Renovations

Inside the waffle front door, a common feature of Deck Houses, are an Artek Tea Trolley 900 by Alvar Aalto with a ceramic vase by Femme Sole and Home Union.

The stovetop burners are from PITT.

The home has a mansard roof with shakes and real hardwood tongue and groove siding. “I liked the idea of making this ugly duckling into something with character versus landing a modern spaceship house in an old neighborhood dominated by vinyl homes,” architect/homeowner Caleb Johnson says.

The insides of the carcass are as beautiful as the exposed faces. “You can’t capture a piece of solid wood in a frame or it will expand, contract, and crack, so we re-assembled our leftover walnut strips to infill the framework,” Stuart says.

“I like the darkness of walnut. Other woods tend to yellow if you don’t stain it, while walnut stays true to itself,” Caleb says. The white glass tile backsplash melds with the wall.

Stuart crafted the banquette base using ambrosia maple that he had been saving for a worthy project.

The home’s modest size meant Caleb did not have to worry too much about material and labor costs. For example, all the interior walls are done in plaster, which is three-to-four times more expensive than drywall in Maine.

In the first-floor bathroom, the mermaid backsplash Caleb carved plays off the Hygge & West “Mermaid” wallpaper.

Penny tiles in two colors cover the walls in the wet room on the second floor where wall-mounted plumbing fixtures preserve countertop space atop the solid brass sink.

“Sometimes you go with emotions rather than logic,” says Woodhull founder Caleb Johnson. “I just wanted to renovate the little Pizza Hut look-alike my son told me looked like a blowfish.”

Sheila and Steve looked into selling their home, but financially it made more sense (at the time) to renovate instead.

In the living space, instead of one large expanse of glass, which would have been expensive, Solk used multiple smaller windows from Marvin. To open up the living room, Solk removed a fireplace, which caused drafts and also leaked. “Other families may think that’s bonkers, but it worked for us,” Erika says. “We'll take the floor space over the fireplace.”

The bedroom on the main level is fitted with wide-plank floorboards, whitewashed walls, and exposed beam ceilings—presenting a quiet refuge with a similar aesthetic to the living spaces.

A Czech designer partners with local stonemasons and carpenters to convert a tattered structure into a boutique guesthouse in the Carpathian Mountains.

A staircase winds up through the center of the house. Its structural spine is made of cross-laminated timber, while the screen that encloses it is made from slats of South African pine. “The timber screen separates the stair from the surrounding space but still allows glimpses through,” says Douglas. “It recalls Japanese screens, especially at night when it lights up like a lantern.”