Private Quarters: Grant Park renovation balances old, new

Home and Garden

Private Quarters: Grant Park renovation balances old, new

A fabulous 2015 home in a 1900's shell is how one of the residents describes it.

A sectional from the Intaglia Home Collection is a favorite new piece purchased for the renovated and expanded Grant Park home. The double-sided fireplace has a similar wood mantel on both sides, but different tile surround. The room is painted Sherwin-Williams' Gray Screen. Text by Lori Johnston

The hearths and the surround were retiled on all three original fireplaces. The front office's walls are painted Sherwin-Williams' Gray Screen, just like the adjacent living room.

The kitchen was reconfigured and updated by Dan Souther of Round Here Renovations. Among the changes: granite countertops from Toro Granite, cabinets from Lifetime Express, a GE series stove, and a refrigerator and farm-style sink from IKEA. The tile backsplash is from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, while they splurged on Fisher & Paykel dishwasher drawers.

The farm table was made from reclaimed wood by Matter Boutique in Atlanta, and it's one of homeowner Heidi Reis' favorite pieces of new furniture purchased for the renovated Grant Park residence. The finish, with a mix of brown and white, was differentfrom other farm tables they had seen, she said.

The Grant Park home's urban chic decor includes a chandelier from Ballard Designs and a custom table made of repurposed wood from Matter Boutique in Atlanta. The medallion buttons on the trim (painted Sherwin-Williams' Snowbound) are among the traditional features they love in the house.

The homeowners appreciated the abstract quality in paintings by local artist Hilary Wagner. This one remained them of Niagara Falls. �They just look amazing in our house,��Heidi Reis said.

Original elements in the 1904 home that impressed the homeowners are the trim and medallions above the windows and doors, which are not too ornate, and the heart of pine floors. In the foyer, the chest is believed to be from the late 1800s.

In renovating the home and adding a second floor, Michelle Kirby and Heidi Reis added features such as storage underneath their stairs. The result is a more functional home that retains original features such as hardwood floors, trim and fireplaces.

The renovated master bathroom now has a free-standing soaking tub, from HelixBath through eBay, and fixtures and fauccets also purchased through eBay. The countertops are Corian, and the tile floor was purchased at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. The walls are painted Sherwin-Williams' Full Moon.

The original bathroom door was reused as a barn door in the guest bedroom, which has walls painted Sherwin-Williams' Sleepy Blue. Having a sliding door allowed them to maintain as much usable space as possible in the home, built in 1904.

For functionality, the homeowners added a laundry chute from the new second floor of their historic Grant Park home.

New tile from The Home Depot gives one of the home's original fireplaces a modern update, while the screen retains the home's traditional character.

The stained glass is original to the 1904 house and fascinates the homeowners, who also appreciate the hand-crafted trim around the doors and windows. The stained glass was repaired by Susan McCracken with Architectural Artworks.

Some of the furniture in the historic Grant Park house are from the past. The organ dates to around 1885 and belonged to homeowner Michelle Kirby’s grandmother.

The secretary is another heirloom in the historic Grant Park hoome. The mid-1800s piece belonged to the grandmother of Michelle Kirby, who bought the home in 2004.

A small chest at the foot of the bed in the master is paired with chairs from Lost-n-Found Youth Thrift and Consignment Store.

One of the home's three original fireplaces, which has updated tile and the mantels returned to their original wood state, is in their "lounge." The glass table provides additional workspace in the Grant Park residence. The walls are painted Sherwin-Williams' Fleeting Green.

Michelle Kirby (left) and Heidi Reis renovated and added a second floor to the Grant Park home, which was built in 1904. Paul Simo, chair of the Historic Committee for the Grant Park Neighborhood Association, and Round Here Renovations helped them follow historic guidelines, they said. Kirby is an aerospace engineer at Georgia Tech; Reis is an agent with Nest Atlanta Real Estate, eXp Realty LLC.

The shotgun bungalow is on the Historic Grant Park 41st Annual Tour of Homes (gpna.org/tourofhomes) on May 16-17. The home, built in 1904, now has 2,278 square feet, three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, but the new second floor is only visible from the side of the home.

The shotgun bungalow is on the Historic Grant Park 41st Annual Tour of Homes (gpna.org/tourofhomes) on May 16-17. The home, built in 1904, now has 2,278 square feet, three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, but the new second floor is only visible from the side of the home.

One of the homeowners' favorite spots is the front porch, where they sit in the rocking chairs and wave and say "hi" to their Grant Park neighbors.

Horticultural Gardens, a metro Atlanta company, provided landscaping for the property, which is on the Historic Grant Park 41st Annual Tour of Homes (gpna.org/tourofhomes) on May 16-17.

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A sectional from the Intaglia Home Collection is a favorite new piece purchased for the renovated and expanded Grant Park home. The double-sided fireplace has a similar wood mantel on both sides, but different tile surround. The room is painted Sherwin-Williams' Gray Screen. Text by Lori Johnston

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