Highland Park Med-Revival
Every once in a while we stumble across a true time capsule - carpet, rotary phones, 60s wallpaper, the whole thing - and this Highland Park mediterranean revival was absolutely one of them.
After working with these buyers for a few months, seeing what was available and realizing they’d have to put work into any home to bring it up to their standard, this mediterranean ended up being a surprise in that it was essentially an untouched canvas for them to make their own with the architectural details you simply can’t make up.
Like many capsules, this home had been in the previous family for many decades. The seller had grown up in the home and had decided to list it as For Sale By Owner (FSBO) - this meant it hadn’t gone through a lot of the prep / updating often seen when realtors advise their clients to make ill-informed cosmetic updates in hopes of selling it for a higher price. While sometimes FSBO being a trickier deal to get done, the effort was well worth it here as my buyers now have something exactly their own.
While we see all kinds of architectural styles, in various types of condition, at a variety of price points day in and day out, not every buyer is so informed. For us, that’s part of the process of educating buyers - we aim to ensure they’re just as savvy as we are, so they’re making smart decisions based both on what’s important to them personally but also what’s going to be best for them given their long & short term goals.
A house like this isn’t appealing to many, as the “before” was hard to see past. As someone who has personally renovated & restored multiple iterations of houses in similar conditions, it was easy for me to see that this house held huge potential in its unique untouched form. The pillowy stucco walls, limestone fireplace, deco-tiled bath & original wood windows can’t easily be replicated. The fact that all remained intact proved to be a foundation for a new vision to be built upon - one my clients trust-fell into, having seen what was available in the market and knowing they wanted something special. While they wouldn’t consider themselves visionaries - I ensure you they are! They were able to trust the process and in doing so trusted the professionals and were able to end up with a home suited to their liking & taste.
How did this magic happen? Well, upon closing, my buyers hired Anya Kordonowy of Ornament and she designed & contracted a nearly whole-house refresh. The dusty walls were painted, light fixtures updates, decades-old carpet removed & wood floors restored. Cute wallpaper had its spotlight, and both bathrooms were modernized while honoring original tile & layouts.
Part of what we can offer clients is a tailored approach to post-purchase refresh. Anya was the perfect fit for this project, as she values historic elements but very much has an incredible eye for modern design. Plus, she’s a lovely person to work with and as a woman-led operation we deeply support women/non-binary folks in the trades because that’s where the magic is!!
Entry / Living Room / Powder Bath
What caught our attention when first entering the home was the first floor flow & details. The deep arched opening between the living & dining created separation yet cohesion. The stone around the fireplace and the tile in front of it matched that in the entryway - a super unique fitting I hadn’t personally seen in a home of this era. All original windows gave the wavy-glass light streams & I could go on and on about windows but the nine-over-nine double-hung old growth wood windows add a historic charm to the house that new windows wouldn’t match. Old windows are meant to be restored, not replaced, and for that alone they’re special and worth savoring.
Finally, the powder bath on the main floor isn’t a given so in this house it was a joy to have, tucked away near the front door, outside of the kitchen. The kitchen itself was a dated remodel, but that’s a project the buyers will be tackling at a later date as for now it’s very functional and not nearly as weathered as the rest of the house was at purchase.
Behold the pictures from closing day & those taken after Ornament worked their magic! Gorgeous refinished red oak hardwood floors, enameled radiators, fresh paint & lighting where needed and some historic sconces in place. And the bathroom here was where pattern & color came together, saving the original tile floor and giving the rest an infusion of vintage/modern elements.
Dining Room/Office
The dining room & sunroom/office were located in the back of the house, and after a light & paint spec they’re gorgeous spaces that truly speak for themselves.
Full Bath
The upper full bath was both a draw and a tough spot - the original tile was unique and beautiful in many ways, but the bathroom lacked functionality. For starters, the cute green pedestal sink was far too short & lacked adequate storage. The shower was also very low (one of the buyers happens to be a very tall man). Anya devised a solution to raise the shower height and tile up to waterproof the wet area, which created a nice visual contrast to the sand colored tiles & green liners.
As 1/2 of the buyers is a flight attendant often staying overnight in nice hotels around the world on the job, she had a special request for a smart mirror - a mirror that tells the time amongst other things. It actually worked well in this space, and gave some modern functionality. The vanity plus heated tile floors and an appropriately sized toilet brought this room up to modern standards!
Upper Level
The upper level of this expansive home required the same refresh as the lower level: floors, radiators, lighting and paint throughout. With the trim having been painted to begin with up here, it became an opportunity for Anya in collaboration with the buyers to give each room its own tone with trim being used as a color accent.
QT Basement
This basement just needs a moment of recognition - simple, bare bones, but can we celebrate that brick fireplace surround & this faux blue-stained paneled workshop with the red accents?!
We don’t only help clients score untouched gems such as these - but if you’re looking to see the after in the before, we’d love to be your guides!!