Remodeling Talk... Historic Renovation, Part II

In last month’s installment, we interviewed Kyle Collins and Dr. Patricia Simon, the new owners of the century-old, two-story home on Gaston Avenue. We talked about what fueled their passion for historic renovation and how they chose their home. is month, we talked about how they chose a renovation rm…

How did you go about choosing a renovation firm to handle this project?

Once we had the nal plans approved by the Landmark Commission, we chose four contractors to bid on the project. It was a bit unscienti c. We listened to neighbors’ and our architect/designer’s recommendations, and put that into the mix. We also used “ e Advocate” as a resource and picked a few from ads a er checking out projects on their websites. We looked for contractors that understood the neighborhood and our mission.

Renovation Update

How did you ultimately decide on BellaVista Company?

When you start doing a project like this, it becomes very emotional. You pour your heart and soul into it, and you have this vision of what you want to create. Getting it right is important. So the four contractors who bid on the project were chosen very much by gut feelings. Ultimately, the decision boiled down to 3 questions we asked ourselves: e weather has slowed down exterior progress, but we have been able to keep the interior renovations moving fullsteam ahead. All interior mechanicals e choice was BellaVista. ey’ve been great and have exceeded our expectations!

• Poured basement floor level and built rough framing of walls and stairs to basement.

• Began installing HVAC.

• Substantially completed plumbing.

1. Who was willing to take our values and vision into consideration without imposing a “cookie-cutter” build mentality?

2. Who was willing to preserve the history of the house, and understood our mission of saving one more house in the neighborhood?

3. Who would we trust to communicate with us throughout the process?

• Poured front steps and entry walkway to the home.

• Built out front porch, second floor balcony, and the porte-cochere.

• Set garage concrete forms so we can pour the foundation.

Read should be complete within the next 4 weeks. We are really enjoying working through the challenges of faithfully restoring this gorgeous historic home! If you would like to learn more about historic home renovations, call us. We’ll answer all your questions and help you understand everything involved in the process.

Bull By The Horns

Even if her name doesn’t ring a bell, if you’ve driven down Henderson Avenue recently, you’ve seen artist and jewelry maker Andrea Reich Fender’s work. She created Heaven’s Door, the distinctive piece near Newflower Farmers Market that is part of the Henderson Art Project. “It could symbolize the door to the kingdom of heaven, or the doors of opportunity, or doors to one’s dreams, or doors of perception,” she says. Reich Fender’s Swiss Avenue townhome is an art museum of sorts with works — some by her, some by husband Rick Fender and a few colorings by 2-year-old Helen Miriam — adorning every wall. Today she’s working on a project for the Red Bull Art of the Can contest, where artists compete for a trip to Art Basel in Switzerland by fashioning Red Bull energy drinkinspired sculptures. “It can be anything inspired by Red Bull or made with recycled Red Bull cans,” she explains, revealing her nearly completed project. It’s a scepter made entirely of recycled items — a chrome bedpost as the staff, a former hubcap as the decorative top. Shiny blue and red jewels are tiny pieces of Red Bull cans. The piece was inspired partly by the power of the Bull, and, like most of her work, greatly by her spiritual beliefs. The scepter derives from a passage in the Old Testament (... a scepter shall rise out of Israel). “It’s about the coming of Jesus,” she explains. “It would be nice to win, but most importantly I want to make a memorable piece that people won’t forget.” —CHRISTINA

HUGHES BABB

WHAT GIVES?

Small ways that you can make a big difference for neighborhood nonprofits

TEACH A CLASS at the Vickery Meadow Learning Center, 6329 Ridgecrest. You could volunteer as an adult classroom teacher, activity club teacher or pre-school assistant at the center, which is dedicated to improving English literacy levels among non-English speaking adults and their young children by providing programs in communication and life skills. They believe that the ability to understand, read, write and speak English contributes to independence, productivity and the overall well-being of the students, their families and the greater community. Contact Amy Glover, adult program director, aglover@vmlc. org or 214.265.5057 ext. 12.

GAMBLE THE NIGHT AWAY

... at the Meets Casino Night benefiting Dress For Success Dallas, an organization that aims to improve women’s lives by providing them professional clothing and tools to empower them in their careers. The event, presented by Kathydid Collection, is Friday, June 11 from 6:3011:30 p.m. The festivities will include casino games, drinks, appetizers and a silent auction. Individual tickets are $35 advance purchase and $40 at the door of the Deux Lounge, 5321 Mockingbird. Visit dfsdallas.org to RSVP and purchase your ticket.

KNOW OF WAYS that neighbors can spend time, attend an event, or purchase or donate something to benefit a neighborhood nonprofit? Email your suggestion to launch@advocatemag.com.