I Married My Contractor!

What followed was a period of "contractor or boyfriend?" fuzziness. Like the time they went on a fun shopping trip to a home center, "and then he billed me for it!" Susan says. In his defense, Frank claims he was trying to respect their business arrangement. They continued working together on projects both large (such as exterior restoration) and small (like picture molding in the dining room). "All along, Susan has been the eyes, and I've been the hands," says Frank, now 41. By 2001, a year after he showed up with his tool belt, the two were in love, and Frank had moved closer to Susan-into the home's carriage house. He was no longer her contractor-for-hire...he was a boyfriend with a honey-do list!

In December 2004 Frank proposed at the Museum of Modern Art during a trip to New York City. They married in Savannah in April 2006, and four years later, along came baby Stella. Kids, of course, come with their own demanding schedules, which means less time for tinkering in the house. "Stella has given us the opportunity to enjoy just being here," Susan says. "I think we're done with the home improvements for now-unless you count babyproofing."


Source: Ellsworth-Hallett Home Pros, Savannah, Georgia; 912-844-4682, ellsworthhallett.com