Barbara English's West End home came with the best of the new and old. The pale green frame house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has all the charm of a classic Victorian home from 1887. And thanks to the previous owner, it also boasts all the contemporary features that make living in the 21st century comfortable.

"The last owner put on a new roof, a second floor and new systems," said English, an interior designer who found the house on the Internet last year while living in Florida. "It's rare to find a house this old in this good shape. So many renovations don't fit the character of the house, but this one did."

Hyosub Shin / AJC (ENLARGE)

Barbara English, an interior designer, revamped her classic Victorian in West End with some remarkable accents.

RELATED STORIES: • Take a virtual tour of the home • Historic homes provide peek into Atlanta's past • Do the research, get a tax credit • More Atlanta home tours • See more Home stories

English added a tankless water heater system and redid the kitchen, installing a cooktop island and granite breakfast bar. The five fireplaces also have been converted for wood burning. But the bulk of the four-bedroom house is untouched.

It is part of one of the neighborhood's prettiest streets, lined with dogwoods and brick sidewalks. English's pale green frame house has an iron-fenced yard and a brick path leading to the wide porch, lined with large azalea bushes.

The first floor features 14-foot ceilings with stained dental molding and leaded glass transoms. From the central foyer, traffic flows to English's home office, with a marble-topped sidebar and a large armoire that holds a computer and work station. The parlor is lit with recessed lighting and bay windows, framed with bronze drapes. A set of four leather armchairs sit atop an Oriental rug. A door opens to a glassed-in porch English has dressed as a reading nook with piles of books, an overstuffed armchair and a Victorian bird cage.

Eight-foot pocket doors divide the living area from the dining area, where English has angled an eight-seat dining table to match the slant of the fireplace. Built-in, glass-fronted cabinets are in the corner. A custom-made set of arched French doors lead to the kitchen that is stunningly lit by a massive chapel window.

"The window was salvaged from a church near Emory," said English. "And the doors were made to match the design."

The kitchen also is warmed with an inlaid wood floor and solid cherry cabinetry and counter tops, as well as the light of a Tiffany lamp. A patio and fenced yard are just outside the window.

The first floor also includes a master bedroom, spacious enough to hold a king-sized four-poster bed. The contemporary bath boasts a large black spa tub, a walk-in shower and marble floors.

A second-floor expansion project added a staircase lined with judges paneling to a skylight loft area with a reading nook. Under the eaves are two large bedrooms with dormer windows. A second master has a door to an old sleeping porch that English is considering closing in as a closet. The room already has three other closets, as well as radius windows, slanted roof angles, a marble-floored bath, a walk-in shower and double sinks. The renovation made room for a laundry room as well.

The neighborhood drew English as much as the house, she said.

"I've lived all over the city, but you can really feel the energy here," she said. "We've all made an emotional investment in this neighborhood because we love it."

Take the Tour

English's home will be one of 11 open to the public this weekend during the West End Tour of Homes and May Day Celebration.

DATE, TIME: Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

TICKETS: $15, may be purchased at the Wren's Nest, 1050 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd., or online at www.atlantawestend.com. 404-281-8559.

Have a cottage, condo, loft or mansion you want to brag about? Call MetroHome at 404-514-6162 or e-mail hm_cauley@yahoo.com.