A Home on the Brink of Collapse
With broken windows and walls damaged by water, the sagging roof would soon cave in, and they would seal the fate of this house: the fate of Mercer was that he should put his footsteps inside. “It was heartbreakingly beautiful,” he reflects. “You could feel its history, but suffocating under years of decay.” The house had been left like that for decades. The original feature would have been entirely hidden under neglect and inappropriate renovations.
The property belonged to a young couple who had inherited the place. They wished to see it transformed into the perfect home for their family but attached a condition: the house must maintain much of its original character. Mercer has considered this not just as restoration, but as a rescue.
The Challenges That Almost Broke the Project
1. The Structural Nightmare
The first was the foundation, which, because of years of water damage, left the floors uneven and the basement in a precarious state. “We had to reinforce everything from the ground up,” Mercer explains, “before we could even think about aesthetics.” The cure? This painstaking process of lifting sections of the home, replacing rotting beams, and slipping in steel supports – all this without ever exposing the exterior to the elements.
2. The Mystery of the Hidden Fireplace
It was in fact one of the most thrilling discoveries of Mercer while on restoration. As his team was stripping outdated drywall, a bricked-up fireplace turned out to be hidden behind it. “It was like unearthing buried treasure,” he recalls. Sadly, early neglect had left the masonry in a relatively poor condition. Instead of replicating it with a modern proposal, Mercer invited a master craftsman, who painstakingly restored every brick. “Every laborious hour was worth it,” he adds. The thriving restored fireplace today forms the heart of the home: a brightly glowing testimony to its storied history.
3. Restoring the Irreplaceable
The house was highlighted by its wooden craftsmanship, from the handcrafted banister to the inlaid hardwood floors-things that modern construction would never be able to replicate. Time has taken its toll, though. “There were entire side sections which were too damaged for restoration,” Mercer admits. Instead of putting in new materials, he opted to use salvaged wood from an old historic building demolished nearby, ensuring that each new addition carried with it the flavor of history.
4. The Battle with Time and Budget
Just like any ambitious restoration, setbacks always cropped up, losing time and money. “We had a hard budget, but surprises just kept coming up—termites, bad wiring, plumbing disasters,” Mercer recalls. With a little creativity and resourcefulness, he managed to save costs without losing any real authenticity. For example, instead of custom-making every cabinet, he retrofitted old doors and furniture-like pieces, giving them a new life instead.
The Emotional Unveiling
After 14 hard months, the day finally came. The owners were called for the big reveal, and their reaction was priceless. “They walked in, and it was like stepping into a memory that they had never seen,” Mercer recalls. The home retained the spirit of the past while radiating warmth, function, and timeless elegance.
Running their fingers over the restored banister, the one their great-grandparents once touched, tears fell. The quiet crackling of the fireplace filled the room as its bricks reportedly told stories from decades gone by. “It felt like the house was alive again,” spoke the homeowners in shaky voices.