My Houzz: Honoring the Past in an 1891 Queen Anne
Antiques and respectful renovations give a home in Oregon old-world charm and modern-day comforts
Kimberley Bryan
June 8, 2013
It takes a certain mix of skill and compromise to turn a really old house into something warm and inviting while preserving the original charm and character. Jean-Marc Bourgouin and Kathleen McCormack have just this talent. On top of being built in 1891, their Queen Anne–style home in Astoria, Oregon, came with oak floors from the 1920s or 1930s, a 1950s stove and original windows that seemed to let all the heat out and invite all the cold in.
Bourgouin and McComack, who are both in the restaurant industry, kept the house mostly intact, adding furniture from the late 1800s, an exterior paint color that matches the original and vibrant interior paint. The result is a lively house brimming with both modern character and old-world charm.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Kathleen McCormack and Jean-Marc Bourgouin, plus cats Brian and Isabelle
Location: Astoria, Oregon
Size: 1,350 square feet plus basement; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: This home was built with planks. In late-1800s and early-1900s Astoria, only the wealthy built their homes with plaster.
Bourgouin and McComack, who are both in the restaurant industry, kept the house mostly intact, adding furniture from the late 1800s, an exterior paint color that matches the original and vibrant interior paint. The result is a lively house brimming with both modern character and old-world charm.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Kathleen McCormack and Jean-Marc Bourgouin, plus cats Brian and Isabelle
Location: Astoria, Oregon
Size: 1,350 square feet plus basement; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: This home was built with planks. In late-1800s and early-1900s Astoria, only the wealthy built their homes with plaster.
Like many homes in Astoria, Bourgouin and McCormack's Queen Anne–style home perches on a sloped hill while nestling up to the base of yet another hill, affording them a theater-seating view toward the majestic Columbia River.
"Astoria was always a working town. Being on the river, it was a fish-processing town," Bourgouin says. It was a hardworking place that, after World War II, was severely economically depressed. "After the war, homeowners didn't have the money to work on their homes or tear them down and build new," he continues. "That's why so many homes, like ours, have retained so many of their original elements."
Paint: Rematch B30.5 Cly22 E2y9.5 Ky7y33, Pratt & Lambert
"Astoria was always a working town. Being on the river, it was a fish-processing town," Bourgouin says. It was a hardworking place that, after World War II, was severely economically depressed. "After the war, homeowners didn't have the money to work on their homes or tear them down and build new," he continues. "That's why so many homes, like ours, have retained so many of their original elements."
Paint: Rematch B30.5 Cly22 E2y9.5 Ky7y33, Pratt & Lambert
Most of the couple's artwork came from local artists or garage or estate sales. "There's no theme," says McCormack. "We have art stacked up, waiting to get on the wall. It's our own way of expressing what speaks to us."
Sofa: Ethan Allen; bench: Scan Home; coffee table: Rosewood, Scan Design
Sofa: Ethan Allen; bench: Scan Home; coffee table: Rosewood, Scan Design
A glass-front cabinet displays silver and enamel pre–Russian Revolution pieces McCormack has collected since childhood.
An early-1950s O'Keefe & Merritt stove takes center stage in the kitchen.
Nearby an English walnut washstand from the late 1800s sits below a wall of vintage pictures and needlepoint. The large, framed news article above the washstand is signed by Julia Child, who spent a day at the French Culinary Institute while McCormack was a student there.
An 1880s walnut and burled maple hutch commands one side of the kitchen and offers a stark contrast to the modern appliances in the laundry room, which was originally a sunporch added onto the home in the early 1900s.
Bourgouin built the tub and shower surround to help divide the space within the small bathroom. Care was taken to match the look and feel of the home's molding. The vibrant turquoise in the bathroom "is a color we made up," says McCormack.
Painted fir stairs decorated with glass jars lead to the home's second-story hallway and a 1920s English Victrola cabinet. Original windows offer generous doses of light "but no heat," says Bourgouin. "The original windows are beautiful, but they do let in the cold."
Rug: Paulsons Fine Floor Coverings
Rug: Paulsons Fine Floor Coverings
Bourgouin removed the door of the main bedroom closet to expand the room and create a sitting space. The vanity is made of birdseye maple. The molding on the slanted ceilings is original.
Chairs: J.L. Moller, Scan Design
Chairs: J.L. Moller, Scan Design
Although the dimensions of the rooms are relatively small, architectural treats such as this view of diminishing rectangles created by the bedroom, sitting room and bathroom doorways help pull the eye through the spaces.
The enclosed front entry is a protected place for enjoying the views.
Built with the help of a friend, the back deck takes advantage of one of the sunniest areas of the property. The clear roofing lets the light through while providing much-needed protection from the rain, of which Astoria receives 100 inches a year. Next to the deck, a salvaged bathtub provides a raised bed for herb and vegetable starters.
Bourgouin and McCormack, shown here, created a series of small, intimate outdoor spaces. This patio is one of several such places nestled in the yard; the patio was made by Bourgouin of vintage brick.
When removing a false wall for a cabinet, the couple discovered a snapshot of the home's history: seven layers of wallpaper and an original square-head nail. The eighth or ninth owners of the house, they keep the piece in storage.
"It's fascinating to learn the history of your own home ... how it was home to others before you, too," McCormack says. "It's a way of sharing in one another's personal histories."
"It's fascinating to learn the history of your own home ... how it was home to others before you, too," McCormack says. "It's a way of sharing in one another's personal histories."
A year after the homeowners moved in, they purchased the adjacent 15,000-square-foot lot. Once a dumping ground of sorts for both previous homeowners and others, the yard is now a serene space full of towering deciduous trees and a garden. "I grow oregano, parsley, chives, mint, strawberries, potatoes and fava beans," says McCormack. "We get too many herbs and just enough potatoes and fava beans for us."
The couple created a meditation space with a rustic bench made of salvaged timber from the dockworks at the riverfront.
This chair, painted by artist Karen Bain, appears to hold up a towering rustic birdhouse.
See more photos of this home | Show us your eclectic home!
See more photos of this home | Show us your eclectic home!
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There are many elements to this home that are warm, inviting and welcoming, but the most important thing is that the homeowners love it. As a designer, my job is to take the things/colors/ ideas someone has and make it work in a cohesive, inviting and attractive way, and fit properly in the space. Kudos to the homeowner that can do this themselves, but for those who can't - we're here to help. Nice job, Jean-Marc and Kathleen. You've given many Houzzers great inspiration! I myself live in a home built in 1895 (Federal Victorian - another "style"?!) and can appreciate the character they have, drafty windows and all!
Like regular windows, bad storm windows leak (and can damage the very windows you're trying to protect), while good ones last pretty near forever even if you pay a bit more up front. Wood is generally nicer looking and longer lasting.