Slow renovations pay off in old row house
WASHINGTON — In an old house, there are endless places to spend money. But for the Hoburg family, whose Capitol Hill row house is 117 years old, it’s never been about perfection. In the 14 years the four have lived in the narrow, three-story house, they have patiently carved out a sense of home — one exposed brick wall and yard-sale chandelier at a time.
“Living in smaller, older spaces, you have to be creative,” said Meg Hoburg, 50, a designer whose specialty is budget-minded jobs. “We did things in stages as we were able to afford them.”
Her husband, Glenn, 52, a pastor, said he used to dread the word “project,” but he’s continually mastering new skills.
“I didn’t grow up learning how to fix anything, but Meg had a vision of what the space could become and wasn’t afraid to take risks,” he said. “Now I can install wallpaper and tile and change out faucets.”
The Hoburgs are one of many urban, space-challenged families who love their neighborhoods and will make compromises to stay in the city. There’s not a bathroom adjoining each bedroom and no massive trophy kitchen in the Hoburgs’ 1,500-square-foot home. There are no walk-in closets, though their third bedroom is the size of one.
But by using every inch, doing much of the work themselves, continually coming up with new storage solutions and constantly condensing and purging their stuff, they found affordable ways to make the house functional and comfortable.
No coat closet? They put hooks in the small entry vestibule and enlivened the space with a navy-andwhite wallpaper inspired by Mexican folk art (Otomi by Hygge & West). Limited kitchen cabinets? Because they have high ceilings, they looked for extra storage vertically and added a wall of open shelving and a Crate & Barrel pot rack. No back patio? They Googled how to build one themselves and bought a truckload of bricks. With the help of friends, they carried the bricks through the house to the back, as they have no rear access to their tiny yard.
Their daughters Isabelle, 17, and Maddie, 20, who recently moved out, have contributed to the overall design. Isabelle’s art installations involve paper flowers. Maddie painted her closet doors aqua (Warm Springs by Benjamin Moore), and her framed artworks hang throughout the house.
When the Hoburgs moved into the house in 2003, the previous owners had given it a basic renovation: a simple Ikea kitchen, updated bathrooms, replastered walls and a finished basement with a family room, guest quarters and storage.
The Hoburgs invested about $45,000 in the past 14 years on major improvements, including a new roof, air conditioning and built-ins. Most years they spend $2,000 to $3,000 on repairs, upkeep, furniture and accessories.
Meg majored in interior design in college and then attended a seminary. She continued to do decorating for family and friends, then opened her own business last year. As her own client, she knew her challenges: choosing furniture that was the right scale for the rooms and providing plenty of lighting.
The first floor of the house had a small living room and a small dining room. In stages, the Hoburgs took down the walls between them, put in crown molding and added two plaster columns to define the rooms. They exposed a brick wall to add character and added a builtin bookcase.
In the kitchen, the original tin ceiling had been painted white; they painted it silver (Modern Masters’ metallic paint) to make it look more authentic. Meg and Glenn upgraded the powder room by installing removable wallpaper tiles (Petal Pusher in black by Hygge & West) and adding a new mirror, light fixture and faucet.
Painting seems to be an ongoing activity at the Hoburgs’. Right now, the living room is Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore; previous colors have included Restoration Hardware Latte, Benjamin Moore Sag Harbor Gray, Benjamin Moore White Dove and a mustardy yellow whose name Meg has blocked out because she said it was “a big mistake.”
Their house is a work in progress. On the list for the future: new kitchen cabinets, painting the floors upstairs and a new living room sofa.
“We learned to be content with each stage of this house over the years,” Meg said. “We learned to be thankful. We know this house is a real gift.”