THE HOUSE THAT KATIE & MIKE RE-BUILT
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From the exterior, the Bierne house denotes unassuming charm. The entire front porch was rebuilt. The front door is a salvage find, and the transom was added.
HEIGHTS COUPLE ENJOYS OLD STYLE AND NEW AMENITIES Interior Designer Laura Michaelides sits on the front steps with the Biernes: Katie, Mike and baby Barrett.
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B Y S USAN F OX • P HOTOS B Y M IRO D VORSCAK
he lovely white Queen Anne Victorian residing on Arlington Street now belies the first “horrible” impression Interior Designer Laura Michaelides’ had of it. “But I could tell by the cross Gable in front, the extra wide center hall and pristine architectural style that it did have the makings for being a great house,” recalls Michaelides. Katie and Mike Bierne’s ultimate decision to buy and restore the Arlington house wasn’t one made in haste. They began their due diligence by meeting with Michaelides, who was introduced to the couple by their realtor, Kelly Walsh. “Kelly thought that since I had worked on a number of old houses – including my own – that I could help them assess the viability of ones that caught their eye,” says Michaelides.
The new light-filled kitchen makes way for a growing family. The backsplash is a white polished subway tile, and the countertop is honed granite. The top on the rustic island table is Carrera marble.
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AFTER: At the end of the center hallway is a sitting area. For great inexpensive art impact, the couple had installed as one large piece of art 10 art canvases purchased at IKEA. The rug underneath a bentwood garden bench mimics a grassy feel.
AFTER: A new-old door was installed, the circular attic entry was closed up and the hallway expanded. The pendants are from Brown Lighting. A new stairway was built off the hallway. The original one was a steep climb in the back of the house. BEFORE: Along the way, the front door had been “modernized,” and the center hall had been by compromised. A circular ceiling entry into the attic had been added just inside the threshold. 54
Before
In the end, the couple had doubled the home’s original 1,220 square feet to include two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, in addition to a guest room and bath, master suite, study, kitchen, and living and dining areas downstairs. The fact the house had a restorable center hall was a top influencer for the couple. Today, it is “so dramatic” and harks back to an era “when center halls were significant to the time period,” according to Katie. “This house really was in horrible shape,” recalls Michaelides. “The original floor plan had been destroyed, the transoms inside were gone, and the 11-foot ceilings had been lowered to 8 feet. The good Michaelides found with the house, though, outweighed any negatives. “With the kind of ceilings it had along with the roof height, I could see that some wonderful spaces could be created. You could see that it really was utterly charming,” says Michaelides.
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AFTER: The kitchen is new construction. Cabinetry is by Giles Construction. The floors are oak; the countertops are a black honed granite. BEFORE: Dated kitchen was void of personality and space.
STEPPING INTO NEW TERRITORY
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“We originally were looking at newer homes that already had been renovated. Kelly then began talking to me about doing a project of our own,” says Katie. “All I knew after seeing this house was that it could be exactly what we wanted. I had this clear vision from day one,” says Katie, who along with her husband had never lived in such an old house and neighborhood. “But when we met Laura and saw some of her projects, we knew were in good hands.” The couple hired Don Broman, owner of Broman Design & Construction to turn the dream into a reality. In the real estate world, it is said location is everything, and in the case of the Beirnes, it was especially true. “When I move from Kentucky to Houston eight years ago, it took me two years to find the Heights. I was immediately drawn to the area. Being an artist myself, I
BEFORE: Archways and aluminum windows added by a previous owner were removed to restore the original look of the home.
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AFTER: The wall color is French Gray by Benjamin Moore. Katie Bierne bought the whimsical chandelier from Anthropologie.
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just felt a spiritual connection to the houses, the porches, big oak trees, the various mix of people, and all the small neighboring shops,” says Katie. Plus, Katie notes, “It’s located in walking distance of 19th Street (a popular shopping and entertainment strip in the Heights), not to mention the walking trails along Heights Boulevard.”
MAKING IT THEIR OWN “I had an entire scrapbook that I had been pasting pictures in for about two or three years. I even included photos of things I liked and past-
ABOVE: The living room features new oak flooring with an area rug by Emmett Rugs. Most of the artwork is from Koelsch Gallery.
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ed them into the book. That scrapbook came along with me to many meetings with Laura,” says Katie. Katie and Mike’s collection of ideas helped steer the project so that both designer and builder could create the house of their dreams. “In the back where the original kitchen was, we pushed it out so that we
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ABOVE: The master bedroom is located on the first floor; its bath is purposefully not connected to the room, however. BELOW: The master bath is both pretty and interesting, thanks to the marble top and old chest of drawers-now vanity. Open shelving fills what otherwise would have been lost space.
could expand the space, add windows and add banquette seating,” says Michaelides. “We pushed out the roof upstairs and added dormers to allow for head room and to turn the attic space into two bedrooms and a bath,” she adds.
The countertop in this bath is Caesar stone; the flooring is an expensive navy penny tile bought online. The industrial light fixtures are from Home Depot for under $50 each. The door is new and made to look old. 62
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ABOVE: One of the guestrooms. The wood floor is new, as is the transom. LEFT: The guest bath features an old cabinet that was painted white and topped with Carerra marble.
Katie says that rather than place the master bath into the bedroom, they situated it off the hallway. “It’s a nice feeling to have two separate spaces, which means less noise, fewer wet towels laying around and just less mess that can spill over into the bedroom. “We also have four dogs, and we designed the laundry room around them,” says Katie. “Laura helped design the space so that their crates and all their accessories fit perfectly. There are pocket doors on each side of the room, so you can get to the kitchen and the master hallway. It makes it all so convenient and tidy. “The thought of all the history within these walls just takes my breath away. I feel so honored to live here, and to make my own history with my family,” says Katie. 64
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BEFORE: The upstairs space was one huge room with small dormers. AFTER: The dormers were raised and pushed out to carve out extra headroom.
Before
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Before
First Level
LIVING ROOM
DINING ROOM
First Level
KITCHEN
LIVING ROOM
After DINING ROOM
KITCHEN BREAKFAST
LAUNDRY
LAUNDRY
ENTRY
PORCH
ENTRY
CLOSET BEDROOM 2 GUEST BEDROOM
BATH 2
BEDROOM 1
GUEST BATH
BATH 1
STUDY/ NURSERY
MASTER BATH
RESOURCES FOUR SQUARE DESIGN STUDIO www.foursquaredesignstudio.com 713-802-1699 BROMAN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION www.donbroman.com 713-862-2570 GILES CONSTRUCTION (kitchen cabinets) 713.806.8437 KOELSCH GALLERY (art) www.koelschgallery.com 713-626-0175 MARK OBERHOLZER, RHODES PARTNERS ARCITECTS 512-473-0923
Second Level
Before
Second Level
After
STORAGE BEDROOM 3
STORAGE
FLOOR 3-1/2 FT. LOWER
PLAYROOM BEDROOM 4
OPEN TO BELOW BATH FLOOR 3-1/2 FT. LOWER
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OPEN TO BELOW STORAGE
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CLOSET
MASTER SUITE CLOSET