A 100-Year-Old Spanish Bungalow Went Through a Disastrous Flip—Here’s How It Was Fixed

Alison Victoria of “Windy City Rehab” undertook one of her most ambitious projects, transforming an incredibly run-down 1885 home in Chicago, IL, into a stunning modern-meets-historic short-term rental. The renovation, documented in the Season 5 episode "Second Time's a Charm," spanned two years, addressing significant damage and aiming to preserve the home's quintessential Chicago architecture and history while introducing contemporary elements. Victoria's primary focus for the exterior was preservation and meticulous restoration. Despite extensive wear and tear, she chose not to alter the external appearance significantly. Instead, her team meticulously rehabilitated existing features, such as saving the corbels at the entryway, repainting the original front doors, and recreating the roofline molding to match its historic design as closely as possible. This approach ensured the home retained its original charm and historical integrity for future generations to appreciate. Inside, a major challenge arose with the staircase. Victoria initially intended to salvage the original stair railing and newel post, but these were mistakenly discarded during demolition. Committed to maintaining the home's historic aesthetic, she opted to replicate the intricate design of the original staircase from old photographs. The result was a new staircase that perfectly mimicked the historic design, appearing seamlessly integrated and indistinguishable from the original, demonstrating that features beyond repair can be faithfully recreated. The home featured four old fireplaces, which Victoria revitalized by exposing the original brickwork. To enhance their classic appeal, she added antique mantels, creating a charming blend of the home's original materials and period-appropriate additions. This design choice highlighted the inherent beauty of the building's original structure without concealing or removing its historic essence. For a touch of modern functionality, Victoria introduced arched glass and iron doors to separate the kitchen and living room. While not antique, these doors were chosen for their elegant design and ability to create a sense of openness while still defining distinct spaces. This clever addition enhanced the flow and functionality of the first floor, providing layers to the house and demonstrating a successful fusion of modern elements with the traditional architecture. Victoria emphasized that this blend of old and new, modern and traditional, was crucial to the home's successful transformation. Throughout the renovation, Victoria prioritized using materials and designs that resonated with the home's historical period. Even newly added features, such as kitchen sconces and bathroom tiles, were selected for their timeless quality. A notable example was the replacement of three small main bedroom windows with custom stained-glass windows, crafted by her team in a simple, old-fashioned floral design. This decision provided a beautiful, classic touch that honored the home's heritage, showcasing Victoria's commitment to a thoughtful, historically sensitive renovation. #WindyCityRehab #AlisonVictoria #HomeRenovation #HistoricHome #ChicagoArchitecture #ModernMeetsHistoric #InteriorDesign #ExteriorPreservation #StainedGlass

This article details the renovation of a 1950s ranch-style home in Mountain Brook, Alabama, undertaken by Katie Bee and Seton Marshall with the help of local architect Anna Evans. The family, expecting their second child, sought additional space and a more inviting environment that connected to the outdoors. The renovation aimed for a "leaner, taller, and cleaner" aesthetic while honoring the original ranch design. The exterior updates played a crucial role in transforming the home's functionality and appearance. A new paint job, an expanded entry, a wide front terrace, and tall, light-filled doors at the rear of the house significantly brightened the space and improved the natural flow between indoor and outdoor areas. The new front design, featuring 19-foot-wide stairs that extend to the edge of the house, balances the facade by filling the void beneath a wide window and creating the impression of a traditional front porch without altering the straight roofline. This expansive front area has become a neighborhood gathering spot, facilitating social interactions and providing a space for watching children play. The entrance was made more welcoming with the replacement of a narrow single door with new pecky cypress French doors, which are centered and more visible. The front terrace, measuring 10 by 12 feet, was designed to function as an outdoor living space, accommodating a love seat, two chairs, and a coffee table. This addition was deemed essential for a community that values outdoor socializing. To address the issue of mismatched exterior materials—brick on the front, shingles on the side, and siding on the back—the entire exterior was painted Timid White by Benjamin Moore. This uniform color scheme modernized the house and cohesively unified the different surfaces. Thoughtful landscaping, including neatly manicured boxwoods, was implemented to complement the home's refined appearance, filling gaps under windows and defining the backyard patio. Improvements were also made to the window treatments. The architect addressed the common issue of improperly sized shutters by removing them from two windows and replacing them with an operable, properly sized pair on the far-left window to visually enlarge it. Inside, the typically cramped feel of ranch homes with 8-foot ceilings and limited natural light was overcome by installing three new sets of 7-foot-tall French doors. These doors significantly brighten the interior rooms surrounding the patio and enhance the ease of movement between indoor and outdoor spaces, ultimately fulfilling the family's desire for a more spacious, brighter, and connected home. #HomeRenovation #RanchHouse #ExteriorDesign #ArchitecturalRenovation #OutdoorLiving #HomeMakeover #PaintColors #LandscapeDesign #BeforeAndAfter

Madhurika Jeremiah and Scott Pesiridis, seeking a larger backyard for their family, discovered a two-story house for sale in Passyunk Square, South Philadelphia, just a few doors down from their existing rowhouse. The primary appeal was the 50-foot-deep backyard, offering ample space for a garden and children's play, a significant upgrade from their current tiny yard. Initially, they planned to add an extra floor to the existing structure. However, after purchasing the property in 2017, they found that the house had severe structural problems, necessitating a complete demolition and rebuilding project. Undeterred, the couple decided to construct a new three-story residence. Jeremiah, an attorney with a keen interest in architecture and design, took charge of the home's design, meticulously documenting her vision across two extensive binders filled with lists, sketches, and measurements. Osborne Construction was hired to bring their vision to life. The new construction offered several advantages, including an efficient air circulation system and superior insulation that effectively blocks out external noise, as noted by Pesiridis and Jeremiah, respectively. The resulting 16-foot-wide rowhouse is characterized by its bright and airy interior, featuring 10½-foot-high ceilings, an open-plan living and dining area, pale pine flooring, and tall windows. The walls are painted in a pink-beige tinged white, contributing to the luminous atmosphere. A space-saving straight staircase, painted black, creates a striking contrast against the white walls, described by Jeremiah as resembling “a streak of mascara.” The exterior facade deviates from traditional brick, utilizing cedar siding, while the turquoise entrance doors and transom maintain a traditional aesthetic. Jeremiah integrated a stained-glass transom above the foyer doors, designed by an artist found on Etsy, reflecting her preference for juxtaposing modern and vintage elements. This blend of styles is evident throughout the interior. In the living area, an antique crystal chandelier hangs above a black sofa, orange swivel chairs, and a geometric-patterned black-and-white Moroccan rug. The marble mantlepiece, salvaged from the original house, is adorned with hand-painted Mexican tiles. Wallpaper with leaf patterns in the foyer and art nouveau patterns in the dining area, primary bathroom, and three of the four bedrooms echo the designs popularized by William Morris in the late 19th century. The kitchen features planters with overflowing leaves suspended from the ceiling. Jeremiah, originally from Sri Lanka, designed the kitchen with functionality in mind, ensuring that Ikea cabinet drawers below the marble countertop were deep enough to accommodate spice-filled mason jars. The flooring throughout the foyer, kitchen, and bathrooms consists of durable diamond-patterned black-and-white cement tiles. Jeremiah, who moved to the U.S. at 19 for college, and Pesiridis, from Audubon, N.J., met at the University of Texas and married in 1998. They relocated to Philadelphia the following year for Pesiridis's graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania; he now works as a research scientist for a pharmaceutical company. Pesiridis contributed actively to the home's construction, assembling kitchen cabinets, installing a brass pole for utensils that complements the brass farm sink faucet, and putting together sleek white Ikea wardrobes in the children’s second-floor bedrooms and the third-floor hall. French doors in the kitchen lead to a vibrant garden, transformed from a concrete slab. It now boasts purple balloon flowers, white phlox, a lemon tree, and snowball hydrangea. Jeremiah notes the pink frangipani, known as Araliya in Sri Lanka, are used as offerings in Buddhist temples. During the pandemic, the garden project became a family endeavor, with their now-teenage children assisting in moving dirt and plants. The couple considers the house a fortunate development, with Jeremiah referring to it as “my sanctuary” and Pesiridis calling it “my forever home,” suggesting the initial rainbow sighting was indeed a good omen. #HomeDesign #HouseRenovation #SouthPhiladelphia #ModernVintageStyle #ArchitecturalDesign #FamilyHome #GardenDesign #InteriorDecor