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an antique vanity with a fantastic faucet coming out of the wall that stays! We’re restoring the newel post-cleaning and re-staining it. Floors throughout the house are being refinished and restored. We’re turning doorknobs from the older doors into a coat rack!
itting on a little hill at the gateway into the Marietta Square, you may have noticed a sweet American Foursquare house. It dates to the early 1900s and now is in the process of a special renovation. 268 Church Street is situated on the Southeast corner of North Marietta Parkway. It has been neglected for years but now its future is looking very bright! Realtor Kathryn Harbour, together with her husband, contractor Britt Harbour, have had a vision for this building for some time. Transforming it from a property very much in need of TLC to the splendor it once knew has been a true labor of love.
OTM: What are some of the challenges of restoration? Harbour: You mean besides the termite damage? That was an unexpected doozy. We need to maintain some of the building’s historic elements and that’s not always easy. For example, we’ve replaced all of the windows and we want to restore and use the interior trim around them. When you replace windows, they won’t be the exact same depth as before. So, we’re figuring out how to retrofit interior decoration.
With renovation near to completion, their doors will open January 1st. The Harbours see this move as a way to become even more active in the Cobb County community, a community they are deeply rooted and invested in. We had a chance to sit sat down with Kathryn Harbour to discuss their plans for the property:
OTM: When did you first notice 268 Church Street?
Harbour: Britt noticed it for sale two
years ago and saw its potential. I was a bit hesitant, which is typical, so by the time he convinced me that it was worth exploring, it was under contract. Luckily the person who bought it decided to sell it instead of renovating it and this time, the timing was right for us!
OTM: What was your plan for it? Harbour: We always knew it was the best
OTM: How was it working together as a couple doing a renovation project together? Harbour: This isn’t the first building we’ve renovated together. We’ve actually flipped plenty of homes. And throughout the processes there are typically at least a few times that I threatened to quit and the same amount of times that Britt wanted me to stop! But we trust one another and always discuss the options, look at pictures, talk it through and then agree. Of course, there is always some give-and-take. We find our middle ground, and ultimately it ends up better. OTM: What were some of the areas where you and Britt had differing views and what tricks did you use to reconcile them? Harbour: Initially we did not agree on exterior paint colors AT ALL. We used a highly trusted method to decide: we did rock/paper/scissors!
place for our office. Realizing that it needed renovating we saw the opportunity for betterment, not just for the building, but for the corner and for Marietta Square.
OTM: What are some of your favorite parts
OTM: How will moving your office to this location allow your business to offer more? Harbour: Once it’s safe to do so, we really look forward to meeting with people in person. Our goal is to have a real estate onestop-shop, so we’ll have a lender office in the building, too. Since 268 Church Street is centrally located, guests can stop in for business and then have lunch on Marietta Square. We’re also looking forward to hosting pre-events for things happening on the square, such as the Glover Park Concert Series, Must Ministries Annual Gobble Jog and New Year’s Eve at Marietta Square. We’ll also be offering real estate and business-related educational and networking events in the building. We plan to be a resource for both homeowners and home buyers and sellers.
OTM: What are some of your favorite parts of the building that are being restored?
Harbour: There are six fireplaces! Three of
them have gas inserts that we’re restoring to make them usable. The upstairs bathroom has
Our Town
of the building? Harbour: I loved this building when I first set foot inside, even though it was a disaster! I love the flow of it and love the 10’ ceilings and those fireplaces! The upstairs vanity that we’re keeping is also remarkable. One attractive feature is a secret third floor that’s accessed through what is Britt’s office. He can sneak away for his afternoon naps and not tell anyone!
OTM: What do you hope that people will notice about the newly restored building when they come to your office? Harbour: We hope they’ll be able to envision it in its former splendor and that somebody cared enough to give it its life back. Blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this renovation and restoration. And love. A lot of love. Our goal is to be there for our community in many ways and our door will always be open. Thank you to Britt and Kathryn, for helping keep the Cobb community alive and restored!
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