I got my first look at her on a rainy February day. She looked terrible, maybe even a little intimidating but she captured my imagination in a way that you want a renovation project to do. We look at neat homes everyday but I had a hard time moving past this one. Her previous owner had lived there her entire life, a full 90 years, but now it sat vacant with talks of demolishing her after 120 years of service. Despite the challenges with this one, we knew we had to make an offer. The wrap around front porch, wide foyer, 5 fireplaces, 14 foot high ceilings and old pine hardwood floors were begging to be brought back to life.
She sat proudly on almost ½ an acre but she also needed a lot of work. My husband, Jason Hale owner of Willow Homes and his team went to work pulling renovation budgets together to see if this was even possible. We knew we wanted to restore her, not simply fix her up. Her floorplan was designed for a different way of life and didn’t fit the popular open floorplans homeowners seek today. We made the decision to keep the floorplan intact and we weren’t sure how the market would like that. It just felt almost criminal to change her so drastically after so many years.
Historical Architecture:
Gorgeous glass transoms are found in every doorway of the main hall. This original architecture, along with each of the five fireplaces, at one time served the practical use of cooling and warming the home in a time before heating and air conditioning.
While the Willow Homes Team worked on budgets, I was eager to learn as much about the home as I possibly could. Who had lived here in the past 120 years? The librarian in Birmingham Public Library’s Archives steered me in the right direction. There, I found a wealth of information about its occupants, construction on structures around the property, and even found a photo dated for 1939 when she was already 40 years old. I submitted my findings to the Jefferson County Historical Commission and we were able to get a Historical Marker and a name for her – The Howard Hall Jones House – named after its longest owning occupants. The plaque now hangs proudly by the front door.
Creating an Entrance:
The solid mahogany door stained Ebony was provided by Tim Flynn of Southern Window Supply in Pelham. This classic door style lets in the light and was chosen to show off the gorgeous main hall to visitors.
Secondary Bathroom:
Johnathan Lambert of Triton Stone Group in Birmingham was instrumental in choosing the painted cement tiles for the secondary bath. The soft gray palate created a clean, modern feel. We chose to go all the way up to the ceiling with the shower tile to create a little drama and show off the high ceilings.
Owner’s Bath:
We picked a fun hand painted tile for the owner’s bath that played off the Stair Light from Mayer Lighting featured in this room. The glass-enclosed shower was created and installed by Nelson Glass of Birmingham and complimented the bright, white, open feel we were striving for.
The renovation was painfully slow. We took our time to preserve millwork and architectural features important to the homes history. The wainscoting throughout the home is original as well as the porch ceilings and hardwood floors. Kurtis Maynor, Project Manager for Willow Homes and an extremely talented carpenter, did most of the renovation work himself. The most amazing transformation came when the old carpet was pulled up and the hardwood floors were refinished. We keep the tongue and groove ceilings exposed in the kitchen and added a pantry and breakfast nook. New custom cabinets, appliances from All South and lights from Mayer Lighting made all the difference. Each bath was renovated and updated with its own unique character. Perhaps the most rewarding day came when the front porch rails were restored and painted.
The Front Porch:
The Porch Swing, a Hallmark of every Proud Southern Home, was hung on the front porch. It also received new modern porch rails and columns painted Snowbound by Sherwin Williams. The Historical Marker was placed at the first door to announce The Howard Hall Jones House.
After 6 months of work, we were finally ready to get the home furnished and put on the market. Allison Hallman at Willow Interiors did a fantastic job selecting pieces and staging each room beautifully.My real estate brokerage, Art House, which specializes in helping our clients find renovation projects, listed the home. It received multiple offers the first day it went on the market. Ultimately new homeowners, Josh and Tabitha Baker would close and move into the home in October 2019. They were awesome to work with!This was a labor of love for us. We are always most proud when we can restore an important piece of our past so that it can live on in the future of our clients. If you’ve dreamed of restoring a home we hope you give us a call. You need an expert eye and a team that understands older home construction, renovation costs, and the real estate market you are looking in. From finding a property, financing, renovating, design and décor, we are able to help start to finish. My teammate and I, Savannah Johnson, spend our time searching the market for unique homes for our clients. We would love to help you find just the right project that captures your imagination.
The Main Hall:
The wide foyer is the showpiece of this home. We choose Classic French Gray by Sherwin Williams to compliment the Alabaster White Shiplap wainscoting. Three oversized Foyer Pendants from Mayer Lighting set off the high ceilings beautifully.
Farmhouse Kitchen:
Hands down, one of the most sought after renovation upgrades - every farmhouse needs a heavy-duty farmhouse sink. We gave the kitchen an industrial feel with matte black bar cups and pulls on the custom cabinets and an industrial sink faucet with sprayer from Triton Stone Group of Birmingham.
Contact Art House Creative, Roxanne Hale and Savannah Johnson at soldbyarthouse.com for help finding the perfect renovation project. Already have a home you want renovation pricing for or own a lot you want to build a new home on? Contact Willow Homes at gowillowhomes.com for more details.
