Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Jane and John Hammond
Our 1909 bungalow was bought on a handshake from the son of the original owners; he was born in the sunroom. With it came a jar of special wood polish and a plea to never paint the woodwork. So we became custodians of a home, keeping their scratches and dings, and adding our own. We’ve never attempted to “restore,” so the kitchen has only two outlets and even their 1927 bathroom remodel still pleases us. I like to think there is some collective essence of home conveyed by our house and preserved for the next owners.
Sapulpa, Okla., Heather Sleightholm
This spring, my husband and I were able to purchase a beautiful 1916 bungalow on the same street my great-grandparents lived on for decades in Sapulpa, Okla. We fell in love with the spacious rooms, natural light, and a good balance between modern upgrades and original integrity. For the first time, I think we really feel like we are home, and ready to put our roots down in this beautiful old place. Sitting on our wide porch, under the shade of decades-old trees, watching bats flit around in the summer twilight has quickly become one of our favorite pastimes.
Oceanside, Calif., Larry and Marianna Beck
We purchased this small Craftsman bungalow-style home in 2009. Ed Rutherford built it in 1927. Today it retains all of the original wood-framed, double-hung windows. The kitchen was connected to a back room with a breezeway at some point while retaining the original breakfast nook. An original folding ironing board was installed when the bath and laundry rooms were upgraded. The front room, dining room and front bedroom are all original, with original wood floors and pushbutton light switches. All new wood was matched to existing wood in the home when a master bedroom, walk in closet and full bath were added. Air and heating systems, new wiring and new plumbing are also updated.
Clayton, Mo., Jeffrey Swinton and Mary Dedeaux-Swinton
This 1910 home features beautiful archways, leaded windows, French doors, hardwood floors and a dramatic fireplace. There are 8-inch floor moldings and lots of wonderful crown molding throughout the house. We chose a dark gray, white and black color scheme to give the house a little more pop. It is a great house on a great block. We enjoy sitting and watching people from our tucked-away front porch. We moved to Missouri from Texas in the spring of 2012. During the process, we looked at a lot of homes. This house was the first one that the whole family loved at first sight. I think we made a good choice!
Columbia, Mo., Carrie Gartner and Jonathan Sessions
On July 19, 1926, Horace and Ruth Wren purchased the lot on Aldeah Avenue where they built their first, and our current, home. The neighboring homes are brick with fireplaces while ours has siding and lacks a fireplace so we’re sure they were on a budget. Horace owned the Recreation Barber Shop. Unfortunately, the shop closed during the depression. Horace found a position with the Tiger Barber Shop (still going strong today), but they lost the house. Still, the Wrens left us with a wonderful legacy—a well-built house in a close-knit neighborhood that would last for years to come.
Rosiland, Mass., Denis Leger and Marc Jacobs
An online search for Arts and Crafts estate sales yielded an open-house listing for this 1921 shed-dormer bungalow. One look at the bathroom’s original white floor-to-ceiling subway tile, the living room and dining room complete with original gumwood board-and-batten paneling, coffered ceilings and what we believe is a Grueby-tiled fireplace, and we were sold, even though we weren’t looking! We are currently in the middle of a complete kitchen renovation.†We love this house, the warmth of the neighborhood and our nonagenarian neighbor who has been in her home since 1951.
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