Kirkwood renovation more than a job

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Kirkwood renovation more than a job

Kara O'Brien and partner, Paula Rose, renovated this historic Victorian/Craftsman home in Kirkwood in between renovation jobs. They also own Laughing Sun Renovations.

Kara O'Brien (left) and her partner, Paula Rose, show off their Kirkwood home, which was built by Frank Ruggles, who also built several homes on the street. "We had neighboring houses to use for architectural guidance and there was a lot of demo to get out the rot, the termites, the squirrel nests, and the strange walls that were put up to make the house a triplex," O'Brien noted.

The sun porch is the couple's favorite room. The colored glass windows reflect the sun during the day, giving it a chandelier effect.

The highlight of the front living room is the fireplace, which features crazy quilt tile.

This bird was a toy found in the home during the renovation process.

The dining room. All the wood in the home was reclaimed from job sites or bought from older homes under renovation.

They found this stained glass window of peach tree and put it in the dining room to pay homage to the original builder, Frank Ruggles, who often used stained glass with fruit in his work.

The couple finds pieces on eBay, Scott Antique Markets and in their travels. They found this tin ceiling from the 1800's new in the box.

The kitchen counters are Italian white marble with Brazilian soap stone on the island.

Paula designed the oak and walnut cabinets in their kitchen and had them made by a cabinet maker.

Detail of the fruit bowl in the kitchen.

This craftsman-style sconce in the kitchen was made by the same cabinet maker.

This paneling in the hallway came from a mansion in Chattanooga.

The office.

O'Brien and Rose pulled this wood paneling from a house under renovation and used it here. (They say wood paneling is a great way to cut down on little hand prints on the walls.)

The master bedroom. What makes the home special is its mix of Craftsman and Victorian details.

The master bathroom.

This is daughter Walker's bedroom.

Their daughter's bathroom includes a fish tank toilet. The sink is made from pink granite.

Before the renovation, this guest bedroom had a view of the trees, literally; trees and vines were growing up through the floorboards. The owners found 21 squirrel nests in the home.

The second downstairs bathroom.

The powder room.

Jedi peers through the glass doors from the back deck.

The front of the original home had wooden horse heads perched atop the gables. The women made new ones and put them back.

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Kara O'Brien (left) and her partner, Paula Rose, show off their Kirkwood home, which was built by Frank Ruggles, who also built several homes on the street. "We had neighboring houses to use for architectural guidance and there was a lot of demo to get out the rot, the termites, the squirrel nests, and the strange walls that were put up to make the house a triplex," O'Brien noted.

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