The start of the beast!
Back in 2005 I ready to buy a Victorian house with my father for me to live in and hopefully "flip" after a short time. The market was HOT and we were ready to take a chance. One night after my friend and I had left one of our local watering holes in downtown St. Paul, we decided to take a little drive around. We ended up actually getting lost and wondering in some parts of the city we had never been to. It was about 12:30 am and suddenly we saw a house with a for sale sign. We parked and just looked at it. "What a beautiful house" I thought even though it was covered in white asbestos tiles, barn red paint and boarded up windows. This house I knew would be my home. The following morning I set up an appointment to have my dad and I tour the house. We arrived that day to the rented out duplex not knowing what to expect, but knowing we had already fallen in love with the house with it's beautiful corner turret jutting out the side with a large witches cap on the top.
We went in to view the first floor. 8 people were living in a "2 bedroom" apartment, the 2 bedrooms being the formal parlor and the family parlor or library as I intend to use it for. The front parlor was carpeted with a sea foam blue shag carpet, burgundy sheets covering the large picture window, fake wood bi fold doors to enter the room and a tiny wallpaper border on the top of the wall, not to mention the very dated and very loud ceiling fan. My dad and I, however could see the potential. It still had the original coal burning fireplace with it's tiles beautifully preserved and beautiful woodwork on the picture window. We thought a quick job in this room and it would be restored...
Close up of fireplace tile in parlor
The entry way was originally a foyer with a 2 story open staircase. When I entered the front door my dad and I knew that the staircase would have to be opened to reveal it's splendor, but that project would have to wait a long time before we could even consider such. The work alone to restore the staircase was monumental to say the least, not to mention that tearing down the wall effectively meant having the building no longer be functional duplex since the 1st floor apartment would be exposed to the "common" stairway.
Upon entering the original dining room that was used for a living room one immediately noticed the lowered, drop ceiling, thick short nap, burlap like carpet ran on a diagonal in the room so half was carpet, half was hardwood floor, shoddy 1970s windows. With all the bad in this room at least it had a lovely natural oak hutch and beautiful double pocket doors that led to another room, the family parlor or library.
We knocked on the pocket doors and opened them up. A HUGE puff of smoke exited the room with strong smell of Marijuana of the current tenant who had been smoking in there. When we went in we saw the room was full of beds, but could make out that this room had it's original fireplace and tiles and the woodwork left unpainted. We thought great another easy room to do!
After that there wasn't a ton of charm left in the rest of the house. AWFUL kitchens and bathrooms that needed total gutting and renovating, 1970s wood panel covered most of the 2nd floor along with shag carpet and small white tiles covering the ceiling with mysterious stains and spatters all over them. There was, however a lovely hutch on the 2nd floor painted navy blue which I figured I would strip one day but other than that the 2nd floor was just a lot of work.
The attic was a fun little surprise. The attic is a huge 1000 sqft unfinished space and of course we saw the vision of all finished space up here. Besides being filled with LOTS of junk and garbage there were a few treasures including some old woodwork, the swinging door from the dining room to the kitchen and a few other items removed and saved from the house. Off one side was a window with a small alcove balcony that had been boarded up from the inside. Inside the gable balcony it was almost all original and complete. Looked as if someone had closed it up in the 1940s and it had stayed that way ever since (until I would get my hands on it!) In the front of the house stood a perfectly charming room at the top of the turret with windows on all 4 sides. Here one can see a beautiful view of downtown St. Paul, and the river and hills. A beautiful vantage point.
Witches cap roof line
Gable balcony hidden under the siding for 60 years.
After my father and I had thoroughly inspected the property we went outside to talk. We both thought it would be a lot of work, but thought we could do it and in 2 maybe 3 years the house would be all renovated and brought to appear as it did in 1889. Little did we know the magnitude that would unfold before us.
If you like what you read on my blog and would like to contribute to the house restoration please click the donate button below. All donations will be GREATLY appreciated!!
How did I know it was the one under all this ugly?
We went in to view the first floor. 8 people were living in a "2 bedroom" apartment, the 2 bedrooms being the formal parlor and the family parlor or library as I intend to use it for. The front parlor was carpeted with a sea foam blue shag carpet, burgundy sheets covering the large picture window, fake wood bi fold doors to enter the room and a tiny wallpaper border on the top of the wall, not to mention the very dated and very loud ceiling fan. My dad and I, however could see the potential. It still had the original coal burning fireplace with it's tiles beautifully preserved and beautiful woodwork on the picture window. We thought a quick job in this room and it would be restored...
The entry way was originally a foyer with a 2 story open staircase. When I entered the front door my dad and I knew that the staircase would have to be opened to reveal it's splendor, but that project would have to wait a long time before we could even consider such. The work alone to restore the staircase was monumental to say the least, not to mention that tearing down the wall effectively meant having the building no longer be functional duplex since the 1st floor apartment would be exposed to the "common" stairway.
Foyer with drop ceiling removed
Upon entering the original dining room that was used for a living room one immediately noticed the lowered, drop ceiling, thick short nap, burlap like carpet ran on a diagonal in the room so half was carpet, half was hardwood floor, shoddy 1970s windows. With all the bad in this room at least it had a lovely natural oak hutch and beautiful double pocket doors that led to another room, the family parlor or library.
Looking into the family parlor
Right after closing on the house making a mess and taking the drop ceiling out
 |
We knocked on the pocket doors and opened them up. A HUGE puff of smoke exited the room with strong smell of Marijuana of the current tenant who had been smoking in there. When we went in we saw the room was full of beds, but could make out that this room had it's original fireplace and tiles and the woodwork left unpainted. We thought great another easy room to do!
 |
| Family parlor fireplace |
After that there wasn't a ton of charm left in the rest of the house. AWFUL kitchens and bathrooms that needed total gutting and renovating, 1970s wood panel covered most of the 2nd floor along with shag carpet and small white tiles covering the ceiling with mysterious stains and spatters all over them. There was, however a lovely hutch on the 2nd floor painted navy blue which I figured I would strip one day but other than that the 2nd floor was just a lot of work.
The hutch I would strip one day.
Clawfoot tub under a gross encasement.
The attic was a fun little surprise. The attic is a huge 1000 sqft unfinished space and of course we saw the vision of all finished space up here. Besides being filled with LOTS of junk and garbage there were a few treasures including some old woodwork, the swinging door from the dining room to the kitchen and a few other items removed and saved from the house. Off one side was a window with a small alcove balcony that had been boarded up from the inside. Inside the gable balcony it was almost all original and complete. Looked as if someone had closed it up in the 1940s and it had stayed that way ever since (until I would get my hands on it!) In the front of the house stood a perfectly charming room at the top of the turret with windows on all 4 sides. Here one can see a beautiful view of downtown St. Paul, and the river and hills. A beautiful vantage point.
Pigeons were living here
After my father and I had thoroughly inspected the property we went outside to talk. We both thought it would be a lot of work, but thought we could do it and in 2 maybe 3 years the house would be all renovated and brought to appear as it did in 1889. Little did we know the magnitude that would unfold before us.
If you like what you read on my blog and would like to contribute to the house restoration please click the donate button below. All donations will be GREATLY appreciated!!
It is fun going back in time and seeing what you started with. Yikes!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is fun and surreal. Doesn't seem I've been at it 10 years already. I easily forget the old ugly that I've gotten rid of and always see what I have to do left.
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