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Houzz Tour: Designer Restores Her Own Atlanta Farmhouse
After she and her husband bought the 1910 home, which needed work, she renovated it while staying true to its roots
This 1910 farmhouse in Atlanta was a lucky find for interior designer Lex Brooks and her husband, Stu. After friends told them it was about to hit the market, they drove over and lingered awhile outside, sensing it was just the house for them. In fact, they stayed to admire it for so long that the homeowner noticed them and invited them in for a tour.
“We both love giving old homes new life — we could see that it had great bones and we could envision the changes we would make,” Brooks says. When you see those changes, you’ll also see the high level of creativity they have. The couple tailored the home to their lifestyle, which included their first baby on the way, all the while staying true to the home’s historical roots.
“We both love giving old homes new life — we could see that it had great bones and we could envision the changes we would make,” Brooks says. When you see those changes, you’ll also see the high level of creativity they have. The couple tailored the home to their lifestyle, which included their first baby on the way, all the while staying true to the home’s historical roots.
After: Improvements to the facade included a big power wash and repainting. The siding is Stone Harbor and the trim is Simply White, both by Benjamin Moore. The couple also installed two ceiling lights and a ceiling fan on the porch to extend the time they’d use it, especially during Atlanta’s hot summers. New boxwood shrubs add greenery along the base of the porch.
Brooks drew up the floor plans herself, then passed them along to architect Bryan Jones to get them ready for the permitting process. “Bryan took them and made them up to code and fixed a couple of elements that wouldn’t have worked,”
Brooks says. “But he had no architectural snobbery and just delivered exactly what we needed without adding loads of expensive extras, which I loved.” Contractor Jeff Dinkle completed the renovation, with the couple pitching in on a few areas themselves.
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Brooks drew up the floor plans herself, then passed them along to architect Bryan Jones to get them ready for the permitting process. “Bryan took them and made them up to code and fixed a couple of elements that wouldn’t have worked,”
Brooks says. “But he had no architectural snobbery and just delivered exactly what we needed without adding loads of expensive extras, which I loved.” Contractor Jeff Dinkle completed the renovation, with the couple pitching in on a few areas themselves.
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A beautiful new front door with glass panes and sidelights was one of the biggest improvements Brooks made to the front facade. It lets lots of light into the foyer. The new floor paint is Black and the ceiling paint is Whispering Spring, both by Benjamin Moore.
Browse porch swings in the Houzz Shop
Browse porch swings in the Houzz Shop
Before: The front door opened directly into a long living room, with a view straight back into a bathroom. A major problem included a very bad renovation that had been completed in the 1950s. “Someone had removed load-bearing walls, and the roof was caving in,” Brooks says. Though this was the first full renovation the couple had ever undertaken, they were unfazed. They had the house taken down to the studs and made structurally sound.
“Our previous home had been totally cookie-cutter — it had absolutely no character,” Brooks says. “This project was the complete opposite and we embraced it. I’m such an old-home advocate.” Keeping the character of the original home was important to the couple. One major element they were able to restore was the original flooring. Brooks had the floors refinished with Minwax Provincial stain in a matte finish.
“Our previous home had been totally cookie-cutter — it had absolutely no character,” Brooks says. “This project was the complete opposite and we embraced it. I’m such an old-home advocate.” Keeping the character of the original home was important to the couple. One major element they were able to restore was the original flooring. Brooks had the floors refinished with Minwax Provincial stain in a matte finish.
After: Brooks wanted to create a formal entryway, and she could see that the living room’s long proportions offered plenty of space to do so. She created a cased opening to the right to designate an entry space, adding a console table with a mirror flanked by sconces to provide a pretty landing zone. She also turned the rest of the existing living room into the dining room.
Another improvement to the entry experience was relocating the bathroom door seen in the previous photo. “This was much better than staring at a toilet as soon as you walked in,” Brooks says with a laugh. The new entry is off another hallway. Brooks is from the U.K., and she chose a photograph of an English phone booth taken by a Scottish photographer to hang where the door had been.
Another improvement to the entry experience was relocating the bathroom door seen in the previous photo. “This was much better than staring at a toilet as soon as you walked in,” Brooks says with a laugh. The new entry is off another hallway. Brooks is from the U.K., and she chose a photograph of an English phone booth taken by a Scottish photographer to hang where the door had been.
In addition to the natural light from the new front door, the sconces and new ceiling light brighten the entry. The mirror’s reflection also enhances the light.
Before: This is the other side of the existing long living room. The room seen through the opening on the left was the existing dining room.
After: As part of the renovations, Brooks took over the former dining room for a butler’s pantry pass-through and storage areas, so she moved the dining room into the living room space. Even though she borrowed space from this room to create the new entry, it still has gracious proportions.
Before: This was the hall bathroom before. “It had rust, mold and bug issues throughout,” Brooks says.
After: In spite of the room’s other problems, for Brooks, its worst issue was the door placement. Relocating the door meant they needed to alter the layout.
Dinkle’s team drywalled the room, then Brooks and her husband took over — completing the plumbing, tiling and wallpapering. They liked the original cast-iron tub, but the amount of repairs it needed made saving it cost-prohibitive. A new sculptural tub adds a modern touch, while the slate-look porcelain tile and Shaker-style cabinetry are traditional classics. The Serena & Lily wallpaper and graphic artwork add lively eclectic touches. “Often in this project we’d have to complete budget-balancing exercises,” Brooks says. “Using slate-look porcelain instead of slate and simple white subway tile saved over other choices.”
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Dinkle’s team drywalled the room, then Brooks and her husband took over — completing the plumbing, tiling and wallpapering. They liked the original cast-iron tub, but the amount of repairs it needed made saving it cost-prohibitive. A new sculptural tub adds a modern touch, while the slate-look porcelain tile and Shaker-style cabinetry are traditional classics. The Serena & Lily wallpaper and graphic artwork add lively eclectic touches. “Often in this project we’d have to complete budget-balancing exercises,” Brooks says. “Using slate-look porcelain instead of slate and simple white subway tile saved over other choices.”
New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
Before: “Our biggest must-have was a dream kitchen,” Brooks says. “We are both big cooks and love to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. We wanted to be able to cook together and have an island where we could hang out and watch our daughter play in the backyard.”
Located on the back of the house, the existing galley kitchen was not conducive to the couple’s plans, and it had serious issues, including a ceiling that was caving in. Also, a small laundry closet was located within the space since the house lacked a laundry room or mudroom.
Located on the back of the house, the existing galley kitchen was not conducive to the couple’s plans, and it had serious issues, including a ceiling that was caving in. Also, a small laundry closet was located within the space since the house lacked a laundry room or mudroom.
After: The couple gutted and renovated the kitchen and reconfigured the adjacent dining room as a butler’s pantry pass-through with a storage closet and walk-in pantry off it. Just outside this photo’s frame on the left, the kitchen is open to a new great-room addition off the back of the house.
“Having a serious kitchen was a must for both of us, and we also wanted it to be a great space for entertaining,” Brooks says. The 5-by-10-foot island serves as the hub of the house. Brooks had everything customized, including adding bookshelves in the island for cookbooks and children’s books. She chose a commercial-grade vent hood, adding a reclaimed-oak detail for character. She opted for granite on the counters and on the range backsplash. “I hate to clean grout, and this backsplash is very easy to keep clean,” she says.
Brooks worked closely with the contractor to customize all the cabinets to support the way she and her husband like to work in the kitchen. Custom elements include a stand mixer pullout, cutlery trays, in-drawer knife blocks and oil and spice pullouts. The pantry cabinet on the back left houses the large cooking equipment.
The pantry cabinet on the right serves as a “cloffice” and has a pullout shelf for the printer. Technology was an important part of the design. Brooks added built-in ceiling speakers, Wi-Fi-connected blinds and lights, and a full cabinet for audiovisual needs.
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“Having a serious kitchen was a must for both of us, and we also wanted it to be a great space for entertaining,” Brooks says. The 5-by-10-foot island serves as the hub of the house. Brooks had everything customized, including adding bookshelves in the island for cookbooks and children’s books. She chose a commercial-grade vent hood, adding a reclaimed-oak detail for character. She opted for granite on the counters and on the range backsplash. “I hate to clean grout, and this backsplash is very easy to keep clean,” she says.
Brooks worked closely with the contractor to customize all the cabinets to support the way she and her husband like to work in the kitchen. Custom elements include a stand mixer pullout, cutlery trays, in-drawer knife blocks and oil and spice pullouts. The pantry cabinet on the back left houses the large cooking equipment.
The pantry cabinet on the right serves as a “cloffice” and has a pullout shelf for the printer. Technology was an important part of the design. Brooks added built-in ceiling speakers, Wi-Fi-connected blinds and lights, and a full cabinet for audiovisual needs.
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The great room is part of a new addition on the back. The room measures 16 by 18 feet and has a high vaulted ceiling with two oak beams. The new gas fireplace has a cast-stone surround that adds a traditional touch to the room. There’s also built-in surround sound.
Shop for a sectional sofa
Shop for a sectional sofa
Sliding double doors can create a 6-foot-wide opening between the great room and new patio. The glass doors and large triangular transom fill the room with light and provide expansive views of the backyard.
Windows and doors; Windsor Windows & Doors
Windows and doors; Windsor Windows & Doors
Before: This was the existing back facade of the house.
After: “My thought process was that the house be traditional in the front but could be more modern out back,” Brooks says. The great-room addition is on the left and a new primary bedroom is on the right. That addition also includes a large closet and hallway. Brooks’ plans for the new bedroom suite simply extended the existing gabled roof on the bedroom side of the house.
The patio measures 18 by 18 feet. A second door off the new primary bedroom provides direct access to the patio. “This makes it easy to let the dog in and out early in the morning and late at night,” Brooks says.
The patio measures 18 by 18 feet. A second door off the new primary bedroom provides direct access to the patio. “This makes it easy to let the dog in and out early in the morning and late at night,” Brooks says.
Brooks decided an existing small bedroom would better serve the home as a mudroom-laundry room space. “Every Realtor we talked to told us we were crazy to get rid of a bedroom in terms of resale value. But having another entry that led directly from where we park in the driveway into the kitchen was very important to me,” she says. “This makes it so much easier to bring groceries into the house and keeps us from cluttering other spaces.”
The mudroom side serves as a landing zone — it has a bench and built-ins to house shoes, outerwear and bags. The shelf unit on the left is for dog and cleaning supplies.
The mudroom side serves as a landing zone — it has a bench and built-ins to house shoes, outerwear and bags. The shelf unit on the left is for dog and cleaning supplies.
The other portion of this space is the laundry area. The flooring is the same slate-look porcelain. Brooks included a dog-washing station within the space. She notes that it’s great not only for bathing pets but also for washing off muddy boots, cleaning up after painting projects and rinsing dirty clothes. There’s also a desk and dog crate in the space.
The new primary bedroom addition measures 13 by 14 feet. Brooks specified a 5-by-8-foot window to provide a generous view of the 100-year-old oak tree in the backyard.
Brooks took over an existing adjacent bedroom to create a proper primary bathroom. She had the cabinetmaker create a vanity that looks like a double dresser. Then she had it topped with a piece of remnant granite. Remnant pieces can save a lot on a countertop budget. The flooring is slate-look porcelain tile, and the herringbone composition gives it a classic look.
Not photographed is a 3-by-5-foot glass shower with marble tile. Brooks splurged on the custom vanity, custom window treatments and marble tile and saved on the floor tile and countertop.
Not photographed is a 3-by-5-foot glass shower with marble tile. Brooks splurged on the custom vanity, custom window treatments and marble tile and saved on the floor tile and countertop.
This existing bedroom needed only a cosmetic makeover to transform it into a nursery. Neutral walls keep the style flexible, while the artwork and colorful geometric rug bring in color and a playful vibe. Brooks notes that the neutral color scheme seen throughout the home was meant to serve as a base that she planned on layering with more textures and lots of color.
For the next phase of renovations, the couple planned to turn the attic into a second-story living space with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. So Brooks was sure to keep flexibility in mind. She added a double-door entry to the nursery so the space could serve as an office in the future. When open, the doors let a lot of light into the room.
The attic renovation and a new detached garage had been fully designed and permitted. But before they could get started, unforeseen circumstances required that the couple move closer to family. They made the hard decision to leave their beloved home and move to Philadelphia.
For the next phase of renovations, the couple planned to turn the attic into a second-story living space with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. So Brooks was sure to keep flexibility in mind. She added a double-door entry to the nursery so the space could serve as an office in the future. When open, the doors let a lot of light into the room.
The attic renovation and a new detached garage had been fully designed and permitted. But before they could get started, unforeseen circumstances required that the couple move closer to family. They made the hard decision to leave their beloved home and move to Philadelphia.
Before: Compare this floor plan with the one that follows to see the changes, particularly the two bedrooms on the top right, which became the mudroom-laundry room and primary bathroom, respectively. And look at the dining room at bottom center, which Brooks reconfigured into a butler’s pantry, storage closet and walk-in pantry. You can also see the hall bathroom with its original door in the center of the plan.
After: The original footprint of the house was about 1,500 square feet. The new additions added about 500 square feet. The space labeled “living room” in this plan (bottom left) is the dining room shown in the photo above. The renovations took about nine months and cost about $350,000. Brooks notes that even though the renovations resulted in one less bedroom — three instead of four — they got back every penny the renovations had cost them in the recent sale.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: This was the home of designer Lex Brooks; her husband, Stu; their infant daughter; and their dog
Location: Atlanta
Size: 2,000 square feet (186 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms
Designers: Lex Brooks of The Brooks & Studio (interior design) and Bryan Jones of Jones Pierce Studios (architecture)
Contractor: Jeff Dinkle of Eco Custom Homes
Before: The house had obvious charms, including the front porch. But it was in bad shape. To get a feel for the floor plan, know that the bedrooms ran down the left side of the house and the public spaces were on the right. The couple stuck with this arrangement while altering the floor plan and adding on to the back of the house.