KRISTIN (45) & PHIL (46)

Home: 1908 Four Square

Layout: 4 Bedroom 1.5 Bathroom

Square Footage: 3,300 SQFT

Approximate Budget: $60K

RESTORATION NEEDS                   

RESTORATION NEEDS:

1.     Kitchen

2.     Attic Main Bedroom/Bathroom

3.     First Floor Powder Room

4.     Living Room

Kristin and Phil are two, young empty-nesters who embarked on a historic home renovation when the last of their children went off to college. This was the perfect time to transition to a new home and start a new chapter in their lives. Kristin and Phil bought in the eclectic West Village neighborhood to be part of the fun, bohemian scene. The couple knew that they had a lot of work on their hands, but with Kristin’s, “can-do” attitude, and Phil’s engineering-focused mind, the couple believed they could accomplish anything. It doesn’t hurt that she owns a home-staging business and Phil has been an engineer for Fiat Chrysler for 25 years. 

However, after nine months of struggling with home projects Kristin and Phil are way in over their heads. Every project seems to be a never-ending Pandora’s box of new and even more complicated problems. With each step forward they are taking two steps back and the lack of progress is demotivating to say the least. When COVID happened, it was a major blow to the family. Kristin’s home-staging business that she worked tirelessly for four years to get off the ground came to a screeching halt. Phil was forced to work from home, and Kristin and Phil’s two eldest children, Collin and Keegan, moved back to Detroit indefinitely, not knowing when they might be able to return to college. The couple has a daughter, Kira, who lives in Boston with her husband but she also frequently visits her family back at home in Detroit.

Now, with the pressure of a half-usable home at double the occupancy, the urgency of renovating the home has reached a new level. Although they are getting along there are four adults trying to all use one bathroom AND a non-working kitchen. It’s not a way to live. Kristin and Phil knew that they would have to rough it, but they never planned on COVID, or asking their family to rough it alongside them.

Kitchen: The heart of their home is in major disarray. The place where the family would normally gather for cooking and togetherness feels more like a construction site than a kitchen. What’s worse, the oven doesn’t work properly. It will go from a normal cooking temperature to 500 degrees in fifteen minutes, scalding whatever is inside. There is no counter-space. There are holes in the walls and on the floors. It’s not a usable space and the family absolutely needs a working kitchen.

Attic Main Bedroom/Bathroom: The attic area would make for an incredible main bedroom and bathroom area, but as of now it’s a far cry from what it could be. Currently, Kristin and Phil are squeezed into a 2nd floor bedroom but would love to have a “main” room that they can really settle into and call their own. This attic space needs everything. Refinish and repair floors. HVAC. Plumbing. Bathroom and bathroom walls. The project feels years away at this point. 

First Floor Powder Room: Currently there is only one functional bathroom on the second floor of the home. This is absolutely not an ideal situation for the family, and especially for when Kristin and Phil’s elderly parents visit, as they have trouble climbing stairs. Adding in a downstairs bathroom will make the home so much more comfortable for themselves and visiting guests.

Living Room: The living room has historic charm and features but right now it’s in need of a lot of TLC. The fireplace mantel used to have a carved lion head that was stolen from the home. Eventually they would love to source historic tile to help it match the original fireplace and make for an inviting gathering place for family, especially during the holidays. There is preserved natural wood that has been painted over that they hope to eventually strip and restore to its original beauty. 

Overall there is a major to-do list for the home. Repair and restore hardwood floors. Fix leaded windows. Exterior paint job. It feels never ending. Phil feels like he is letting his family down by not being further along in the projects he thought he could tackle. Kristin is secretly escaping to the bathroom to watch movies and relax because of house-induced panic attacks. This is the home that Kristin and Phil want to be part of their family for generations to come and they want to do right by it. They intuitively know that there is beauty hiding in the chaos but right now the wind has been taken from their sails. They are hoping that Nicole and her team can reinvigorate their passion for their house, and truly make a home for their family that will last for years to come.