The Corner Cottage | heatherhomes

The Corner Cottage
Built in 1940 ~ Renovated in 2023

How to describe this renovation??? If I had to choose one word to describe this renovation it would be unexpected. From the first time I walked through the house I was surprised to find it had a second story of living space. I had no idea by just looking at it from the outside. Once I agreed to purchase it, full of contents, I didn’t expect to find so many treasures. And now, with the renovation complete, there are so many unexpected surprises and unique features around every corner. A house full of history and unexpected surprises.

For years I have admired this cute little house as I passed by on my daily walks with my dog. The sweet gentleman who lived here for years had purchased the house with his wife many years ago and stories from neighbors and friends paint a picture of a house always full of family and friends. In looking through items left behind, you could tell they loved entertaining and loved Hampton Heights. I’m told the previous owners before them did too so the house certainly has a legacy so to speak. When his wife passed away and as he became older, I think the house and yard just became a little too much for him to keep up with. So, for me, it was a real honor to be able to restore this home and bring it back to life.

The renovation came with a lot of challenges and took much longer than I anticipated but isn't that always the case? It took us almost two months to clear out the contents just

so that we could get started on the renovations. In addition to the typical renovations we also reworked the downstairs floor plan to get a master suite, laundry, and half bath on the first floor. On the bonus room, we replaced the old louvered windows with wood six-over-six windows to match the rest of the house and then replaced the troublesome flat roof with a gable roof which also more than doubled the size of the bedroom above. And let’s not forget about all of the changes to the outside. Once we cleared the overgrown yard so you could actually see the house, we were able to clean up the house and paint it and landscaped the entire yard. it now sits prominently on the corner and really shines.

It took us two months to clear out the contents followed by seven months of renovations to complete this historic home - and now it’s an honor to pass it along to the new owners that will call it home. We restored as many original details as possible and worked hard to honor the time period in which this charming home was built. There's so much to share that it's hard to fit on one page but I hope the photo gallery, timeline, and a few before and afters will help to take you along on this renovation journey of...The Corner Cottage.

Original Features

We had a lot of original charm and features to work with and loved being able to keep them as part of the home's history. From the refurbished door and window hardware to the salvaged and repurposed beadboard in the kitchen, relocated hutch, refurbished clawfoot tub, to unique features like the detailed vents and trim...this house is full of history, and charm. And we were delighted to find vintage mantels from the early 1900's to add back to the living and dining rooms.

We did our best to reincorporate all of these finds into the final product and carefully chose fixtures and design details that would compliment them as well.

SHOP AND SOURCES

Photos provided by the talented Marian Ashley Photography

The Timeline

Long renovation projects like the Corner Cottage are often times hard to share in real time because there are so many different and unpredictable components to them - moving parts, different trades, design changes, and just ups and downs that come with the territory. With this project in particular, we had the additional task of clearing out the contents of the house and since there were so many treasures, we prepared for both a large estate sale and a garage sale which added about two months to the timeline. These long projects also take place over several months so sharing consistently, while working on the home, becomes difficult. However, it's really rewarding at the end of the project to go back and recap the renovation journey. The timeline below breaks down month by month a list of the major accomplishments made with a gallery to show you the progress.

2022. DECEMBER

12/1 - Closing day to purchase the house.
The yard received the first clearing.
We filled up several dumpsters worth of trash as we cleaned out and organized items in the house for an estate sale.
We held a very successful estate sale where we were able to share so many treasures with others in the community.

1/6

1/11

2023. JANUARY

We continued clearing the house out and then moved to the garage to prepare for a garage sale for what was left.
Demo started in the kitchen where we removed all of the cabinets and found a couple of surprises along the way.
Paneling was removed from the living room walls and saved to use in the powder room.
And last but not least all of the bookshelves, paneling, and ceiling in the bonus room was removed to prepare for the roof removal and framing.

2023. FEBRUARY

We finished clearing out the garage and had one last garage sale before getting rid of most everything.
Materials were delivered and work on the second story addition got started by removing the roof and then the framing crew got to work to get the addition in the dry.
Meanwhile inside more demo was completed inside followed by framing in the kitchen and new master suite.
Any other remaining framing was completed.
Work also began on the new retaining wall.

1/16

1/14

2023.MARCH

The new gable roof framing was completed followed by a new asphalt roof installed on the house and metal on the porches.
Wood siding was installed to match the original outside.
Five new wood windows were installed in the bonus room to match the original windows, which were also refurbished to make operable.
Retaining wall completed and a new wood privacy fence installed
The back porch roof was reframed and finished with a metal roof
Upstairs the remaining bedrooms and hallway ceilings were raised.
Rough-ins installed: electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.

2023. APRIL

Door and window hardware was refinished.
Original windows were refurbished including new ropes for the original weights.
Siding repairs were completed and sanding began.
Exterior trim was completed including around the new wood windows on the bonus room.
Tile was installed on the floors for the upstairs bathroom and the master shower.
Drywall was installed on the ceilings and walls.

1/10

1/11

2023. MAY

Drywall was mudded and taped and plaster walls repaired.
Upstairs received insulation before drywall was installed.
Clawfoot was refurbished.
New wood floors were installed in the new master suite hallway and closet and upstairs in the new portion of the back bedroom.
The refurbished window in the upstairs back bedroom was reinstalled.
The saved paneling removed from the dining room was reused in the half bath.
New trim was sourced to match the original and installed throughout the home.

2023. JUNE

Remaining trim and doors were installed throughout the house and sanded or stripped beforehand to get ready for paint.
Walls, ceilings, doors, and windows were primed and the large areas painted by use of the spray gun.
Vintage fireplace mantels found on marketplace were installed in the living and dining rooms.
The upstairs bathroom was finished to have a working toilet inside.
Outside the front sidewalk was repaired and new sod was installed.
Exterior of house prep work began to get ready for paint.
Inside was cleared out so that the downstairs floors could be refinished, stained, and have two coats of poly applied.

1/10

1/8

2023. JULY

Shoe molding was installed and painted.
Paint continued and was 95% finished on the inside.
Plumbing and electrical fixtures were installed.
Refinished window locks and hardware installed.
Outside we worked on landscaping including a new stone and pebble pathway along the side of the house and shrubbery and flowers planted in the beds.
The exterior of the house was painted!
Upstairs prep work began on the floors.

2023. AUGUST

The kitchen cabinets and countertops were installed.
Door hardware was installed.
Upstairs floors were painted and the bench top made and installed in the back bedroom to cover the HVAC ductwork.
All of the windows were cleaned, inside and out.
Finally, the fun began as we completed all of the finishing touches and began staging for pictures.
And outside we kept the lush green yard kept cut for curb appeal.

1/9

1/6

2023. SEPTEMBER

Professional pictures were taken.
The house was listed for sale!
Once the house was under contract, we worked through any items on the home inspection that we agreed to repair and also had any subcontractors repair any areas of concern as well.
Tirelessly worked through a never-ending punch list to get everything just right for the new buyer.
Wrapped things up and get ready to close on the house!