Lakeside
When we bought the smelly, neglected mid century home in the growing area of University Hills, the house was definitely not love at first sight. But something about the property kept drawing us in. The small, albeit failing, porch off the side of the home made it feel like a secluded treehouse right in the city. With the sounds of flowing water from Little Walnut Creek as the only backyard neighbors, we decided- why not- and bought the stinky house.
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Taking on a renovation in a property this distressed while living in the home was a challenge.
The amount of work needed was immense. The entire home had to be rebuilt from the studs. The goal of this property was the most simple of them all: to turn a forgotten house into a home.
Spending the majority of the budget making the property habitable, we had to be creative with a lot of our selections.
Mixing materials found, salvaged, or headed to the dump, into the newly renovated space was challenging. To bring the outdoors in, we opened up the space from top to bottom by adding over 20 Frost Bank Building windows that were incorrectly ordered and waiting to be trashed. To maintain the modern feel of the property, we kept the split level high ceilings and added reclaimed wood to add warmth.
The entry room posts were old railings headed to the trash that we flipped and welded.
The vintage clawfoot tub in the downstairs bath was salvaged and fitted with sanded scrap wood in lieu of coordinating tub feet. The stair risers were cobbled together with remnants from old job sites. The upstairs bathroom door was an old fire door from a local elementary school. The interior decor, from the art on the walls to tchotchkes, chairs, and even glassware, are all found items from abandoned homes and projects over the years.
We have an eclectic style and prefer to design our homes organically.
With this property in particular, it was an evolution shared between us as a couple and the home itself. As we evolved, the house evolved. As we grew, the house grew. The sunroom was enclosed when we became pregnant with our first child, Téo. The primary bedroom upstairs was expanded to include an attached nursery for baby Lucía. Three ozone generators, two kids, and a whole house of reclaimed trash later, the Lakeside property has been the backdrop to our family and so many happy memories. And we feel honored we were able to bring this home back to life.
