The story below is from our September/October 2015 issue. For the DIGITALLY ENHANCED VERSION, download our FREE iOS app or view our digital edition for FREE today!
A single-family home in South Roanoke and a historic building in the heart of downtown undergo major renovations, and the results are breathtaking.
FOR SOME IT IS NEARLY impossible to see past outdated bathroom fixtures, popcorn ceilings and impractical floor plans when looking for a home. Features like old plumbing and cracked plaster turn prospective homeowners away from many properties. But there are those that can look beyond the old, the bad and the ugly, and find true potential, a diamond in the rough.
On the surface, these two renovations couldn’t be more different: a mid-century single-family home in South Roanoke, and a three-story brick structure built on the former site of a livery stable. One is a suburban, family-friendly style and designed to allow for flow between the interior and the outdoors. The other is an industrial loft space with exposed beams and hundred-year-old wood floors.
And yet, both renovations ultimately had one end goal: breathing new life into a piece of Roanoke history.
A Gem in South Roanoke
The process of renovating a house is not for the faint of heart—or the impatient. It can take months, even years, to complete such a large-scale project. Or, in the case of one home in South Roanoke, the timeline can be indefinite.
“From a design standpoint, it’s still going,” says Emily Mangus of the South Roanoke home renovation project. Mangus is the interior designer who worked with the homeowners of this 4,700-square-foot house to create a comfortable, fresh and functional environment for their young family.
Confronted with the challenges of agreeing on an aesthetic for their new home, the homeowners turned to Mangus for help. From the perfect paint colors to unique and “high-design” decorative features, Mangus’s design is cohesive, professional and collaborative.
“The biggest challenge was designing the home to the level it should be, while keeping it child-friendly,” says Mangus.
The result of the collaboration between homeowner and designer is at once contemporary and sentimental, clean and efficient with a touch of whimsy.
“While we kept the exterior of the home mostly traditional in style, the inside includes things such as high-gloss black ‘caviar’ woodwork and turning the original exterior door pediment into toy shelving for their boys,” says Mangus.
An excellent example of marrying function and finesse is the kitchen and family room. They raised the ceiling and added a wall of custom shelving that serves as a striking focal point. Light floods in through the oversized kitchen window as if there were no separation between inside and out. The sleek lines of the carerra marble island and stainless steel appliances contrast with the vibrant colors of children’s books and toys meticulously scattered among the wall shelves.
The renovation extended beyond the home’s walls into the backyard. They removed the original in-ground pool and transformed the outdoor space into a relaxing and fun haven complete with oversized checker board, raised garden beds and playground.
Every inch of the home has a purpose and a clear aesthetic, styled perfectly to complement each member of the family’s style. It’s the personal touches, like the coffee nook, the framed photos lining the staircase, and the pop of color in the lady’s dressing room, that make this house a true home.
“My favorite part of the house is the lady’s dressing room,” says Mangus. “Its glamorous feel contradicts the relaxed sense of the rest of the house, which is quite necessary for a mother of two young boys. It’s essentially a busy mom’s reprieve...No children or husbands allowed!”
It may be an ongoing project, but the charming home fits the homeowners’ dream of a place their family can live and grow.
Historic Horton Lofts
Built in 1910, the Horton Building is a true historic landmark in Roanoke. Like many historic buildings, Horton comes with its own compelling, and slightly controversial, story.
William Henry Horton (the fifth) broke the occupational mold when he chose a career in mercantile and real estate instead of following in the footsteps of the four generations of men by the same name and medicine as profession. His real estate investments proved wise. He built the Horton Building on the site formerly occupied by a livery stable, and it went on to house the Grand Piano Company (before which it was, scandalously, a “nip joint”).
It was the building’s history and intact character that attracted Rick and Kelly Sheridan. Having lived in downtown Roanoke since 2007, the couple recognized a growing need for alternative rental options.
“We noted that for housing mostly only small one-bedrooms are available to rent,” says Kelly. “We designed Horton Lofts to provide downtown renters with an alternative: apartments with more square footage than usual downtown, spaciousness.”
The Sheridans purchased the building in April 2010, and demolition began in August 2012. This was no ordinary renovation project, however. “We’re not developers and didn’t have big construction crews,” says Kelly.
Which, as it turns out, actually worked in their favor. They could completely focus on each and every detail of the renovation, fine-tuning the five individual units to showcase the building’s historical integrity.
“We restored, incorporated, or exposed original features wherever we could in Horton because they were architecturally striking—as with the wooden roof structure and eyebrow windows—or presented the opportunity to preserve the past and treasure Old-World charm, like the existing wainscoting and window trim,” says Kelly.
All of the beautiful bones remain throughout the lofts, including the exposed-wood ceiling and 105-year-old heart-of-pine wood floors. They preserved much of the original brickwork and designed all of the doors and windows to match the existing ones.
“Thanks to the historic Horton Building’s eight-foot-tall windows, 21-foot-high ceiling, and marvelous trusses, beams and columns, we could add extra punch to the apartments with architectural wow factor,” says Kelly.
The custom modern features, too, add “wow factor” to this unique and historic living space. Each unit features custom-tiled showers, granite countertops, new appliances, walk-in closests and energy-efficient insulation.
In spite of the challenges faced when restoring a historic buidling—in this case, reinforcing the roof with steel I-beams—the new Horton Lofts offer downtown residents the best of both worlds: industrial character that tells of the building’s past, and modern conveniences that point towards the future.
Who built it?
Rick and Kelly Sheridan, co-developers/designers
Tracey Amos, Avis Construction, Roanoke
David Gent, Ferguson, Roanoke