A 1920's Virginia-Highland bungalow

Home and Garden

A 1920's Virginia-Highland bungalow

A 1920's Virginia-Highland bungalow

A home owned by Larry Santiago and Mark Hoppert is one of eight being featured on the 13th Annual Virginia-Highland Tour of Homes this weekend. Tours are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 on tour days. Available online or at Ace Intown Hardware and Aurora Coffee on Highland Avenue or Whole Foods Market on Ponce de Leon Avenue. Information:404-467-9922, Ext. 301; www.vahihometour.org

"The house is up on a hill, and one of the things we wanted was to take advantage of the views we have in the winter of the city skyline," Santiago said.

The renovation was so well planned that the completely new stairway to the second floor looks as if it has always been there.

Santiago (left) and Hoppert made sure their addition of a second floor maintained the character of the original Virginia-Highland bungalow.

A spacious pantry replaced the laundry closet off the kitchen on the first floor. The previous owner had renovated the kitchen and existing bathroom, so the couple focused on living spaces.

Santiago chose paint colors by working with handfuls of paint chips until he found a palette that pleased him.

The warmly colored rooms are grounded with muted Oriental rugs and furnished with well-worn leather furniture and pottery pieces collected on their travels abroad.

In the new second story laundry room, an entrance was built for easy access to the litter box for their cat, Petra.

A sitting room was gained when they added a second story to their 1920s bungalow.

The couple finished adding the second story to their Virginia Highland home in December of 2005. The new construction features a master bedroom, bath, sitting room, and litter box entrance for their cat, Petra.

The previous owner had done some renovation to the house, including completely updating the kitchen and baths.

The couple's eye for detail and clever use of furniture are evident everywhere. The two side tables in the master bedroom are halves of a dining table, cut and refinished.

Chinese figures decorate the master bedroom.

The master bedroom reflects the warm, neutral tones chosen throughout the house. It was built on the second floor so the two men could look out over the trees in their yard.

The wet area in the master bath -- an open tiled area with two sets of shower heads at one end and a tub at the other -- provides a luxurious way to begin or end the day, and pocket doors everywhere keep the spaces feeling open.

When Hoppert and Santiago bought the house, it only had one bathroom. Now a luxurious spa-inspired bath sits off the master bedroom upstairs.

Laundry, once done downstairs in a space off the kitchen, now has a dedicated room upstairs.

This lighting fixture is a remnant from Mark Hoppert's childhood home in Wisconsin.

A coal fireplace once heated the home but during renovations, it was replaced with gas coal insert for a modern twist on an old heating system.

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A home owned by Larry Santiago and Mark Hoppert is one of eight being featured on the 13th Annual Virginia-Highland Tour of Homes this weekend. Tours are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 on tour days. Available online or at Ace Intown Hardware and Aurora Coffee on Highland Avenue or Whole Foods Market on Ponce de Leon Avenue. Information:404-467-9922, Ext. 301; www.vahihometour.org

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