This house probably got a coat of bright white paint when it was completed in 1908. It’s fitting that it should be painted white for its centennial. It’s also had a just-completed top-to-bottom renovation.
Little has changed on the outside in the last century. The roof was originally slate, but after a large tree damaged it, a new slate-colored shingle roof was installed. The back house does have its slate roof intact. And amazingly, the large, beveled-glass front door still has its original screen door.
Visible changes inside were minimal. The richly carved wood mantel in the living room retains its old tiles, firebox cover, and even an early gas heater left on the hearth. The intricately paneled staircase also has its original delicately turned spindles.
The ceilings are 10 feet tall on the ground floor and, surprisingly, the same on the second floor. Likewise, the oak floors installed downstairs are upstairs as well, where pine was often substituted as a cost-cutting measure. On both floors, the windows are a bit over-scaled and thus bring in more light than expected. It makes the period interior feel quite modern.
The living and dining rooms occupy the front. Tall French doors lead from the dining room back to where a warren of smaller spaces were gutted and combined to hold the new kitchen, which is cleverly fitted into a broad bay window. There are lots of stained cabinets and recessed lights, and there’s plenty of room for an old farm table in the center. Light ceramic tile flooring unites the kitchen and a new sunroom created from what was originally part of the back porch.
The ground floor also has a den, a powder room, a mudroom/entry, laundry room, and back stairs.
The rear yard is newly fenced, but the two-story backhouse was not updated in the recent renovation. This leaves it to you to decide whether you’d like a garage down with a small home office up or a full two-story guest house/mother-in-law unit.
In the main house, there are three bedrooms upstairs with two full baths, both completely redone. The layout was altered just enough to create a master suite with a wall of closets and a very spacious private bath with a large shower, a separate soaking tub, and a double vanity.
The third floor has permanent stairs, and one of the two new heat and air systems was installed off to the side to maximize the central floor area, which could be easily enclosed but currently offers great storage.
The interior is just as bright and newly spiffed up as the exterior here. All that’s required are proud new owners to make this house picture perfect. •
1341 Vinton
Approximately 2,660 square feet
3 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths
$325,000
Realtor: Sowell & Co., 278-4380
Agent: Linda Sowell, 278-4380
