SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kate Williams and Tom Gohring both dedicated their careers to California water policy and conservation.
“We met over water — and a few drinks,” quipped Williams.
So, it’s no surprise the Sacramento couple made water saving a big part of their Curtis Park home.
In September, they converted the old front lawn into an enchanting garden full of coral bells under a sycamore and pink dogwoods — all fed by “gray water” from their washing machine. The former backyard lawn was turned into a shady retreat overlooking a water-wise rain garden.
Indoors, the 92-year-old Tudor home feels fresh and young while still maintaining its unique character and style. Oak floors and glass doorknobs gleam in abundant natural light brought in through floor-to-ceiling windows.
“One of the things I really like — the light,” Williams said. “We can see (the neighborhood) in both directions.”
The Williams-Gohring house is a fairytale cottage a short walk from Sierra 2 Center. With its shingled roof and rounded entrance, it looks like hobbits or gingerbread people should live there. Instead, the historic house became the home to the couple and their blended family.
“When we married, we merged our families,” Williams said. “We have five daughters, all in their 20s.”
Now empty nesters, the couple expected to downsize when they bought this house almost five years ago.
“Instead, we have five bedrooms — and lots of room for guests,” Williams said. “(The house) doesn’t look that big from the outside, but we have plenty of space.”
Both do-it-yourselfers, they painstakingly restored their home to its original glory — and then some. Together, the couple tiled a bathroom and replaced worn-out fixtures. They painted bedrooms in pastel shades, pulled from vintage quilts made by Williams’ grandmother.
“Every time we upgraded, we tried to bring back the original style in each room,” Williams said. “A lot of it is subtle, like wide window sills under the new windows. We got all the door knobs back to glass.”
“What I like best is just the multiple spaces,” Gohring said. “No two rooms are the same; they’re all unique.”
The remodeled galley kitchen features marble-like quartz counters and loads of cabinets, painted steel blue and Swiss Coffee white. Worn-out linoleum was replaced by oak flooring to match the rest of the house.
“It had been remodeled once before; it was all dark oak and 1980s colors,” Williams said of the kitchen. “We ripped that all out, converted from electric to gas. But it still feels like it’s always been this way.”
Gohring, executive director of the Sacramento-based Water Forum, enjoys woodworking as a hobby and turned the garage into a wood shop. He created several clever touches to fit with their home’s restoration such as a bulletin board cover for an ugly electrical panel, divided pull-out kitchen drawers and built-in bookcases for the dining room. French doors join the master bedroom to the backyard.
“Everything used to be so dark,” he said. “Now, the house is filled with light.”
“The light is what I like the best,” Williams said. “I love how open the house feels.”
Williams, who recently retired, worked many years on water policy including creating water-wise demonstration gardens. She put that expertise to work in her own backyard.
“Once you start working with water, you’re always working with water,” Williams said. “I spent a lot of time on this backyard. It used to be all grass with a few trees.”
Now, it offers them more room to relax with a deck, hot tub and two seating areas. Said Gohring, “It’s become a great retreat. It gives us so much living space.”
After taking the home tour themselves, their house will now be part of this tradition.
“We really picked the right street in Curtis Park — and the right house,” Williams said. “We were looking for a charming house. Tom said he never knew what I meant. But we both agree now, we found one.”
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