The Saratoga House: What’s Black and White and Fabulous All Over?

One of the many things that makes Saratoga a special town to
live in are the people who call this place home. We love our imperfectly perfect old house,
but scored big on the package deal that is our neighborhood, filled with kids
to run through a stray sprinkler with, amblers to walk around the block with,
and someone to spontaneously share the front porch with on any given evening.
Being that we are new at this old house racket, our neighbors have been welcome
comrades in the trials and tribulations that reviving an old property entail,
filled with anecdotes, advice, and the inevitably-needed plumbing or electrical
referral…and sometimes when revamping a 90-year old home gets complicated, it’s
just nice to know that someone else has been there, done that, and lived to
tell about it.

Our next door neighbors Erica and Kevin, also relatively new
in the neighborhood, have survived what many historical home owners might
consider the scenario that they fear most–the simple project that became the
whole house renovation. The plan was to
tear down a wall or two in their 1880’s home, but the first time I had the
privilege to see their house there weren’t any walls left, just studs–and quite
frankly it scared the tar out of me.
Everything had to be replaced, redone, and reworked, and although there
were many ups and downs along the way, after over a year of construction (a
significant part of it done by themselves and their family members), they now
have a beautiful home to grow old in that will stand the test of time.

But when everything is new, from top to bottom, how do you
maintain that charm and character that we love our old houses for? Kevin and Erica succeeded using a classic
color palette, timeless materials, and a blend of old with the new. Their three bathrooms are a perfect example
of how to renovate for real life yet respect the history of a home, and here’s
how they did it:

Color Me Classic.
When you remodel on the scale that these guys did, the last thing you
want is to install something that could go out of style in a few years, and
when your house is as old as theirs is, classic, neutral colors will always be
a perfect fit. By using a neutral scheme
of black, white, and gray, especially in the more permanent spots of their
bathrooms like flooring, tiles, and fixtures, Kevin and Erica can add trendy color
through accessories and linens without a major commitment, and still have a
base to work from that won’t go out of style.
It’s like a blank canvas, and once you’ve completed a large renovation
like this one, the main objective is to not have to renovate again any time
soon, so longevity in your design is key!

Timeless Texture. If
you are trying to retain vintage charm in your new construction, why not stick
to enduring materials? Carrera marble,
beadboard, etched glass, subway tile…all of these materials were used when this
house was built, adding authenticity to the new design Kevin and Erica
created. I also really like how they
mixed it up a bit with these classic materials to keep their design fresh–the Carrera
isn’t a slab on the sink but instead injected with small square tiles for use
on one bathroom’s floor, and the subway tile in the shower is a dove gray
instead of white.

The Perfect Balance of Age and Update. Kevin and Erica’s overall style is a version
of vintage modern–they like clean lines and low clutter, but love to use repurposed
antiques and vintage accessories in their home.
Because of this, they only needed a few additions of age and character
to tone down the sleek and shiny that their new reno resulted in to get the
look they were going for, and found them mainly through antique accessories and
vintage, revamped light fixtures. The
pieces they chose have a real earthy, rustic quality to them, which looks
fantastic contrasting with the crispness of these newly remodeled spaces. It is important to choose your accessories
wisely, especially in an area like a bathroom, because there are usually only a
few places to hang artwork or display items. I particularly like the framed tin ceiling
tile they have hanging on one wall–it is a perfect example of one simple
accessory going a long way to infuse character.

So is it possible to create everything anew yet still
respect the old? Definitely–one look
inside Erica and Kevin’s home shows that you can have it all in your
imperfectly perfect old house. Great
neighbors and stylish space designers to boot, just a few steps away? Yet another reason we wouldn’t want to live
anywhere else. J