Historic Home Remodel

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Located in Bloomington, Indiana’s historic Vinegar Hill neighborhood, this early 20th-century home was transformed through a thoughtful historic home remodel by Loren Wood Builders. The renovation reimagined the kitchen and bathroom while preserving the character, craftsmanship, and architectural details that make the home special.

This is one of three nearly identical classic four-square homes on 1st Street. A local quarry owner and craftsman built each as an investment property, and while the homes share the same classic four-square layout, each has developed its own character over time. The history was still visible in the home’s details, including an original hand-carved limestone fireplace, but decades of updates had left some spaces struggling to function properly. The kitchen, dating back to the 1970s or ’80s, had lost much of the practicality and character that made the home special. The bathroom was cramped and awkwardly arranged.

Our client, professor, historian, and fashion historian Nicole Rudolph, wanted to embrace the age and character of the house with the renovation, while also bringing in her own personality, love of history, and appreciation for bold design. From the beginning, the design for the remodel was driven by a desire to make the home feel as though it had been lifted from the pages of a 1930s interior design magazine, but with a distinctly personal twist. The design borrowed elements from the past while giving it a fresh interpretation. Our client gravitated toward an Art Deco-inspired palette of bold pastels and color, symmetry, and strong visual moments. There was also a bit of a “Wes Anderson” influence, particularly in the attention to symmetry and carefully composed sight lines.

THE KITCHEN

The kitchen was originally intended to be more of a refresh, with the possibility of reusing the existing mid-century cabinetry. But once the team began looking closely at the space, it became clear that the existing layout was working against the home.

The dishwasher opened directly into the oven. Light switches were difficult to access. Storage was limited, and the overall flow didn’t make sense. The decision was made to take the kitchen back to the studs and start over. The new design maintains the kitchen’s original footprint while completely rethinking how the space functions. Storage was dramatically improved, lighting was upgraded, and the circulation was reorganized to make the kitchen work the way a modern kitchen should. Motifs from the original limestone fireplace were carried into the kitchen, creating a visual connection between the new work and the architectural character already present in the home.

THE BATHROOM

The original bathroom presented a similar challenge. Its layout included a tiny, cramped toilet nook that made the room feel very small. Rather than trying to work within the existing boundaries, the team expanded the bathroom by building into two adjacent closets: one from the hallway and one from the primary bedroom. The move doubled the footprint of the space and allowed for a much more functional layout. A vintage cast-iron tub was already a distinctive element in the bathroom. Rather than replace it, the tub was salvaged and refinished. Its curves and vintage character became another design reference point, with its curved motifs placed throughout the room.

PROCESS & DISCOVERY

Historic home remodeling often comes with surprises, and this project was no exception. Once the kitchen was opened up and the studs were exposed, it became clear that the plumbing and electrical systems also needed a complete overhaul. What began as a focused kitchen and bathroom renovation became a much more involved process of carefully updating the infrastructure beneath the home. The renovation project, like most, became a balance of knowing what to remove, what to repair, and what to preserve.

Our client and her mother spent weeks dismantling, stripping, and reglazing the home’s original solid wood doors and trimwork. Also, with a background in theatre and set construction, our client was able to add her own personal touches. She painted both rooms herself and added a hand-painted mural in the upstairs bathroom behind the vanity mirror and in the arched doorway.

CRAFTSMANSHIP & CONSTRUCTION

Bringing such a specific vision to life required a high level of attention to detail. Stoll’s Woodworking played an important role in the remodel by adding the historic, craftsman-inspired details in the custom-built cabinetry throughout.  Historic details in the home informed new ones. The limestone fireplace became a source of inspiration for the kitchen. The vintage tub became a starting point for the bathroom. Original doors and trim were carefully restored rather than discarded. Even the bold colors and details were carefully considered within the structure of the old home.

A THOUGHTFUL DESIGN-BUILD APPROACH TO HISTORIC REMODELING

Historic remodeling requires more than updating finishes. It means understanding how an existing home was built, identifying which details are worth preserving, and finding thoughtful ways to introduce modern functionality without losing the character of the original architecture. For this Bloomington home remodel, Loren Wood Builders worked through those challenges with a design-build approach, bringing design and construction together throughout the process.

THE RESULT

The original architecture remains the center of the story, but it now shares the space with a much more expressive and personal interior. Historic details sit alongside bold color, Art Deco-inspired motifs, hand-painted murals, restored woodwork, and modern functionality. A successful part of this historic home remodeling in Bloomington is that it doesn’t feel overly historic, but rather restored with room to evolve. It still carries the craftsmanship and character of the early 20th century, but it also reflects the person living there today.

For this client, that meant creating a home that could be both historic and highly personal, a place where preservation, creativity, craftsmanship, and a little bit of whimsy can all coexist.

Photos by: Nolan Calisch