A DEFT REFURBISHMENT

With features missing or unsalvageable, the house needed a facelift-in keeping with the architecture.

- Jaclyn Isaac

I'm an interior designer; my husband, Anthony Frasciello, and I specialize in renovating houses that need a lot of work. We bought this 1910 Free Classic Queen Anne, in Rutherford, New Jersey, and set about recapturing its soul while refreshing the interior for modern living.

At first we hoped to find original elements such as wood floors and tile. Unfortunately, the house had been altered and poorly maintained so we ended up gutting much of it. The stair balustrade, fireplace brick, and beadboard porch ceiling are original, as is the floor plan.

We worked with architect Rosario Mannino to develop exterior elevations during the planning phase. The exterior is a restoration but incorporates modern materials. The weatherboard siding and scallop-cut shingles are durable James Hardie products. The trim is from Certain Teed. We replaced the inappropriate entry doors with salvaged Victorian doors from Recycling the Past, in Barnegat, and used vintage hardware from Amighini Architectural, in Jersey City. We rebuilt the traditional porch; here I insisted on using real mahogany for the deck and railings as the material is dense and develops a beautiful patina.