After having pursued an architectural career in New York City, Bill Holloway is ready to settle down with his fiancé Jody in the small town that he's loved since childhood. But aesthetically, Jody and Bill’s preferences aren’t always an exact match. Both love vintage homes but, while Bill focuses on authentic vintage detail and leans toward dark interiors and stained wood, Jody prefers bright, open and airy spaces. Erin and Ben were able to find common ground for both in the renovation of this historic home.

The Beard House. This historic home was built in 1900 and was the residence of Luther Beard and his wife Hester. Mr. Beard was proprietor of a downtown department store in the early 1900s. The house comes with four bedrooms, two baths and is 1700 square feet. The property had been vacant for some time and was badly overgrown and in need of serious repairs, but the asking price was $68,000. 

"This is one of those [houses] that, in our neighborhood, people have wanted to see saved for years," says Ben.  "If we have the opportunity to save this house," Erin adds, "it has to happen."

The Beard House is now the Holloway House. The house came with some distinctive architectural features that appealed to the clients — like a covered front balcony, decorative brackets beneath the eaves, porch columns and shake shingles. The exterior renovation included a new roof, fresh cedar shakes, new porch railing and stone walkway.

 

The foyer had dated, peeling wallpaper and could use some sprucing up but, in a rare find, still its original stained woodwork and trim that had never been painted over. "This woodwork, you can't re-create this," said Ben.I can't believe it's not been painted. "Once you [paint over it] it's gone. And so the fact that this is intact amazing."