Nest — Summer 2018

home design real estate

SUMMER 2018

4

9

12

15

18

22

Salvage Style: Interior designer Joanne Palmisano

A terrarium tutorial from Muddy Toes

Medieval to Modern: Lawrence Ribbecke Glass Studios

Wannabe home buyers compete creatively

Pretty in Pink?

Ask color consultant Betsey Dempsey

Built to Last: John Roberts houses in Burlington

Your home.

Your choice.

NEFCU offers financing for whatever “home” means to you!

From first homes, vacation homes, rental properties, or building your dream home, we want to be a part of your story.

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

For details call: 802.879.8790 Option 1, Ext. 2052 NMLS#446767

2 NEST

SEVEN DAYS

SUMMER 2018

FEDERALLY INSURED BY NCUA

Untitled-16 1

5/30/18 3:05 PM

SU MMER 2 01 8

xxxx xxxx

4 We squeeze a lot into our brief warm season. For some, it’s a time to find a home.

Or, if you’ve already got one, perhaps it needs paint? In this issue, consultant Betsey Dempsey offers advice to the color-confused. We find inspiration in a local stainedglass studio and on a search for historic homes in Burlington hoods. Speaking of hunting: Salvage-savvy interior designer Joanne Palmisano shows how to create new looks with old stuff. And Muddy Toes gives us a terrarium tutorial. Think tiny house for plants. Happy summering!

What’s Old Is New..................... 4

Joanne Palmisano guides clients, and readers, on a treasure hunt for salvage

9

BY PA M E L A P O L S TO N

Nature in a Jar .......................... 9 Susan Goldstein shares her terrarium tale

Untitled-6 1

6/7/18 9:46 AM

INVEST in COMFORT!

BY S A LLY PO L L AK

Modern Medieval ....................12

Fusing a business partnership in the age-old art of stained glass

Save Money and the Planet

BY RA CHE L E L IZ AB E T H J O N ES

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

House Calls ..............................15

In a sellers’ market, Burlington wannabe home buyers get creative

BY E LI Z A B E TH M. S E Y L E R

12

True Colors ...............................18

Consultant Betsey Dempsey finds the perfect paint

BY PA M E L A P O L S TO N

SUMMER 2018

Cottage Industry.................... 22

John Roberts’ 19th-century Burlington homes were built to last

BY KE N P I C AR D

Solar ● Energy Audits ● Insulation ● Heat Pumps

Quality solar in Vermont 11 years and counting…

SUMMER 2018

ON THE COVER

9 A terrarium tutorial from Muddy Toes

Medieval

to Modern: Lawrence Ribbecke Glass Studios

15 Wannabe home buyers compete creatively

18 Pretty in Pink?

Ask color consultant Betsey Dempsey

22 Built to Last: John Roberts houses in Burlington

www.BuildingEnergyVT.com

802-859-3384

NEST 3

4 Salvage Style: Interior designer Joanne Palmisano

12

Steve and Maggie Conant’s residence at 69 Mansfield Avenue is one of many homes in Burlington built by architect John Roberts.

SEVEN DAYS

e home design real estat

18

PHOTO BY OLIVER PARINI

Untitled-15 1

6/11/18 11:22 AM

PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDSAY SELIN PHOTOGRAPHY

New COURTESY OF GABRIELLE BOOTH

4 NEST

SEVEN DAYS

SUMMER 2018

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

What’s Old Is Joanne Palmisano guides clients, and readers, on a treasure hunt for salvage

BY PAM EL A P O L S T O N

Top: Bar design at Main + Mountain by Joanne Palmisano Left: Palmisano with her Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew book collection Opposite page top: Mad River Barn room design by Palmisano Opposite page bottom: Do-it-yourself crafting by Palmisano

I NT ER I O R DES I G N

knickknacks or vintage fabrics at the Styling With Salvage: Designing and secondhand store. She likes to get Decorating With Reclaimed Materials her hands dirty: cleaning, de-rusting, is Palmisano’s third volume on the refinishing, painting — whatever it takes subject, so she clearly has plenty to say to transform, say, a musty old dresser about it. And she does so with both into a spiffy bathroom vanity, or a pile good-natured self-deprecation and of discarded lumber into a rustic-chic fervent opinions. Reading her copy headboard. is like hanging out with a passionate “I try to find recycled when I can,” friend — particularly if you share her Palmisano says. Like anyone who “addiction.” That impression is only haunts antique and secamplified in person. ondhand stores, salvage When Nest pays a visit yards, or town dumps, to Palmisano’s Shelburne she’s thrilled to find a home — where she lives serendipitous treasure. with husband Steve But, more than that, she Booth — the petite posits that using vintage designer and author is and repurposed goods is warm, welcoming and a virtue — perhaps even animated. She immea necessity at this point diately offers a cup of in time. potent coffee, brewed “An increased in a steampunk-ish demand for these mateglass contraption that, rials,” Palmisano writes Palmisano explains, her in Styling With Salvage, husband made for her.

J OAN NE PALMISANO “leads to increased recyIn this home, no off-thecling, which is one of the shelf coffeemaker would best ways we can help our environment, do. save our natural resources, and improve In the open kitchen-diningour economy. That’s a triple win!” living-room area, clusters of personal She also gives props to the people collections are evident, such as the who do the hard work of salvaging stacks of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys buildings, to makers, and to trade and books next to a comfy overstuffed apprenticeship programs. “Recycle, chair. Palmisano has a thing for dice, reuse, hire local artisans,” Palmisano old tablecloths and bowls. Also in the asserts. “I think we should be aware of kitchen, “I have a little bit of a problem with cutting boards,” she confesses with the decisions we make.”

She has ample opportunity to spread a grin. “But I got rid of half of them at that gospel. Palmisano has not only the Vergennes Laundry!” There, she explains, she turned the wooden boards written three books — the previous two titles are Salvage Secrets and into a wall installation as part of the Salvage Secrets Design & Décor — she restaurant’s recent redesign.

The couple’s house is a former camp, is a contributing designer for the DIY Network, a consultant for magazines deconstructed and renovated about 15 and websites, and a stylist for product years ago using as many local, salvaged lines and the hospitality industry. She materials as possible, Palmisano says also gives talks and workshops around — including the gorgeous cherry floors. the country. That multifaceted career From her own home to the design jobs ostensibly evolved from her childhood pictured in her book, it’s clear that she obsession with crafting, albeit with a walks the talk.

For Palmisano, “styling with salvage” number of occupations in between. doesn’t just mean picking up cute

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUSAN TEARE

The first sentence of Joanne Palmisano’s latest book reveals a lot about her: “Hello, my name is Joanne and I have a problem.” Riffing on the standard introduction of attendees at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, she continues, “I’m totally addicted to old stuff, vintage goods, salvaging, junk — whatever you want to call it. I can’t get enough.”

I THINK WE SHOULD BE AWARE

OF THE DECISIONS WE MAKE.

SUMMER 2018 SEVEN DAYS NEST 5

» P.7

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW

“I feel like I found a friend for life.”

HOME SHARE Bringing Vermonters together to share homes

863-5625 HomeShareVermont.org

SEVEN DAYS 6 NEST

6/7/18 12:42 PM

T C E F R E THE P FOR A PLACE RMING GIFT. HOUSEWA

SUMMER 2018

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Untitled-17 1

Untitled-53 1

3/8/18 10:03 AM

N OW O FFER

FREE SH I P ING PI N G AN D LO CA

O N M O ST G IL D E L I V E RY F T B A S K ETS TH E B U B B L E & TR U F F L E SS G I F T B A S K ET

$74.99

1186 Williston Road South Burlington (Next to the Alpine Shop) 802.863.0143 • www.cheesetraders.com Open 7 days 10am-7pm N2h-cheesetraders0618.indd 1

GIFT BASKETS

Our team creates spectacular gift baskets with all the cheese, wines & bubbly, and Vermont delicacies that you can ask for.

A lovely gift for all occasions. occasions Prices as low as $25.

6/7/18 11:34 AM

FRESH DEAS For Summer

What’s Old Is New « P.5

COURTESY OF JOANNE PALMISANO

SHOP VERMONT’S BEST SELECTION of teak, wicker, wrought iron and aluminum furniture. We have styles to match any decor with prices to meet any budget.

The before (left) and after (right) of a townhouse rental in Stowe designed by Joanne Palmisano

INFO

FREE DELIVERY

in Chittenden County

Lighting or Porch and Patio Furniture, Doesn’t Matter.

WE BEAT INTERNET PRICING. PERIOD. RT 7 Shelburne Rd • 985-2204 Hours: Mon. – Fri. 9 - 5:30, Sat. 9 - 5, Sun. 10 - 4 Open 7 Days for your shopping Convenience NEST 7

Styling With Salvage: Designing and Decorating With Reclaimed Materials, by Joanne Palmisano, photography by Susan Teare, Countryman Press, 240 pages. $27.95. joannepalmisano.com

NEW FURNITURE DESIGNS!

SEVEN DAYS

Contact: pamela@sevendaysvt.com

Shop all the

SUMMER 2018

teal-colored barstools. Like most of Palmisano’s designs, the space melds vintage and modern to pleasing effect.

“I’m pretty excited about how that bar turned out,” she enthuses.

Hyjek seems to agree. “She really has a vision,” he says. “It was great working with her.”

A number of photographs of the Mad River Barn — the inspiration for Main + Mountain — can be seen in Styling With Salvage. But most readers will likely find inspiration in the residential rooms and objects, beautifully shot by Vermont photographer Susan Teare. Some locations are in Vermont, such as a rental home in Stowe; others are elsewhere in the U.S. While the images can make a homeowner dream, Palmisano doesn’t neglect practical, hands-on advice.

“My goal is to make people comfortable with salvage,” she writes. To that end, she includes a glossary of terms, guidance on where to look for salvaged items from hardware to old sweaters, and a lengthy resource list at the back.

And that’s to say nothing of her cheerful encouragement.

“Some people are intimidated by crafts or projects,” Palmisano observes. “The nice thing is, you can start small!” m

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

A central Vermont native and Trinity College graduate, Palmisano hopped from coast to coast before returning to the Green Mountain State.

She has had jobs in the nonprofit sector, owned and then sold Vermont Wedding Resource Guide, and worked as a designer for Peregrine Design/Build of South Burlington. After she penned her first salvage book, which was “a huge success, out of print in three months,” Palmisano relates, the DIY Network got in touch with her. She proceeded to manage numerous projects, as well as a video series, for the how-to-oriented cable channel.

“The next thing you know, I was designing hotels and resorts,” Palmisano marvels.

One such client was Ludlow’s new boutique bar and motel, Main + Mountain. Co-owner Justin Hyjek explains that he and his wife, Eliza Greene, bought the run-down motel in January 2017 knowing “we needed to do a lot of work.” They reached out to Palmisano based on her renovation of Waitsfield’s Mad River Barn, and she agreed to work with the young couple.

“We wanted this place to look like Vermont, but modern,” Hyjek notes, adding, “we had to rub our pennies together.”

The challenge of working on a budget was right up Palmisano’s alley.

“She was able to find all the stuff secondhand,” Hyjek says.

Together they renovated 13 guest rooms and a bar that is open to the public. A prominent feature in the eclectic room is the distinctive

www.TheLightingHouse.net Untitled-15 1

5/30/18 12:25 PM

Replacement Windows & Doors

Prefinished Maple, Oak, or Birch

$2.99*

Prefinished Certified Imports

$4.39*

Antique Longleaf Pine

$4.99*

*starting prices, per sq. ft.

wood

The most eco-friendly flooring

Windows & Doors By Brownell is here to make WIND your window replacement and installation I N S TA O W L L AT easy. We offer free in-home consultations SERVI ION C and will provide you with all the information AVA I L E S ABLE! you need to make the best decision in regards to your replacement windows and doors.

WE MEASURE:

WE INSTALL:

Rte. 2A in St. George Center, just 4.5 miles from Exit 12.

Hours: Mon.–Fri. 9–6; Sat. & Sun. 10–3 6/7/17 5:41 PM

Love that vintage look?

Antiques can contain lead, a toxic metal.

Williston, VT | West Lebanon, NH | Plattsburgh, NY (802) 862-4800 | Locally Owned & Operated

8 NEST

Untitled-12 1

802-482-4404 • www.planethardwood.com

OFFER At:25th MoreFEB. LearnENDS wdbrownell.com/replacement-windows or call 802-862-4800

SEVEN DAYS

SUMMER 2018

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

WE CONSULT:

We’ve been called “America’s best wood flooring showroom” and we agree!

wdbrownell.com Untitled-22 1

6/1/18 12:46 PM

Learn how to live safely with these items in your home at healthvermont.gov/lead Untitled-6 1

6/7/18 9:49 AM

P L ANT S

PHOTOS: OLIVER PARINI

Nature in a Jar Susan Goldstein shares her terrarium tale B Y S A L LY POL L AK

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Susan Goldstein’s lakefront home in Burlington emanates light, warmth and beauty. A screened-in porch faces west at water’s edge. There’s a sense of the outside pouring in and the interior extending outward indefinitely.

Susan Goldstein (top) and her Muddy Toes terrariums

NEST 9

» P.11

SEVEN DAYS

NATURE IN A JAR

SUMMER 2018

This confluence of inside and out is exactly the vibe that Goldstein attempts to create in her one-woman business, Muddy Toes. She designs and creates terrariums, crafting miniature assemblages of plants, stones, sand and soil in clear glass vessels.

Goldstein works in a home studio overlooking Lake Champlain.

Succulents grow in one corner, and shelves hold jars filled with pebbles and dirt. With these materials, she creates self-sustaining natural worlds.

“I woke up one morning and said, ‘I want to make terrariums,’” Goldstein, 65, recalled. “I took tons of classes. I ordered tons of stuff.”

This epiphany came about four years ago, as she embarked on a new phase of her life both personally and professionally. A longtime Vermonter, Goldstein was then living in the Albany, N.Y., area with her partner (now husband), Steve Kieselstein. Missing her home state, she spent time outside in his yard, creating a nook for herself where she could think and imagine.

NEW DESIGNS + LOCAL WOOD OP TIONS

SUMMER IS HERE! PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

Through July 1!

JuneNow 15-July 1 (approx.)

20th Saturday, June 23rd 11am-4pm

BLUEBERRIES

July 20-Aug 31

IN OUR BAKERY

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

Fruit Pies, Cream Pies, Apple Cider Donuts, Breads, Rolls & More

CUSTOM MADE TABLES & FURNITURE Built to last with sustainably sourced woods, & finished by hand.

or visit our website for current picking hours and conditions

COMING SOON!

Visit our showroom at 206 College St. in downtown Burlington

Flowering Plant Sale!

HomeGrown Homegrown Sweet Corn, Beans, Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Peppers & More

CLEARANCE SALE CHECK OUT OUR AMAZING GIFT CONTINUES! SELECTION! Farm Market • Bakery • Greenhouses GREENHOUSE

WE CARRY A LARGE SELECTION OF VT FOOD PRODUCTS TAP ERED SHAKER TABL E

PARSONS BENCH

shown in Re claime d Chestnut

shown in Taphole Maple

NE W ME TAL CHAIR shown in Ash

©2018 Vermont Farm Table | 206 College Street, Burlington VT 05401 | 1.888.425.8838 | folks@vermontfarmtable.com

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Untitled-2 1

Amazing Quality!

3/9/18 10:46 AM

Maple Syrup, Cheese, Salsa, Dressings & More!

RY OUR BAKE H ES BAKES FR !

EVERY DAY 277 Lavigne Rd., Colchester • M-Sa • Su7-8, 7am277 Lavigne Rd., Colchester • M –7am-8pm Tu 7-7, W-Sa Su6:30pm 7-6

880022--6655 5 - 3 3444400

sammazzafarms.com •• See See our our monthly monthly sale sale coupon! coupon! •• MC/Visa/Disc MC/Visa/Disc sammazzafarms.com

4t-sammazza061015.indd 1 11 N4t-SamMazza061715.indd N4t-sammazza061318.indd

6/11/15 6/12/15 6/7/18 12:17 10:42 PM 12:42 AM

Vermont grown right here! * HANGING BASKETS

SEVEN DAYS

SUMMER 2018

* PERENNIALS * VEGETABLES FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1967

* HERBS * TREES & SHRUBS * SEEDS * PROVEN WINNERS * MULCH * COMPOST & TOPSOIL

Incredible Selection 10 NEST

4 1/2” Geraniums, Proven Winners Annuals & Vegetables

M-F: 8-6 SAT: 8-4 SUN: 10-4 N2h-paquettes061318.indd 1

Rte 2 location,4.5 miles east of Taft Corner | One mile west (exit 11), I-89 10236 Williston Road, Williston, VT

802-434-2794 | vermontnursery.com

6/6/18 12:04 PM

Nature in a Jar « P.9

GOLDSTEIN’S TERRARIUM HOW-TO 1. Find an open-style container with proper drainage.

2. Layer the bottom of the container with pebbles or small stones.

3. Place a centimeter of activated charcoal directly on top of the stones to act as a filter. Charcoal can be found in gardening supply stores.

4. Get succulent-mix soil.

5. Purchase succulent plants at a local garden store. Take each plant out of its container and clean the root well. Gauge by the size of your container how many succulents it will hold, then plant them in the soil.

WhO: CuRiOuS CoMmItTeD WoNk WoNdErEr BuIlDeR DeSiGnEr MaKeR BuYeR

WhAt: 30 HoUsEs 35+ PrEsEnTeRs MaKeR SpAcE ExHiBiToRs PaRkLeTs SpEeD DeSiGn ReViEwS MoRe...

6. Finish by adding in decorative elements such as moss, decorative stones, shells or colored sands.

7. Succulents do well in a location that faces east or west. Let them dry out thoroughly between watering.

On average, succulents should be watered every three to four weeks, using a pipette or turkey baster at the root of the plant.

Learn more at muddytoesterrariums.com.

m

Choose From 20 Unique Home Designs, Floor Plans, and Finishes!

Welcome home to Hillside at O’Brien Farm. This 30+ acre neighborhood offers 118 energy-efficient homes in the heart of South Burlington.

Choose from single-family homes and Townhomes offering a range of prices & options for every stage of life.

Contact the Lipkin Team (802) 662-0162 Info@HillsideVT.com

HillsideatOBrienFarm.com Untitled-11 1

6/7/18 10:02 AM

obsessed?

Find, fix and feather with Nest Notes — an e-newsletter filled with home design, Vermont real estate tips and DIY decorating inspirations.

Sign up today at sevendaysvt.com/enews.

12h-nest.indd 1

NEST 11

INFO

6/5/18 4:18 PM

SEVEN DAYS

Contact: sally@sevendaysvt.com

Mo Th del ur- Ho Su me n1 O -4 pen p

SUMMER 2018

“I was a young mom with a young business,” she recalled. “It was a really exciting, wonderful time.”

That business grew into a larger one called Vermont Sprout House, which produced some 10,000 pounds of sprouts a week and employed about two dozen people.

Goldstein sold the business after 24 years. She then had a series of managerial jobs, including working for a decade as regional sales manager for a national herb company. When that job ended about five years ago, Goldstein said it was time for a change.

“I was in a very male-dominated [business] culture, and finally I’m like, ‘I’m free,’” she said. “I always loved anything connected to the earth. I was a gardener all my life. So I just grew another business.”

Muddy Toes has echoes of her original sprout company: Once again, Goldstein is growing green things in glass jars. But her terrariums have a sculptural element, too.

“I have a certain style,” she said.

“There’s a sense of layering: the stones, the dirt, the colored sands.”

After years in a high-pressured business world, Goldstein said she finds her work with Muddy Toes to be relaxing.

“I’m like, ‘aha!’” she said. “I’m finally able to create something that is sourced from my vision.” m

6H-Yestermorrow060618.indd 1

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

“It was time to reclaim my own life,” Goldstein explained. “I had this little space in the backyard. I brought crystals and stones and branches and a yoga mat. And I would spend really quiet time out there. That’s how Muddy Toes was born.”

She has since returned to Vermont, along with Kieselstein and his son; they’re renting the lakeside house in Burlington’s New North End. Goldstein collects stones and other objects from the beach nearby.

The containers she uses might be round or upright and vase-like, though recently Goldstein created a terrarium of tropical plants in a rectangular vessel that more closely resembles an aquarium. She works occasionally with handblown glass but more often uses commercial glass pieces.

The primary features in Goldstein’s terrariums — plants — come in two broad categories: succulents and tropical plants such as calathea and peperomia. For succulents, she builds her terrarium in an open vessel because plants need air. Tropical plants are housed in closed containers.

“I’m finding, over time, that what people really love is the small world,” Goldstein noted.

She sells her terrariums at craft fairs and a couple of local shops, including the artist collective Thirty Odd on Pine Street. Prices range from $28 to $38 for smaller pieces and rise to $150 or $200 for higher-end terrariums made with handblown glass. Goldstein also makes custom orders and installations.

Her small business has a seasonal component, too, with much of her work centered on holiday craft fairs.

In addition, Goldstein offers workshops in which she teaches people how to make their own terrariums. In her classes, she finds that people appreciate stepping into a world — a contained one — of their own creation.

“You have to think about your personal vision,” she advises. “Do you want something earthy, or beautiful colored sands to make it beachy? I like to experiment with all kinds of textures and materials and colors.”

Goldstein is originally from suburban Boston. She moved to Vermont more than 40 years ago to attend the University of Vermont, where she majored in studio art with a focus on ceramics. She married a fellow potter, and the two settled in Addison County and raised two daughters. (She and her first husband later divorced.)

In 1978, Goldstein founded a sprout company, called Susan’s Sprouts, in her home. She grew alfalfa sprouts in gallon jars and sold them to local stores.

11/18/15 12:07 PM

Fusing a business partnership in the age-old art of stained glass

BY R A CHEL E LIZABETH J ONES

12 NEST

SEVEN DAYS

SUMMER 2018

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Larry Ribbecke and Emily Stoneking are separated by a few decades — he’s 70, she’s 39 — but they share a passion for an art form that dates back to the Middle Ages: stained glass. Since they met nearly 20 years ago, this mutual appreciation has grown into a fruitful business relationship at Lawrence Ribbecke Studios in Burlington. In the South End facility, the two work side by side to restore and create original decorative works of stained glass for private homes — and lots of churches.

In 2001, Stoneking was working at PhotoGarden and, in her spare time, making intricate tile mosaics of Roman and Byzantine religious iconography. “I’ve always just wanted to go back to the Middle Ages,” she commented.

At the time, one of Stoneking’s coworkers was Ribbecke’s stepson. When he learned of her hobby, he recognized that she and Ribbecke were kindred spirits.

They began working together that same year.

“I had no idea that stained glass was a thing you could do,” recalled Stoneking, surrounded by drawings, designs and stained-glass works of all stripes in the studio.

At first, she did relatively simple tasks, such as staffing the adjacent supply shop (which stocks tools and more than 600 types of glass) or doing the final cleaning of newly completed windows.

“As Larry got comfortable with me working on stuff,” Stoneking said, “he’d give me something that stretched me a little further.”

Today, Stoneking is a full-fledged studio partner, doing everything from fabricating new works to calculating quotes for potential customers. Recently, she finished making a pair of windows after the design of early 20th-century British architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh; the elegant panels featuring mirrored roses will be installed on either side of the fireplace in an Oregon home. At the workbench, Stoneking admired the subtle gold shimmer of the glass.

Emily Stoneking and Larry Ribbecke (top) and some of the glassworks in their studio

PHOTOS: OLIVER PARINI

Modern Medieval

DÉ C OR “Emily is the best apprentice I’ve ever had,” Ribbecke said, praising her “mixture of competence and enthusiasm.”

For his part, Ribbecke’s love of glass began early. He still remembers his first visit to the Cloisters as a high school student in New York City. One memorable teacher would assign self-guided field trips to Manhattan’s many art meccas.

Never mind contemporary art; it was European medievalism that captured young Ribbecke’s attention.

“When I saw [that museum], I thought my heart would stop beating,” he recalled. “You’re back in 1200 — that made me an instant medievalist.”

The glass in particular entranced him.

Ribbecke remembered thinking, “I am looking at light through the same window that thousands of years of eyes have seen.”

I LIKE KNOWING THAT SOMEONE 150 YEARS AGO WAS

VERY PROUD OF THEIR WORK.

EM I LY STONEKIN G

Untitled-10 1

6/7/18 10:00 AM

Call or email for a free market analysis or buyer consultation.

Robbi Handy Holmes • 802-951-2128 • robbihandyholmes@c21jack.com Making it happen for you! n8h-robbiehh0917.indd 1

9/14/17 11:02 AM

Fire Design • Sales & Service • 802-316-3081 446 Shunpike Road, Williston • www.blazing-design.com

Gas Fireplaces • Inserts • Stoves • Fire Pits • Pizza Ovens 6/1/17 3:17 PM

Rely on an Experienced Realtor!

SEVEN DAYS

With more than 35 years of real estate sales experience — you can count on me to help you sell or buy your new home or investment property.

SUMMER 2018

n8h-blazingdesigns0617.indd 1

Janice (Jan) Battaline CERTIFIED RESIDENTIAL SPECIALIST SENIORS REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST

INFO

802-861-6226

janbatt7859@gmail.com n8h-janbattaline0318.indd 1

Your Partner in SUCCESS! 3/7/18 10:31 AM

NEST 13

Contact: rachel@sevendaysvt.com

Lawrence Ribbecke Studios, 377 Pine Street, Burlington, 658-3425, ribbeckeglass.com.

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Years later, as a Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate living in Boston with “a perfectly good engineering job,” Ribbecke saw a flyer for a stained-glass course taught by artist Richard MacDonald. At $100 for six weeks of instruction, Ribbecke joked, this class was the “better buy” over the $35,000 of student-loan debt he’d incurred for his degree. He recalled MacDonald’s materials as “resplendent.”

Ribbecke moved to Hyde Park, Vt., in 1971 and to Burlington seven years later.

He had planned to stay just the weekend but instead began putting down roots.

Ribbecke has occupied his current space since 1996. He, and now Stoneking, have cut, fused and built glasswork that is part of Vermont’s architecture.

Their creations appear in 10 to 15 churches in Chittenden County, Ribbecke estimated. In fact, church jobs are their bread and butter. Though he’s not religious, Ribbecke enjoys these commissions immensely.

“I love spiritual spaces, to know the sanctity of space,” he said.

One of the studio’s most stunning and innovative works is “Cosmic Strange Attractor,” an original 10-by-13-foot church window commissioned by Barre’s Church of the Good Shepherd. Installed as a replacement for the church’s disintegrating triple lancet Gothic window, it features a triform mathematical drawing that Ribbecke, Stoneking and church committee members refer to as “the dove.” The design can alternately be seen as a three-winged wheel, a

representation of the Holy Trinity and a nod to physics and the enigmas of the cosmos.

“Science and religion are embodied in that window, and mystery, too,” Ribbecke said.

He and Stoneking have worked to forge their personal connections to glassmaking, physics and history. Last winter, the pair exhibited together at Burlington’s Flynndog gallery. Ribbecke’s semiabstract glass works referenced physicists and concepts from quantum theory. Two of his titles were “A Wrinkle in Spacetime, for Rainier Weiss and Ron Drever” and “A Tale of Two Kitties, for Erwin Schrödinger.”

Alongside these heady pieces were Stoneking’s circular medallions, reproductions of the medieval Occupations of the Months. She based these on time-marking scenes created in the 12th century for Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Stoneking explained.

Though Ribbecke and Stoneking are always working on their own projects, their thriving business keeps them plenty busy. One month, they might be working on a dozen or so small pieces; the next, dedicating themselves to a church window restoration.

“Sometimes they’ll take all summer,” Stoneking said of church commissions.

“Sometimes they’ll take three years.”

In addition to working on churches and historic buildings, Ribbecke and Stoneking team up with clients to design and fabricate custom pieces.

They are currently at work on a 2-by-3foot scenic window depicting two loons against the sunset, for a couple in New Hampshire.

Ribbecke pointed to the curves in the blue glass that will represent a lake. “Big, fluid lines,” he said. “That’s the kind of window I love to build.”

Stoneking agrees that designing and creating original work is the most fun aspect of her job, but she also delights in seeing the tool marks of makers who came before her.

“I like knowing that someone 150 years ago was very proud of their work,” she said, adding that she enjoys thinking of herself as part of this lineage of artisans.

In this way, Ribbecke and Stoneking are following the centuries-old tradition of apprenticeship — building a relationship based on blending past and present to perpetuate an art form. As Ribbecke put it, “There has to be room for other craftspeople to come up.” m

A Nonprofit Community Enterprise

SIMPLY THE FINEST HARDWOOD FURNITURE MADE IN VERMONT. The ONLY place where you can purchase DIRECTLY from the craftsmen who build it.

New household goods department at 339 Pine Street, Burlington, above

329 Harvest Lane at Taft Corners 30 Granite Street

Barre

Contemporary & Traditional Furniture

590 E Main Street

Visit Our Factory Showroom in the Highland Industrial Park 4 Tigan St, Winooski • 802-655-6568 • Hours: Mon-Sat 10-4

Hyde Park

VermontFurnitureDesigns.com 6/7/18 10:10 AM

N4t-vtfurnituredesign0618.indd 1

5/30/18 3:44 PM

14 NEST

SEVEN DAYS

SUMMER 2018

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Untitled-13 1

Untitled-7 1

6/7/18 9:50 AM

TIM NEWCOMB

R EAL ES TAT E

House Calls

In a seller’s market, Burlington wannabe home buyers get creative B Y E LI Z ABET H M . SEY LE R

IT’S DEFINITELY AN ALL-HANDS-ON-DECK PROCESS LOREN DOW

HOUSE CALLS

» P.17

NEST 15

TO FIND A HOUSE.

SEVEN DAYS

Rob, Hanson and Loren Dow

SUMMER 2018

“There’s been an increase in demand in the last 12 months, while there’s been an inventory shortage across all price points,” said Jessica Bridge, cofounder of Element Real Estate in Burlington.

The number of houses for sale listed in May in Chittenden County decreased by half in the past two years and by 30 percent in the past year, wrote Element cofounder Dan Cypress, citing data from the Northwestern Vermont Board of Realtors. In Burlington, homes for sale numbered equally in May 2016 and 2017 but decreased by 25 percent in the past year. Compounding Queen City competition, added Cypress, is the fact that “Homes are still selling in a little over a week — too quickly for people who are not trigger ready.”

But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. The sellers’ market in Burlington is so strong that many homes are sold by word of mouth, never even making it onto real estate agents’ radars, said Bridge.

So, what’s a prospective home buyer to do? Get creative.

“It’s definitely an all-hands-on-deck process to find a house,” said Loren, 35, UVM’s assistant director of

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Loren and Rob Dow of Burlington are selling their condo and looking to buy a singlefamily home near downtown and the University of Vermont. Nikki Jiraff and Barry Wyman of Plainfield are first-time home buyers seeking to live in the city’s New North End. Although the couples differ in circumstance — and price point — both have faced the same highly competitive market.

academic services in athletics. She and Rob, 36, the men’s soccer coach at UVM, are working with agent Marla Woulf of Vermont Real Estate Associates. They have also enlisted the help of coworkers and friends, sent letters to homeowners, and posted on social media.

The couple began the process four months ago and, as of press time, was still seeking to sell and buy.

“Everyone at this point is sick of hearing that we are looking for a house,” said Loren. “Rob coaches for a local soccer club, and all the parents in the club know that we’re looking for a house. We have everyone we know sending us listings, and we have friends who are contractors coming with us to look at the more fixerupper places.”

The Dows moved to Burlington in 2012 and purchased their condo on South Williams Street in 2014. By comparison, that purchase was a breeze.

“We weren’t in bidding wars,” Loren recalled. “We found a place that we really liked and made an offer and had some negotiations, but it ended up working out. We weren’t competing on every single offer that we made.”

What the Dows seek to buy now isn’t extraordinary: a house in their preferred location with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. But the price tag and the competitive process have surprised them.

“We’re in the 400,000 to 450,000 range, which I feel is a high range to be in,” said Loren. “We feel fortunate that we have the ability to buy something in that price range, for sure, but I think it’s just the standard … If you want to be closer to the town center and UVM,” she added, “that’s what the prices are.”

Of the single-family homes for sale in Chittenden County at the Dows’ price point in April 2018, only one was in Burlington, said Bridge. Although the number of comparable homes for sale increased in the county in May, there were no new listings in the Queen City specifically, she added.

“I think one of the challenges is that, if you sell in this market and you’re not leaving Burlington, you have to buy in this market,” said Bridge. “So people are waiting until something comes up that they’d like to buy, and, if that doesn’t come up, they aren’t motivated to sell.”

In February, the Dows signed a contract with a buyer whom Rob found through a UVM colleague. Through April, the couple made six offers, most for the full asking price. None was accepted. When their buyer’s contract expired at the end of April, they put their condo back on the market. Since then, they’ve made numerous additional offers — some for as much as $15,000 above the asking price — to no avail.

Loren learned from real estate agent Woulf that, in this market, including a contingency to sell their condo in an offer to buy makes the couple less competitive than buyers with no such contingencies.

So the Dows are using every resource at hand to find a larger home for themselves and their ambulatory toddler.

For example, a friend who used to live on Henry Street hand-delivered 25 letters from the couple, which stated, among other things, “We are a responsible family that values raising our son in this community.” The Dows heard back from two homeowners but neither situation was a match.

The couple has also asked friends in target neighborhoods to post on Front Porch Forum, a strategy that is becoming more common. According to forum cofounder

SUMMER 2018

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

ETHAN ALLEN FP

SAVE 20% ON YOUR TOTAL PURCHASE*

SEVEN DAYS

PLUS FREE SHIPPING AND DELIVERY*

S H E L B U R N E 2 7 3 5 S H E L B U R N E R OA D 8 0 2 . 9 8 5 . 8 0 2 8 Discounts are taken off our Everyday Best Prices. Prior reductions may have been taken. Exclusions apply. Visit a Design Center or ethanallen.com for details.

Offer ends June 30, 2018. ©2018 Ethan Allen Global, Inc.

16 NEST

*

Untitled-9 1

6/7/18 9:59 AM

FINE LIGHTING FOR YOUR HOME & OFFICE

Vote for me for Best Mortgage Broker because I’m such a Daisy!

Buy American and Local.

ABOVE: Nikki Jiraff, Barry Wyman and their son.

The couple handed out this postcard (right) to residents of the Burlington neighborhood to which they hoped to move.

KELLY A. DEFORGE Senior Mortgage Loan Originator NMLS: 103643

House Calls « P.15

Are you raising your kids in the healthiest home possible?

Healthy Home Assessments

Untitled-12 1

NEST 17

when you book by August 1, 2018

SEVEN DAYS

Contact: elizabeth@sevendaysvt.com

5:51 PM

SUMMER 2018

excited by the prospect of the couple’s move, he enthusiastically taped postcards on 30 doors, said Jiraff.

490 Shelburne Road 30 Kimball Avenue, Suite 200 In the end, Meghan alerted Jiraff Burlington • 802.658.5444 South Burlington, VT and Wyman to a house that was about city-lights.com to go on the market. After a roller ublocal.com • 802.652.2985 coaster of offers and contact between real estate agents, the owners of the Hardy Avenue residence accepted the N8v-citylights061318.indd 1 5/31/18 N8v-unionbankkellydeforge061318.indd 11:13 AM 1 6/5/18 couple’s offer, and they closed on the house on June 1.

“It didn’t seem to have much to do with our postcard, but maybe it did and we didn’t know,” said Jiraff. “But we feel really lucky that we found a house in the New North End, exactly where we want to live, two blocks away from our dear friends.

Learn how to remove neurotoxins, “Honestly, the house search has been carcinogens, hormone disruptors, so stressful,” she continued, “because allergens, & more from your home this is our first home, it’s so much money for such a tiny house, and you have to BOOK ONLINE make a decision right then. You have no time to consider or think, Is this a good healthyhomeassessmentsvt.com idea?”

For buyers feeling frustrated by the current Burlington market, Bridge offers a long-term view.

“This will also change,” she said. “The only thing that’s constant is change. You have to adapt … It can be discouraging, but hang in there.”

Meanwhile, the Dows are still looking. Reflecting on unique items that she and her husband might include in a house offer, Loren hit on an idea.

“My husband owns Vermont Futbol Academy, a soccer camp in the summer for kids. I think he’s willing to scholarship a player for a week of VFA camp.

Mention the promo code SUMMER18 We’ll put that in our offer,” she said with to get 18% off all services a laugh. m

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Michael Wood-Lewis, April postings statewide in the housing and real estate category increased from 33 in 2013 to 750 in 2017 and 2018.

Jiraff and Wyman, both 36, have also enlisted the help of friends and used doorto-door appeals to purchase a house.

Their urgency stems from a desire to be closer to Jiraff’s work — she’s a nurse at Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties. Wyman is field director and educator at EarthWalk Vermont in Plainfield. They want a house large enough to accommodate both their 7-month-old son, who’s “moving and grooving now,” said Jiraff, and a live-in family member who is wheelchair bound.

As renters, they’ve had bargaining advantages over buyers with selling contingencies. But their remote location outside Montpelier has made it difficult to search for houses in the New North End, where they’ve been looking in the $250,000 range.

“We’ve been looking for months, and everything in our price range would be gone in less than one day,” said Jiraff.

“We’ve been saving for 10 years for this house, and I was like, Cool. We have our down payment. We’re ready. All we have to do is buy one, right? Well, not in Burlington.”

She and Wyman have been impressed by the work of their agent, Dana Basiliere of Rossi & Riina Real Estate, but they knew that additional efforts were essential.

With the help of close friends Meghan and Isaiah Keepin of the New North End, Jiraff and Wyman decided to walk the neighborhood and leave information at houses they liked. The Keepins’ 5-year-old son, Ren, was so

6/7/18 10:05 AM

I’M SO LUCKY.

I ENDED UP DOING WHAT I LOVE.

BE TS E Y D E MP S E Y

True Colors Consultant Betsey Dempsey finds the perfect paint

BY PA M EL A P O L S T O N

18 NEST

SEVEN DAYS

SUMMER 2018

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

The notion of “throwing shade” has a whole different meaning for Betsey Dempsey, and it’s not an insulting one. The native and current resident of Shelburne is the sole proprietor of Color Concepts. As the business name suggests, she is a color consultant.

Dining room wall in Betsey Dempsey’s home PHOTOS COURTESY OF BETSEY DEMPSEY

DÉ C OR

NEST: But if someone clearly wants help, how does their preference come into play?

BD: They have colors that they like or don’t like, or don’t feel comfortable with. I want them to be happy.

NEST: Do you find your job is sometimes to get people to make a more daring or adventurous choice with color?

BD: Definitely. In [one residence], the client wanted linen white in the bathroom. I said, “Let’s give this [wall] a deep gray.” I had to twist her arm, but in the end she loved it.

I work with people who just want shades of white, and others are eclectic — they like every color of the rainbow. I try not to push my preferences [on clients], but look at what’s best in the room.

NEST: You work with both residential and commercial clients. Do you have a preference?

BD: They’re different. Businesses need to think about what the space is used for — what kind of business is it? What kinds of people are going to be in it? It’s more psychological. In schools, elementary students need different colors than high school.

NEST: Are people pickier, or more anxious, about choosing color in their own homes than in a workplace?

BD: Not necessarily. Owners of a business can be just as picky. Sometimes I have to explain why residences and businesses are different. In a residence, I’m a little more inclined to say it’s about what makes you comfortable. If it’s your business, it’s not all about you.

It might be about your customers.

NEST: What’s the most common job you’re asked to do?

BD: I do a lot more residences. The projects really vary a lot, from just a

» P.21

424 Pine Street / Burlington, VT 05401

802.864.678 2

424 PINE ST, BURLINGTON | 802.864.6782 facebook.com/thelampshop HOURS: Tues-Fri: 10:30 am-5:30 pm • Sat 10:30-4ish • Sun & Mon: Closed

N8h-lampshop061318-1.indd 1

6/8/18 11:12 AM

Download the down-low.

Flip through your favorite local newspaper on your favorite mobile device. sevendaysvt.com/apps

8H-App041818.indd 1

4/17/18 5:38 PM

Contact us today if you are interested in buying, selling, or investing in real estate!

THE BUR AK GROUP

VERMONT 68 Randall Street | South Burlington 802-861-6431 | www.myhomevermont.com | homes@burakgroup.com

! MikeBurakRealtor $ TheBurakGroup ' Mike Burak ( TheBurakGroup N8h-burakgroup0618.indd 1

R E L I A B L E .

I N N O VAT I V E .

P R O F E S S I O 6/7/18 N A L12:41 PM

LOCAL & LONG DISTANCE

FREE ESTIMATES

150 Krupp Drive, Williston | 802-651-0900 | morwaysmoving.com N8h-morwaysmoving061318.indd 1

6/5/18 3:37 PM

NEST 19

TRUE COLORS

Light + Color = H me

SEVEN DAYS

NEST: Your website says you were trained by Benjamin Moore to present color seminars. What’s that all about?

NEST: You note that the most important consideration on a job is the client’s preferences. But I’m assuming people consult with you because they aren’t sure, can’t decide or don’t trust their judgment…

BD: Yes, or don’t know what they want.

SUMMER 2018

NEST: How far afield do you travel for work?

BETSEY DEMPSEY: I travel locally … as far as North Hero, Stowe. If someone would pay me, I’d go anywhere!

BD: Yes, I teach a class at Champlain Valley Union High School’s Access program every semester. It’s a onenight class for an hour and a half. It’s more geared to helping people not make mistakes.

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

No, not for hair. Dempsey helps clients choose paint colors for their walls at home — both interior and exterior — as well as for commercial offices.

As with many unique occupations, her route to this one was circuitous.

Dempsey said she loved making art as a child but “never took it seriously.”

As a college student she went into finance, but that didn’t quite fit, either (though, she noted with a laugh, “I married a financial planner”). She began her career trajectory as a graphic designer before moving on to prepress work in the printing industry. Then she got into web design.

“That turned into a lot of coding,” Dempsey said. “I needed a creative outlet and went into decorative painting.” Aptly, she called that side business Artistic Finishes. It would prove a turning point.

“While I was doing that, I’d be in people’s homes and they’d ask, ‘Can you help me pick out colors for my kitchen?’” she recalled. Dempsey began to realize she had a special affinity for color and could actually do consulting for a living. Artistic Finishes “morphed into” Color Concepts. “I’m so lucky,” she said. “I ended up doing what I love.”

The majority of Dempsey’s work is with residential clients, followed by commercial jobs. Another avenue is sharing what she knows about color — for instance, in regularly scheduled free sessions at Vermont Paint Company’s Williston store.

“She’s available to our customers to help them with color choices,” said owner David Erkson. “They’ll bring in fabrics, tiles, iPad photos of rooms — Betsey helps them even if they have no idea what they want. She’s very good at listening to people and [finding out] what they like.”

Erkson added that while his own staff help customers as best they can, they’re not trained in color theory. Nor do they have the advantage of going to a customer’s home to see the rooms, the furnishings and how available light impacts color. “It can look different in every room, even in the same house,” Erkson observed.

Nest caught up with Dempsey and quizzed her on her colorful life.

Tap “More” in our mobile app.

Applying for a mortgage has never been easier! The NorthCountry app has our most user-friendly application right at your fingertips. If you start but then need to stop and come back to it later, you can.

SUMMER 2018

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Buying a home? Fetch your phone.

n Free pre-qualifications

n Local service

n Competitive rates

n As little as 3% down

SEVEN DAYS

(fixed and adjustable)

20 NEST

(NMLS #415758) Federally insured by NCUA

www.northcountry.org Untitled-14 1

(802) 657-6847 (800) 660-3258 6/11/18 10:46 AM

Creating a Sustainable Future Through Building and Design Residential, Commercial, Remodel and Design Build

free estimates 802-595-5049 greenlegacyLLC@gmail.com greenlegacybuilders.com n8h-greenlegacy121416.indd 1

Vermont’s Choice for Eco-Friendly Flooring and Finishing

The entry at Logic Supply in South Burlington

True Colors « P.19 bathroom, say, to a whole floor plan. I find people get tripped up on an open floor plan. What looks good in the kitchen might not look good down the hall.

NEST: What are your consultation rates?

BD: It’s complicated — it’s by location.

I’m based in Shelburne, so it’s not just about mileage but the ease to get [to a job]. It starts at $50 per hour.

NEST: Have you had to find compromises for, say, married homeowners who want different palettes?

BD: All the time. I really have a second degree in marriage counseling. I’ve learned a trick [for when couples disagree]: Don’t pick either color, so neither wins or loses. I’ll pick something else. They consider me the “expert,” so that usually works out.

NEST: How often do you change your own wall colors?

BD: We just built a house, so that was a big project for me — I’m my own worst client.

NEST: Is boring beige ever the right choice?

BD: There are plenty of people who still like that.

NEST: Why do so many people paint their house white?

BD: I think because it’s easy — they don’t know what else to do. m

NEST: Do you have a favorite palette or color family yourself?

BD: It changes. I’ll just see a color, and I become enthralled. I do love water-ish hues. I’m a sailor.

Contact: pamela@sevendaysvt.com

INFO

•

Low VOC, Local, Eco Finish

•

Dustless Sanding

•

Local Wood

CALL FOR SEASONAL SPECIAL

GreenMountainEcoFloors@gmail.com Cyrus Pond www.KeepVermontGreener.com 802.595.9990 N8H-GrnMtnEcoFloors061417.indd 1

6/8/17 10:19 AM

Estate Stone Walls 30+ Years of Experience Free-Standing Stack Walls Walkways/Patios Retaining/Ha-ha Walls Plantings

Martin Gil: 802-324-3693

Learn more at colorconceptsvt.com.

4t-martingil061318.indd 1

6/6/18 3:28 PM

NEST 21

NEST: Any disagreements with your husband?

BD: No. We’ve been married 25 years.

He says, “Just go ahead,” because he knows I’ll do what I want anyway.

Hardwood Flooring Sales, Installation and Refinishing

SEVEN DAYS

NEST: Are there colors you would never use in any particular room?

BD: No, I don’t think so. I’ve used black, hot pink. There’s a place for every color.

•

SUMMER 2018

NEST: What about exteriors?

BD: That’s a whole other animal. Any color will magnify like crazy outside.

There’s much greater square footage, and usually more light. You have to go quite a bit darker than you might think.

I would normally go two shades down [from what a client has picked out].

NEST: Any color pet peeves?

BD: An all-gray house. I try to tell people, “Remember, we live in Vermont; nine months of the year it’s gray.” I can’t live in gray — not that I want to live in a crayon box.

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

NEST: Are you ever called in to essentially fix a mistake a homeowner has made — that is, an unsatisfactory color choice?

BD: Yes. The two color families that people make the biggest mistakes with are yellow — it amplifies like crazy, like they’re living in a school bus — and blues. They turn so blue so fast.

Also, there’s a myth: I’ve heard people say pick a color on the strip and then go one lighter because it’s going to go darker on the wall. That’s not true — there’s just more of whatever [color].

And the strips can be deceiving — it’s not a gradient [of the same color].

12/12/16 2:58 PM

John Roberts’ 19th-century Burlington homes were built to last

K AITL IN O ’ S H E A

B Y KEN PICAR D

22 NEST

SEVEN DAYS

SUMMER 2018

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

Anyone who’s lived in Burlington for a while and has explored its neighborhoods likely has seen a John W. Roberts house, whether or not they knew it. And once you do identify one of his unique 19th-century cottages, you’ll start to notice them everywhere.

Born circa 1853 in Essex, Roberts was a carpenter, architect and builder who constructed more than 50 houses in the Queen City from the late 1870s through the 1890s. Many of Roberts’ homes are still around, scattered throughout the city’s oldest neighborhoods, from Archibald Street in the Old North End to Flynn Avenue in the South End. According to Preservation Burlington’s Tara Harrison, the majority of Roberts’ homes were built as one-and-a-half-story cottages in the Queen Anne style. Selling at the time for as little as $900, these houses were often funded by wealthy real estate speculators to serve the city’s burgeoning population of blue-collar workers.

As recently as 1986, the Burlington Free Press described Roberts’ homes as subdivided apartments for college students, humble abodes for solidary retirees, and young couples’ “starter homes,” which then cost about $50,000. In the ’80s, many were in a state of disrepair.

Not anymore. Though a few are still rental properties or have been converted for commercial use, others have been charmingly restored; in some cases, the same owners have lived in them for decades. Many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and are valued at more than $400,000.

What’s unique about a Roberts home? Kaitlin O’Shea — a preservation planner with South Burlington civil engineering firm VHB — explored the topic on her personal blog, Preservation in Pink. There, she chronicles historic structures around Vermont that she finds unusual or noteworthy.

O’Shea, who’s also an avid runner, explained to Nest that she first noticed Roberts’ houses during her runs through Burlington’s historic neighborhoods while attending graduate school at the University of Vermont. Initially, she was attracted to the homes’ distinctive decorative features, such as the patterned designs in their gables, which vary from house to house.

Some feature round buttons, others diamond-shaped millwork or patterned roof shingles. Nearly all are laid out with Roberts’ signature L-shaped or rectangular floor plans, with a large bay window in the front and a side porch, sometimes with turned wooden posts.

Above: Maggie and Steve Conant’s home at 69 Manfield Avenue in Burlington

OLIVER PARINI

Cottage Industry

THEY’RE JUST NICE LITTLE HOUSES THAT PEOPLE HAVE RESPECTED AND APPRECIATED OVER THE YEARS.

OLIVER PARINI

A RC HIT EC T U RE

Relax Let us handle all the details.

KEN PICARD

Above: A John Roberts home at 73 Mansfield Avenue in Burlington Below: Another at 358 North Street in Burlington

Visit our showroom to learn more about design-savvy products.

100 Avenue D Williston · 802-864-9831 · blodgettsupply.com

m-f 8:30-4:30 · sat 9-noon · For individual attention, appointments are recommended.

12/7/17 12:59 PM

Untitled-29 1

4/20/18 11:24 AM

SEVENDAYSVT.COM

daughters were very young, her 2-yearold fell down its precariously steep staircase. Fortunately, the toddler was carrying an armful of stuffed animals, Maggie noted, which cushioned the fall and prevented a serious injury.

In the four decades they’ve lived there, the Conants have made numerous improvements to the house, including a major addition to the rear and converting a 12-by-20-foot garage/ carriage house into an art studio for Maggie, a retired Burlington High School art teacher. (Steve is the owner of Conant Metal & Light.)

“Why do we love it? I don’t know. It’s cozy,” she said. “It just feels right for us.”

As for Roberts, his short but industrious home-building career in Burlington ended abruptly. After his wife’s death in 1896, he moved to Philadelphia; he later remarried and continued working as a carpenter. According to Harrison, it’s unknown whether he ever built houses in the City of Brotherly Love. m

SUMMER 2018 SEVEN DAYS NEST 23

Roberts’ well-crafted homes reflect a style of construction that was common in turn-of-the-20th-century Burlington, O’Shea noted. Unlike modern “McMansions,” whose frontages are dominated by wide driveways and massive garage doors that reflect a car-centric culture, Roberts’ houses were built at a more modest “human scale,” she said. Situated closer to the street, with approachable porches, they were meant to fit in with the walkable character of their neighborhoods.

“They’re just nice little houses that people have respected and appreciated over the years,” O’Shea noted. “Most of them are still intact.”

One well-preserved example is at 69 Mansfield Avenue, along a block that includes three other Roberts homes.

Owners Steve and Maggie Conant moved in as renters in 1978 and bought the house three years later for $50,000.

Maggie confessed that her circa1889 house has its quirks, such as difficult-to-insulate walls and floors that were never level. Once, while her

Untitled-12 1

Contact: ken@sevendaysvt.com

Untitled-15 1

5/25/18 10:51 AM