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When Sandy Evans and her husband Richard Herbold purchased this handsome 1915 bungalow in Delmar, New York, it was about to turn 100 years old.  But on the inside, its previous owners had tried to re-imagine its interior as a contemporary, industrial space that more resembled a post-modern office building than a cozy, century-old residence.  “It was all done in gray tones with none of the original charm left with the exception of the built-in in the dining room,” Sandy says.  “After living here for two months, we both realized that we needed the home to ‘smile’ again — to go back to what it was originally — and what it was always supposed to be.”

The images below show how the home looked in 2014 BEFORE the restoration.

After some careful consideration, they decided that for the home’s centennial,  it would be most appropriate to restore it back to its 1915 roots.  On the exterior, they chose more traditional earth-toned paint colors to highlight details and to make the front door pop.

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Once inside, the interior of the entry (above) looks through two large pocket doors into the gorgeous period dining room (below).

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“We replaced all the stained glass that was removed from the home,” says Sandy, “as well as added craftsman-style custom lighting throughout the first floor.  The three stained glass windows in the inglenook (above, background) were made to give us privacy.”

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An original built-in (below) anchors the far wall that separates the dining room from the kitchen.

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The coffered ceiling in the living room (below) was added to mimic the dining room.  The fireplace was re-bricked with historic brick and the mantle added.  “We had amazing contractors who also had an eye for this historic beauty,” says Sandy.

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Sandy points out that the kitchen renovation was the most challenging part of the project. The black tile floor that the previous owners had installed as part of their “industrial” kitchen had to be pulled up, and all of the trim around doors and windows was replaced.

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“My husband, who I learned was the impeccable one when it came to details, went as far as finding old oak so we could make the trim original again,” Sandy says, “and it was well worth it. We added the wainscoting to warm up this challenging kitchen, as well as purchasing craftsman door pulls, having stained glass lighting made, and adding a vintage style wallpaper.”

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For as much fun as it was to restore this home, Sandy and Richard aren’t sitting on their laurels.  “The list is long with what we did, but we finally feel the home is where it belongs,” she says.  “Although sad, we’re moving on to another home soon, and we’re excited to make this next home “smile again” too, but his time with an Adirondack flare.  Here we go again!”

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This article features images that were sent to us by a reader who wanted to share the fruits of their labor.  If you have images or restoration stories you’d like to share with (and potentially be featured by) The Craftsman Bungalow, please send them to TheCraftsmanBungalow@gmail.com along with a summary of the pictures and any other information about your project.  We look forward to hearing from you!

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