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Avenues American Four Square | Salt Lake City

This sucker was a monster. I bit off WAY more than I could chew when I bought this place in SLC to restore–while still living mainly in Houston. It started out as a “light” remodel. And then I made the biggest mistake you can make when you start a project like this: I started listening to all of the people around me telling me what I should and shouldn’t do to the house… big, big mistake.

Next thing you know, we’re down to the studs in several places, finishing out the basement, completely rewiring and replumbing the entire house, the roof is off to the rafters (and it’s raining), the kitchen and bathrooms are gutted–and my light remodel is now a full blown restoration project… whether I liked it–or could afford it–or not.

Fortunately the house itself was strong enough not to let me screw it up too much. All I had to do was play off of what ws already there. I tried to make it better without making it different. I focused on upgrading the core mechanicals–plumbing, electrical, and HVAC–while struggling to keep the original look and feel of the house. Any mouldings we put in were recreations of original ones. All new fixtures were matched as closely as possible to the originals. The only nod to modernity was the kitchen–which has stainless appliances and a stainless bar top.

It was hard to sign the papers on this baby when she finally sold… I could have been very happy living there… And I miss my afternoon naps on the 9 foot bay window… but it was time to move on to bigger and better things….

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