Dogwood: Historic Chapel Hill Home Renovation, Part 2
Fam, it’s time for a Dogwood update! Join us on our behind-the-scenes journey restoring and renovating this storied, historic Chapel Hill home. This 1932 colonial revival is a gem of a house, located in the heart of Chapel Hill just adjacent to the University campus. She’s got porches for days, original trim work and floors, a whole lot of character, and a gigantic lot (the likes of which we haven’t seen in this part of Chapel Hill in… well, possibly ever?). This much-loved family home hasn’t been touched in years, and is ready for lots of TLC to bring it back to glory. We have the immense privilege of revitalizing this charming historic beauty, and we’re here on the blog this week with all the the latest news on where we are in the process.
Before photo of this 1932 colonial revival style home, set in the Chapel Hill historic neighborhood just beside the UNC campus. She sits on this private lot surrounded by greenery. She has so many PORCHES, y’all! It’s hard to see here, but we are so looking forward to revitalizing them for many evenings of porch swinging and sweet tea drinking.
Welcome (back) to Dogwood
For those of you who are just joining us (Hi! We’re so glad you’re here!) You can find the introduction to this home renovation in our first post here. Cat also gives a great overview of the project in the video below:
Renovation, Construction, & Design
Renovation and interior design often go hand-in-hand, and renovation can be a key piece of creating the groundwork for an elevated, cohesive, beautifully furnished home. We collaborate with many builders and contractors all over the Triangle. Cat is also a partner in a construction firm she formed with long-time collaborator and Accredited Master Builder, Chad Collins. Together, they co-own 2×4 Custom Homes, and are taking on this large-scale historic renovation together along with our full CFD team. After a decade of working together, we know that when we combine all of our collective expertise and attention toward a big project, some very exciting things become possible. We can’t wait to see the transformation of the Dogwood house.
Cat and Chad at our first 2×4 ground breaking ceremony.
Second Floor Tour
Today, we’re taking you on a tour the bedrooms and second floor bathroom (you can find all the details on the main level in our first post here!). This house has a primary on the main floor (glory!) as well as a full bath downstairs. The second floor houses 3 LARGE bedrooms, and another full bath, all connected by one main hallway that runs the length of the house.
Here’s a video of one of the upstairs bedrooms, and you can see the second bedroom through a connected door:
Below is a short trip down the hallway that runs from the staircase (at the front of the house) all the way to the back of the house, with the bathroom at the front and bedrooms on each side as you walk down.
The 2nd floor full bath is a great size, with a tiled half-wall and original basket-weave floor tile, as well as a large window similar to the downstairs bath. Again, peep all that built-in storage! There’s so much quality millwork in this home that we are so excited to preserve. We’re going to dig into all the details on what will happen with the bathrooms very soon. That will get it’s own dedicated post, because updating an original bathroom like this one to be fully functional and comfortable for a family is such a critical piece of the design and renovation work.
Mindful Design
The basic architecture, floors, and woodwork are in surprisingly good shape- this home was loved well, and it shows. We’re still looking at a full bathroom renovation, but with a mindful approach. We are going into every decision with the goal of preserving historical integrity and architecture wherever possible, while making the necessary updates to make this home very comfortable and functional for modern living. Paint, floor refinishing, and updated lighting throughout are on the docket. We will keep original doors, molding, and charming details (like the telephone nook!) wherever possible. The walls in the home are the original horsehair plaster (incredible- more to come on this), and picture molding throughout. The small details matter to us, and we will be preserving them to honor the craftsmanship of the home, as well as the history of the family that loved it for so many years.
Plan the Work, & Work the Plan
Right now, we have drawn the renovation plans, and are working through the engineering phase- i.e., what is actually possible to do within the structure of this house, and how feasible it will be (think client budget, time, etc). We often share that when it comes to process, we operate on a system of “plan the work, then we work the plan. With any renovation, and especially with an older home, meticulous planning is absolutely vital. It’s a time investment on the front end, but it makes for a much smoother process throughout, and most importantly a better experience for our homeowners.
Cat and Chad discussing plans for the basement renovation.
In the Works
There’s still a lot of planning in the works right now. We’re currently strategizing on where to create a laundry room on the first or second floor (this is a fun design challenge- we’ll share more as we go along!). We’re also in the process of working with our client on selections. Every room in the house needs updating, so we are collaborating closely with our client to choose things like flooring, cabinetry, tile, paint colors, and beyond. It’s a fun part of the process but there are LOTS of time-sensitive decision to be made. We love guiding our clients through this process, and helping them find the things that will look beautiful together and will also truly bring them joy in their home.
Many more updates to come! We have so much to tell you about this special project, it’s hard to get everything in one post, so we will keep them coming! Soon we’ll get into the details of what will be staying, what will be changing, and where things are headed on all the design selections for this sweet historic home. We can’t wait to tell you more!
We’re so glad you came over to hang out with us on the CFD blog today. We’ll be back on the blog with more design goodies soon! Until then, if you’re looking for more CFD design work, take a tour around our Portfolio page. Check out more about our full-home design process here. Curious about our team? Read about out our group of creative professionals and their decades of design experience here.
Have questions about designing your home? We’d love to help. Start here at our contact page. Or, feel free to just give us a holler over at hello@catfrenchdesign.com.
And, if you’d like to follow along for more in-the-moment happenings and goings-on of this bustling design team, you can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest!
