at the end of a long day.

The small half bath, located just off the kitchen, occupies a space formerly used for a pantry. It will be great for guests when entertaining either inside or out. Because it is tucked away, it feels very private, even though it is very conveniently located.

Upstairs, we added a full bath that is in keeping with the industrial feel of the newly created loft. It has wonderful window light. Located at the top of the stairs, it feels separate from the main living area.

Altogether this home has a bath for every body! (Pun intended.)

On-site draft of front porch column details.

This is the length of time it takes a person to form a first impression.

This why curb appeal is so important.

This is why we pulled off the existing front porch, redesigned the space, and built a new, more welcoming one.

This is why we agonize over paint colors.

This is why we removed the ratty looking brick retaining wall around the front flower bed, rebuilt it and refreshed the landscaping.

Even though we are not quite finished, you can take a look below at the evolution of this area.

Check!

We love seeing these stickers. The electrical and plumbing work for this house is being done under permit, and these stickers confirm that the work has been both correctly done and meets our local building code standards. I can’t tell you how many times we have opened walls and found scary, dangerous work that needed to be corrected. We work to get it right.

Next!

Our local building codes require that projects receive these approvals before closing the walls. After passing these inspections, our sheetrock crew came back on site and began their work. The walls and ceilings in the loft were really a challenge to complete because of all the angles. The space is now finished and is being painted today. I am so excited about the way the loft is coming together.

A fenced-in back yard. Super. A driveway gate. Great. A dog run. Useful. A deep, two-car garage with an automatic door. Wonderful. A room on the back of garage with alley access. Amazing. The combination of these assets is not often found in this neck of the woods.

Look at this roomy garage! It is wide enough for two cars. You can see the doorway to the back room. We will clean out and fix up this bonus space so it can be used for an office or other purpose.

Not the kind of sky light one wants to have. We discovered this hole in the roof of an addition to the front part of the garage. Upon inspection, we found that this new-ish part of the structure was about to collapse, but the original building was sound. Because the garage was so deep, we chose to pull off the the add-on rather than try to repair it.

Since this photo was taken, the addition has been removed. The garage door has been cleaned, reset and is now in working order.

Granted, the garage needs a lot of help. At some point, an addition was built onto the front of the structure. However, over the years the addition’s roof had rotted out—so much so that the garage door could no longer work. Because the original garage was so deep, we decided the best thing to do was pull the addition off and reset the door. 

Over time, much of the Masonite siding on the east wall had disintegrated, so we pulled it off and replaced it with wood siding that matches the rest of the building and the house itself.

Off with the nasty garage siding! It has been replaced and is now ready to be painted.

We were particularly intrigued with the room built behind the garage. We learned from a former neighbor that two nuns had once lived in the home and had used the space for a prayer room. We plan to spiff it up so that the space can be returned to service. These days, a separate home office space can be the key to sanity, and this space would make a great one. It could also serve as a studio, a media room, a school room, a man cave or a sort of she shed. However it will be used, we believe the area will have a soothing, calm atmosphere, thanks to its prior occupants.

These new windows are already making a statement and will look fabulous when the work is finished. We will sand down the trim and add caulking when we paint the exterior.

We have replaced the windows in several homes, including our own. These windows fit the best and were the easiest to replace of all the projects we have worked on. Based on our experience, we had allotted to weeks to this task, and it was completed in three days.

This was a busy week. The sheet rock team was working in the loft, Mr. Rozelle was laying tile in the new upstairs bath and roofers pulled off the two layers of old shingles and installed a new architectural shingle roof. While all this was going on, Evan pulled out the old aluminum frame windows and installed new, made-to-fit replacement windows.

When original windows are still in place on a house, we most often return them to working order (Evan has become quite expert at this), caulk up any holes, and then add custom-made storm windows. This preserves the original character of the home while improving energy efficiency. However, in this home the many of original windows had been replaced. Some had storm windows, some did not, leaving a mismatched mess. So, out with the old, in with the new.

The new windows are Energy Star rated. If you are not familiar with Energy Star and why it is important, learn about it here. This is one of the best resources available.

We looked at the other homes on the street to make sure that we were choosing the correct style for the period.

And meanwhile… We anticipate that the sheet rock work in the loft will take the better part of two weeks to complete. You can see that insulation has been added to the walls so that the space will be cozy and energy efficient. Tarps protect the pine plank floors that will be finished once the sheet rock and painting are done.

When we purchased the house, it had aluminum siding that was really banged up in several areas. From day one, we wondered about what to do with the exterior. Our two choices were to fix the siding or take it off altogether. After receiving a quote for repairing the siding, we decided to cross our fingers and pull it off in hopes that we would find good wood planking and not another hot mess. 

Fortunately, good wood was there. 

We are in the process of repairing the rotten wood we found in places, patching holes and sanding down the existing remaining paint. Our first coat of primer looks amazingly good. The final coat will be a soft, creamy white color that will complement the bright white, energy-efficient, windows we will be installing.

After removing the aluminum siding, we found the worst damage to the original wood planking on the front porch. It has now been fixed. (We also have plans to refresh the front flower bed.)

Before

This house had a deep front porch with a two-person swing. John and I would sit on it as we talked through ideas for the project, enjoying the view and speaking to neighbors who walked by. 

We knew the porch needed some repair, but soon discovered that it was a big and dangerous mess. When we pulled off the soffit, we found broken rafters that were poorly repaired and rotted boards. Some of the rafters were not nailed in place, but merely resting on what we thought was a support beam. Only it turns out that it was not a beam, but a box. A box that we did not believe was sufficient to carry the weight of the porch roof, and certainly not the additional weight of two people on a porch swing.

What we first saw when we pulled off soffit.

Knowing all this, we concluded that the porch roof could not be adequately repaired. So, off it went. On a Friday afternoon, John, Evan and crew figured a way to flip the roof off the front of the house so that it would not squish the plants in front bed. By evening all the debris was cleaned up and in the EBOX dumpster. 

We have reassured the neighbors that we will be putting back a new, sturdy and period-appropriate front porch. And it will have a porch swing that can confidently hold two people.

When finished, the porch will have new, period-appropriate columns.

We have added insulation in the wall and roof. Recessed lights have been installed in the ceiling. We will match the existing pine plank flooring and then finish the entire floor.

John and Evan check the placement of additional collar ties. These will strengthen the structure.

We love how sometimes life brings a project together in unexpected and surprising ways. This renovation is one such instance.

Before we begin working on a project, we consult with our appraiser to make sure our renovations do not exceed the home values in the area. When we bought this house, we knew that the attic space had great potential. The stairs leading to the space are wide and not steep. The ceiling height is great, wide pine planking covers the majority of the deck, and windows on all four walls bring in great daylight.

We asked our appraiser to do an additional consultation with us about renovating the upstairs area. She told us that she had recently seen a similar attic space in the neighborhood that had been converted to a loft and showed us a photo of it. This prompted us to talk with an architect friend about how we could do this too. He told us that he had converted his attic space and invited us to come look at his finished room. Turns out that the photos our appraiser showed us were photos of the architect’s space. What a small world.

His space is fabulous, and we decided to use it as a model for converting the attic into a loft. But, overhauling this area is a big upgrade and was not a part of our original plan, nor our budget. However, seeing that we could add more than 600 square feet of living space in a super cool way persuaded us to take on this challenge.

Prior to our purchasing the house, someone had made a first attempt to capture the space for use by installing board insulation and partitions in some areas. We ripped all this out and then laid out the area so that plenty of attic storage space remains.

A new full bath is now located at the top of the stairs.

The plan takes advantage of the ceiling heights, going from 8 ft. in some areas, and to the peak of the roof in others.

Because of the windows on all four sides, natural light is abundant. Careful consideration has been given to the placement of outlets and lighting fixtures to make sure all areas are properly illuminated.

Like our architect friend’s home, the finished loft will have an industrial look. We will finish the existing pine floors and install black hardware and bath fixtures.

The space will have its own heating and cooling system that can be remotely operated. The thermostat is built in to a hand-held remote.

Altogether, this makes a great living area that can be used in many ways. I imagine it being used as bedroom for two children with a killer play area, as a media room, as a master bedroom or a multipurpose room.