From the moment we stepped into this house, I was redesigning everything," says architect Derek Rubinoff, who, along with his wife, Robyn Marder, loved their home's Victorian character but knew the house needed an overhaul. Its history as a two-family home had left behind some significant layout dysfunctions, including a bare-bones kitchen with its sink in the pantry and unattached lower and upper cabinets sitting on the floor. On the second floor was another kitchen and a dining area where bedrooms should have been, and a glass-paneled wood door connected the couple's bedroom with their daughter's.
But between raising two kids, then 8 and 5, working full-time jobs-Robyn teaches high school English-and no available capital after buying the house, the couple could only dream and make do with the place as it was.
That all changed last fall, when the exterior's peeling paint couldn't be ignored any longer. On close inspection, rotting fascia, soffits, and siding came to light, which put new clapboards, trim, and house wrap on the agenda, which in turn highlighted the need for new windows. Derek and Robyn realized that the time to give the house what it and they-needed had arrived.
"I can't believe we actually did it," Robyn says eight months later, the family now settled back into their modernized forever home. "I have an amazing kitchen and so many improvements everywhere," she says, marveling at the renovation work done by builder Deliandro Dias and his crew. "Best of all, we did it while keeping the house's original Victorian elements," she adds. Lending a hand every step of the way was the team from This Old House, which documented the project as part of its 43rd television season.
Denne historien er fra Fall 2022-utgaven av This Old House Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra Fall 2022-utgaven av This Old House Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Mobile kitchen island
TOH DIY expert Jenn Largesse shows how to build a rolling kitchen cart with a butcher-block top
Bathtub tray
TOH general contractor Tom Silva and TOH host Kevin O'Connor construct a slatted zebrawood caddy to hold grooming essentials, a book, and even a glass of wine, for those who like a long soak
Navigating the rise in mortgage rates
Looking to buy—or refinance—and feeling frustrated by lenders’ sky-high interest rates? Here’s how to get the best deal
Graceful grasses
With dramatic foliage and distinctive plumes, ornamental grasses come in sizes to suit virtually any garden
A better asphalt driveway
It's long-lasting and recyclable, and it weathers extreme temperatures. You can repair small cracks and divots in asphalt, too. Here's what you need to know to get-and maintain-a great-looking asphalt driveway
Modernizing a mid-century house
A family turns to TOH to renovate a 1960 house that had been awkwardly expanded over time. Their goal: to create a contemporary, energy-efficient, open-plan home that is fully accessible for a son with mobility issues
Making a house her own
Renovating in stages over nearly two decades, a homeowner transforms a once forlorn bungalow into a cozy, very personal space
A little house that lives large
A reimagined interior and second-story addition double the living area inside a narrow shotgun house, while respecting its historical roots
Before & After: Bath Fit for a Queen Anne
Classic meets modern in this primary-suite retreat
Before & After: Kitchen Moving a wall makes it work
Grabbing a few feet from the adjacent dining room yields major layout improvements
