The resurrection of a ruined home
If it’s one thing Kevin and Laine Berry can’t resist, it’s an old house with a history. When a stunning Victorian home in Laine’s childhood town of Conway, Arkansas came up for sale some 10 years ago, they set eyes on their new passion project, turning a dilapidated building into their charming home. Click or scroll to see the stunning transformation…
A restoration journey
The husband and wife have been married for 26 years, and have renovated old homes for over 20 of those years. While Laine, 48, also runs a bridal salon, and Kevin, 54, runs an advertising agency, restoring old homes is their main love. “For both of us, restoration is our love and our passion,” explains Laine.
Growiпg υp iп Coпway, Arkaпsas, Laiпe υsed to pass the stυппiпg Victoriaп hoυse oп the way to aпd from school. “I пever saw a liviпg breathiпg soυl aroυпd the hoυse, so I didп’t eveп kпow if aпybody lived there,” explaiпs Laiпe. With the coυple already owпiпg a 1933 coloпial revival пearby, they drove past the abaпdoпed home every day, hopiпg to eveпtυally make it theirs aпd start their υltimate fixer-υpper project.
The house today
After years of hard work aпd reпovatioпs, the home, which the coυple пickпamed ‘Scottie’ is υпrecogпisable. The exterior has beeп remodelled from a diпgy aпd brokeп home iпto a pale blυe dream, while the iпside is jυst as stυппiпg. Let’s take a look at the breathtakiпg home traпsformatioп…
Before: the porch
Old listiпg photos show the porch as it was before Laiпe aпd Keviп got their haпds oп it. Uпstable dυe to the crυmbliпg foυпdatioпs, the space, which was sυrroυпded by overgrowп weeds, was iп пeed of a refresh.
After: the porch
Before: the hallway
Before the restoration, the staircase was completely enclosed. “When we bought the house it was dark and awful, like a dungeon,” says Laine. The second floor was closed off, so the Berrys opened it up and restored the stunning spindles to open up the hallway to make it a light and bright space.
After: the hallway
After: the hallway
Before: the living room
With most of the home inhabitable, Kevin and Laine had to start demolition as soon as the house was safe to enter. “We discovered that it basically was being held together by the carpet and the panelling that was on the walls,” says Laine. There were also a number of large holes under the carpet, that reached down three feet!
After: the living room
Sitting just off the entryway is the formal living room. When it comes to finishing the house, Laine has a strict rule, “if we lay on it, or we sit on it it’s new,” she explains. Everything else is chosen carefully and pieced together from estate sales, thrift shops and car boot sales.
Before: the bedroom
As with most old houses, Scottie was full of hidden surprises. The couple discovered that the house actually had 12-foot ceilings which were disguised under panelling which stopped short at just nine feet. “Kevin went to make a little repair in the ceiling and discovered that the ceilings were not nine feet, they were 12 feet,” says Laine.
After: the bedroom
Today, the difference in all the rooms is vast but is especially noticeable in the master bedroom. The only sleeping space in the house while the Berrys use upstairs to store furniture for their other fixer-upper projects, it sits just off the hallway.
Before: the bathroom
After buying the home in 2011, the home was unhabitable due to the termite infestation and unstable foundations. However, one thing it did have was a working toilet. “We lived with my in-laws, they were so gracious. But what was supposed to be a six-month jaunt with them ended up being almost a year and a half,” explains Laine. The first 16 months of their huge project cost them an estimated $120,500 (£88k)
Before: the bathroom
After moving the bathroom from the back of the house, the couple decided that they wanted an ensuite in their master bedroom. As usual, with a vision in mind, they decided that this would be the perfect space with its original windows, fireplace and double doors.
After: the bathroom
Before: the bathroom fireplace
When they started restoring old houses 20 years ago, Kevin and Laine didn’t document their journey. But in more recent years have gained a huge following on their Instagram with their latest projects. With a huge knowledge of restoring period features and maintaining the character of old homes, Scottie was no exception, and they set to work on restoring this old fireplace.
After: the bathroom fireplace
With stunning moulding and a marbled stone, it makes the perfect addition to the bathroom. In fact, the couple are so passionate about bringing historic houses back to life that they started Our Restoration Nation, a website dedicated to showing people their projects and creating a community of people who want to learn how to save houses and preserve history.
Before: the dining room
After: the dining room
After: the dining room
Steeped in history, the home once belonged to a local, who gifted it to his son as a wedding present. Today, the daughter still lives behind the Berrys and shares stories of her childhood with the couple. “We found an instruction booklet for a big pot-bellied stove and she told us that they fitted it in the dining room and the first time they lifted it, it exploded. So there’s just lots of fun history that we were able to uncover through the process,” says Laine.
Before: the kitchen
Old listing photos show a kitchen in dire need of repair. When Laine and Kevin moved in, the kitchen wasn’t in a working state, so it was time for them to get their hands on it. The couple completely redid the kitchen, giving it a fresh new look…
After: the kitchen
Currently in the progress of restoring seven other historic homes over America, Laine and Kevin have their hands full creating a community of like-minded people. We can’t wait to take a tour of their next finished project!
