Historic Craftsman Bungalow: Small Footprint, Big Personality!

When the homeowner decided to invest in a neglected 1918 Craftsman bungalow, the task of home remodeling seemed daunting.  Back then he says he was “insane enough to believe that it would be fun and rewarding to revive the house.” Drawn to the house’s beautiful raw Douglas fir post-and-beams sticking out amidst holes in the roof, broken windows with old layers of bizarre paint colors, the writer, lifelong traveler, and lover of the outdoors - saw something unique in the personality of the building.  

At first, the homeowner undertook a lot of the basic structural repairs like repainting and patching holes in the roof himself. However, the overwhelming potential he saw in the space made the necessity of a remodel clear: “[It] got to a point where the house looked okay, but needed someone to integrate who I was with what the house could be. I had all these inchoate ideas, but did not know how to use them to bring out the best in the house.” With the house being historic and also less than 1000 square feet, he had a lot of ideas for his first home and a vast collection of objects and photos from his travels. “I was hoping,” he muses, “that somehow I could make a home that had enough of my past to feel safe, enough of my present to feel comfortable, and enough of my dreams to be inspiring.”

From there, the owner knew he needed interior designer Sarah Barnard to help translate his vision into home that was both functional and a reflection of his personality. Since she not only listened but also challenged him, he knew Sarah was the perfect fit: “She didn’t mirror my ideas back to me, she brought her own strong aesthetic to the table. I could see that she was going to challenge me, and I think conflict is as important as collaboration in an artistic process.”

It is evident in her design how Sarah thinks deeply about the client’s personality, especially in the case of this house: “She’s always looking for harmonious contrasts, both in materials and design, and the surprising connection between things on a deeper level.” The use of eco-friendly and natural materials highlights the homeowner’s love of nature, such as the recycled beer bottle kitchen countertop, and the sun tubes and pebble rocks in both showers that make him “feel like [he’s] showering outdoors.”

The final design of the house is filled with surprises, such as the wall cut-out between the kitchen and the dining room, uniting the front and back of the house. Besides the primary bathroom with pebble flooring and sun-tubes, the owner loves the fireplace with its collection of books, art, and objects from his years of travel.

Some of the essential details in the property were abandoned by the previous owner, which made for daunting projects. “The cabinet was built with the house, and took about 90 hours to strip, sand, and stain.” The homeowner’s handiwork is evident in the beautifully refinished cabinet, which now displays his personal collection of objects from around the world.

After all the stories which unfolded in this bungalow, perhaps the most perfect was gaining a new friend: his cat Lulu “adopted him” almost a year to the day after his dog passed. “Max was with me when I bought the house, and suffered through the renovations and mess - but he didn’t get to see it in its finished state. Then just before the final renovations are done, in waltzes Lulu - the same black coat with white fringe as Max…” The breezy Craftsman is ideal for Lulu who relishes her posts on windowsills to keep guard against squirrels, birds and other critters.

One great benefit of his new house that he entirely attributes to Sarah is space: “The best thing she did was recognize what was important [and] create space around that - which is really what I wanted in the end. I love my stuff, but I need space. She saw that before I did.”

Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.

To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.