H O M E
T O U R
An opening was added from the kitchen, above, to facilitate delivery of food to the dining room. It also provides a view from the front door in the living room to the back porch, right. At left is a refinished 1940s-era stove found in Los Angeles
PEELING BACK THE YEARS After owning the home for a few years, the Lamberts decided to begin the renovation process. A tenant living in the home with four dogs and a few cats moved out, leaving behind quite a mess. “The carpets were completely urine-soaked,” Peggy said. “The bathtub was used as a litter box. It was terrible. We thought to ourselves, ‘What have we done?’” However, as layers were peeled away, treasures began to emerge. Underneath the soiled carpet was pink linoleum, which happened to completely protect the original hardwood flooring, made of close-grain old-growth fir. Walking through the home, the tell-tale squeaks and thump-thump of footsteps remind visitors that the immaculate flooring is indeed a century old.
The couple hired Bothof Construction Inc. as general contractor, and Peggy said the owners’ expertise and patience was invaluable. As the renovation process continued, minor adjustments were made to the floor plan to allow for flow of traffic. For example, an opening was added to the dining room wall that allows plates of food and conversation from the kitchen to filter to guests seated at the antique dining table, and also gives visitors a view straight from the front door to the back porch. Peggy did a lot of restoration work herself, including tackling the original windows, some of which had been painted shut. She consulted the National Historic Trust to learn about window preservation. The 88 panes of glass in the home are all original, and Peggy had a hand in each of them. Peeling away layer after layer
of old paint and putty, Peggy began to appreciate what the home’s builders created. “This home is designed for passive energy use,” she said, demonstrating how the top window slides down while the bottom window slides up on a pulley system in the casing to allow cooling of the room in a matter of minutes. With the windows properly restored, they are air-tight, maintaining an ambient temperature and eliminating the possibility of mold, which is so often the case with older homes. “They are ready to go for another hundred years!” Peggy said. To increase the temperature stability of the home, low-E film was added to west-facing windows. And for further comfort, the Lamberts also added central heating and air. MARCH 2019 | LIFEST YLE
45