Watts + Hillandale
Moving to Durham from New York is a major step for any couple, as is buying a home for the first time. Add to that a major renovation within the first year of purchase and you have yourself both a lot of fun and a lot of work. Having met Susan when she sold another house on their street they clicked with her immediately. After helping them purchase the home in the historic Watts-Hillandale neighborhood, Amanda and Tod knew she was the perfect fit to help them with their re-design as well.
In an entirely unique set of circumstances, they had the advantage of having already lived in the house before they purchased it. After house hunting for several months, they landed on staying put in their rental and were ecstatic to purchase directly from the owners/soon-to-be-ex-landlords. There was, however, work to be done
- Wanted a larger kitchen
- Needed to add an additional bathroom
- Sought to push the laundry room away from the common areas
“We just loved Susan” says Amanda. In fact, the entire process was made smooth by both their designer and contractor (Alex from AG Builders). The only thing that was even slightly delayed were the cabinets. The home’s unique location within a quaint yet bustling neighborhood meant that walking to find amazing food when the kitchen was “out of order” wasn’t a problem. This is one of the South’s Tastiest Towns after all.
Worth the wait with multiple walls removed and new space planning completed, this ranch morphed into a modern open plan home with interior finishes that still reflect the style and era in which the house was first built. Urban Wood Goods crafted the dining table from recycled goods and East Coast based Chilewich contributed the rugs, creating a continuity of surfaces and an easy cleanup from the household pets.
Surrounded by their collections, from books to collectible posters, Amanda and Tod love their new space configuration. Now if Susan could just work her magic on getting Afghani Take-Out straight from New York too, then it would be truly complete. Until then, these two are happy to cook up all sorts in their warm and fun Watts-Hillandale kitchen.
What’s RED’s favorite part of the kitchen design? That backsplash of course. In combination with the ample task lighting and the sleek, reflective countertop, it makes for a most cheerful + retro addition to this ranch renovation.
To read more about our design services visit the WHAT WE CREATE page or simply reach out and say hi via [email protected].
