The Mulberry House

Louisville is home to thousands of shotgun houses, many built in the late 1800s. They generally offer about 1000 square feet of space. Renewed interest in many of the older neighborhoods in the city has led to a surge in renovated shotgun style houses over the last decade or so. I've owned a couple of these houses and see them as a great opportunity for downsized, modern living in the city's older, more urban neighborhoods. I began searching for a new project house in early 2018. I came across this 1100 square foot house, and made an offer the same day. What makes this house unique is the full poured concrete basement that a previous owner had added in the 1980s. The additional below grade space and solid foundation screamed with potential. My goal was to create an open, contemporary, and efficient living space for my family, while highlighting the potential of these smaller, affordable, and abundant houses. I completely gutted and stripped the house down to a shell, and rebuilt it inside and out. Because I was doing all of the work myself, I was able to keep plans fluid and make decisions as I progressed through the work. The end result is my vision for living smaller, but not too small.