Well Preserved

Couple Rejuvenates Home With Original Parts

Alan and Kelly Harbitter love older homes and appreciate older things. One day Kelly walked past a two-story home on 41st Street. The place was old and ready for new life. Kelly and Alan eventually bought it.

“I used to walk from my Berkeley Way home in East Sac and look at all the older houses and imagine what I could do to preserve and enhance them,” Kelly says.

Kelly grew up in East Sac. She built a career in Washington, D.C., in government relations but dreamed of returning to her hometown. She and Alan met about 20 years ago. For 15 years, the couple maintained a bicoastal relationship. When they married in 2010, Kelly convinced Alan to make their home in Sacramento.

After the move they wanted a bigger home. Their search led to frustration. Most homes were either teardowns that would require starting over or updates that were too modern.

They found what they wanted with their 41st Street purchase. “The home was 100 years old and had only minor upgrades from the original condition,” Kelly says. “The original family had been here almost 50 years.”

The couple began with a vintagesensitive remodel of the kitchen and bathrooms. They added a first-floor half bath by the kitchen.

The dark stained cottage-style cabinetry contrasts with light grey veined marble counters. A farm-style sink and bronze hardware bin pulls add to the vintage appearance. They extended the oak floors into the kitchen for a consistent look.

By Cecily Hastings

Photography by Aniko Kiezel Open House

The floor plan is referred to as a “four square” design—four bedrooms upstairs with one bathroom. Toward the front is a small sitting room.

But with grown children, the couple decided to reorganize the upstairs. “We combined two bedrooms into a master suite, with a generous closet and master bath,” Kelly says. “We use the other two bedrooms as an office and guest room.”

The vintage-sensitive approach from the kitchen applies to cabinetry and finishes upstairs. Marble tile mosaics add a luxurious touch and contrast