HOME

HANDS DOWN, THE NEWTONS’ LEAST FAVORITE SPACE WAS THE FOYER AFTER JASON HAD A TRAGIC ACCIDENT DURING A RENOVATION PROJECT. THE ORIGINAL FOYER HAD A WALL THAT DIVIDED IT IN HALF BECAUSE THE HOUSE HAD BEEN TWO APARTMENTS AT SOME TIME IN ITS PAST. THE NEWTONS DECIDED TO REMOVE A DOOR AND RESTORED THE SPACE TO A SINGLE LARGE FOYER. “IN THE FOYER WE WANTED A BOOKSHELF WITH A TAPERED COLUMN. WHILE CUTTING

→THE PANELS TO ENCLOSE THE COLUMN, THE PANEL JUMPED ON THE TABLE SAW. IN AN ATTEMPT TO STEADY IT, I MOVED MY LEFT HAND TOO CLOSE TO THE SAW.” JASON’S INDEX FINGER WAS MANGLED BUT WAS SAVED. UNFORTUNATELY, ABOUT HALF OF HIS MIDDLE FINGER HAD TO BE AMPUTATED. “DEFINITELY NOT MY PROUDEST DAY, BUT I HAVE BECOME MUCH SAFER HAVING GONE THROUGH THIS,” JASON SAID.

The Fixer Upper on Locust Street

Written by ASHLEY WEDDING Photos by AP IMAGERY

JASON AND JESSE NEWTON PURCHASED THEIR HOME AT 1302 LOCUST STREET FIVE YEARS AGO WITH THE INTENTION OF RENOVATING IT. JASON, A PHARMACIST, AND JESSE, A NURSE, HAVE THREE KIDS AND RELOCATED TO OWENSBORO FROM LOUISVILLE FOR JASON’S WORK.

THE MASTER SUITE AND BATH WAS THE NEWTONS’ FAVORITE PROJECT. “IT WAS A HUGE FAMILY AFFAIR,” JASON SAID. “OUR SON HAD HELPED ON MANY PROJECTS, BUT HE TRULY BEGAN TO APPRECIATE THE PROCESS OF REMODELING AN OLDER HOME DURING THIS PROJECT. DURING THIS PROJECT HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE SOME OF THE SKILLS THAT HE HAD LEARNED AND CREATED A BEAUTIFULLY TILED SHOWER.” THE TWO ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR SON, IN HELPING TO CREATE A PLACE TO WIND DOWN AFTER A LONG DAY AND ENJOY JESSE’S LOVE OF HOUSE PLANTS.→

“We had purchased a nice new ‘cookie cutter’ house when we moved to Owensboro, but quickly realized that it didn’t fit either of our personalities,” Jason said. “Jesse definitely has an eye for design and my strength is in figuring out the technicalities. The house definitely had good bones but was in definite need of some updating. We knew immediately that it was going to be a lot of work, but it was going to be our next challenge.”

Despite only taking on smaller aesthetic projects in previous homes, the Newtons were ready to tackle the large projects this home would require. Jason said that when moving into the home, the owner of the moving company jokingly asked if they had seen the home, built in 1915, before they purchased it.

Over the next several months, the Newtons got to work. “Nearly every part of the house was remodeled in some aspect,” Jason said. “Our goal was to add as many modern amenities as we could while maintaining the charm and beauty of a house.”

In the living room, the Newtons converted two bookshelves into floor to ceiling custom built-ins, refinished the fireplace and ceiling and converted the original pocket doors to barn style doors. They updated the kitchen with modern appliances and updated the cabinets and countertops with modern materials. They also converted an office space and part of the hallway upstairs into a modern master bedroom suite.

“We were living in the house and on a budget, but we weren’t always the best with sticking to one project at a time,” Jason said. “There was a lot of time where we had multiple projects going at one time and we learned that this was not good for us. It

WHEN JESSE FIRST WALKED INTO THE HOUSE, SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE HUGE POCKET DOORS THAT SEPARATED THE DINING ROOM FROM THE LIVING ROOM AND FOYER. “WE KNEW THAT REGARDLESS OF HOW WE UPDATED THE HOUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO INCORPORATE THOSE DOORS SOMEHOW,” JASON SAID. “IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING IN NEW FLOORS WE HAD TO TAKE THE POCKET DOORS OUT. UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE DOING THIS THE ORIGINAL HARDWARE WAS DAMAGED. WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYONE WHO WANTED TO TRY AND FIX 100-YEAR-OLD POCKET DOOR HARDWARE.” BUT A QUICK PLAN B WAS FORMED, AND THE NEWTONS DECIDED TO REUSE THE DOORS IN A TRENDY “BARN DOOR” STYLE. “WE THINK THIS TURNED OUT GREAT, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP THEM AS A MAJOR AESTHETIC FOCAL POINT FROM EVERY ROOM ON OUR MAIN FLOOR,” JASON SAID. →

definitely increased our stress.”

Although the Newtons truly made their home on Locust their own, transforming every square inch into exactly what they wanted, they ultimately decided it was time for a change and put the house on the market earlier this year. The house sold in record time and the Newtons are excited to take on their next project.

“During the renovation we had decided that the next house we purchased wouldn’t be as old but still need renovating,” Jason said. “Our ‘new’ house was built in the ‘50s and we’re looking to modernizing it but keeping a midcentury modern style.”

As far as lessons learned from their time on Locust Street, Jason says there are many. First, they will not take on as many projects at once.

“We also learned that with old houses few things go exactly to plan,” Jason said. “A lot of the completed projects were not plan B’s, but sometimes plan C’s or D’s.”

ABOUT THE REALTOR

Ryan Rutman has been selling homes in Owensboro for over 13 years. He was honored to help the Clemens through the process of selling their family home.

“Ryan made it happen,” said Randy Clemens. “He was very professional and listened to our concerns. This was an emotional process for all of us.”

In less than three days, Ryan helped the Clemens navigate multiple offers and eventually accept an offer for over asking price.

Ryan has grown his real estate team to include his wife, business partner, and fellow Realtor, Chivonne, as well as Realtors Stephanie Hardesty and Katie Drab. The Ryan Rutman Real Estate Group

is available to help both buyers and sellers navigate the current real estate market. For them, it’s not about the houses, but about the relationships formed along the way.

Are you looking to buy or sell a home? Contact the Ryan Rutman Real Estate Group today! OL 270-315-7464 • WWW.RYANRUTMAN.COM

Remax Professional Realty Group 4333 Springhill Drive #102, Owensboro, KY 42303

BEFORE RENOVATIONS

DOES DENTISTRY CONFUSE YOU? YOU’RE NOT ALONE.

Your Common Dental Questions Answered With Dr. Joshua Stamper and Dr. Shawn Stringer At Bluegrass Dental

WHAT ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS?

Dental implants are the closest you can get to healthy, natural teeth. They allow you to live the way you want to – confidently eating, smiling, laughing, talking, kissing and enjoying all of your everyday activities without worrying about your teeth.Think of dental implants as artificial tooth roots, similar in shape to screws. When dental implants are placed in your jawbone, they bond with your natural bone. They become a sturdy base for supporting one or more artificial teeth, called crowns. If you are missing a tooth, and would like to consider dental implants, surgical consultations including 3D x-ray are always free at Bluegrass Dental.

WHAT KIND OF TOOTHPASTE SHOULD I USE?

You should choose a toothpaste that can help you the most for your individual mouth. For example, if you are very prone to tooth decay, I would recommend that you use a toothpaste with sodium fluoride (an anticavity ingredient) to help prevent rapid decay. If you are prone to rapid plaque buildup or tartar, I would recommend a tartar control toothpaste. Your dentist or hygienist can help you find the toothpaste with a property that will be most beneficial to you.

Also, if you use a mouthwash, be sure to check the ingredients to see if it has an anti-cavity active ingredient, as mouthwashes without this ingredient are not effective in preventing tooth decay.

DOES WHITENING TOOTHPASTE WORK?

Whitening toothpastes have limited whitening abilities. They typically only remove the most superficial surface stains and can sometimes be made of abrasive materials that are harsh on enamel. Whitening trays or in-office whitening procedures are the fastest, most effective, and safest way to whiten teeth. At Bluegrass Dental, we value patients who take excellent care of their oral health, so with a perfect, regular check ups, we offer free professional whitening for our patients to incentivize them to keep their mouth healthy.

WHY DO I HAVE SENSITIVE TEETH?

Mild sensitivity is mainly due to receding gums, teeth grinding during sleep and tiny fractures in teeth. You can try using a sensitivity toothpaste for athome care. If the sensitivity persists or worsens, it’s usually a sign of something more that needs attention. A visit to your general dentist office will help you get to the bottom of what is causing sensitivity. OL