Fitting into the ’hood
How to be sensitive to your new neighbourhood and build a home that fits in. That was very important to us. We wanted it to look like it had been here for a while and not scream ‘new construction!
WHEN Atlanta transplants Heather McLarney and Christopher Kosa purchased a property in a traditional neighbourhood in the state of North Carolina in August 2012, they razed the small bungalow on the long, narrow lot that was about 0.1ha, and custom-built a three-storey, Craftsman-style house in its place with 422sqm of heated space.
Such transactions are occurring rapidly in this older neighbourhood called Dilworth. Until about 10 years ago, the area consisted almost exclusively of small, mostly two-bedroom, single-storey houses built around a baseball park in the 1940s and early 1950s. The area is almost unrecognizable today, though the Craftsman style was always part of the feel of the popular neighbourhood and its history.
McLarney and Kosa had moved to Charlotte three years ago to pursue new jobs, and they started shopping for a neighbourhood that fit their personalities. They soon found Dilworth and settled in a rental on one of its streets while they got their bearings.
“We just loved the sense of community here,” says McLarney.
“We felt at home right away. Our neighbours were so friendly and we’re close to uptown and all those amenities. It was a great choice for us.”
The couple, who have been together 15 years, loved the trees, neighbourhood activities such as block parties and the Yiasou Greek Festival, and even the presence of wildlife that they hadn’t had in Atlanta. They became accustomed to seeing owls, deer, raccoons and even a coyote ambling down their street.
They also fell in love with the Craftsman architectural style that characterises much of the older parts of Dilworth. Once they started looking for a house to buy, they were determined to stay in the neighbourhood. Frustrated by the selection on the market, however, they decided the best course was to follow the snowballing trend: Purchase an existing house, demol- ish it and build one that fit their specifications.
“We wanted our house to fit into the neighbourhood, though,” says McLarney. “That was very important to us. We wanted it to look like it had been here for a while and not scream ‘new construction!’”
That also meant borrowing some of the interior design elements – a soothing grey palette, and spacious rooms with strong, clean lines – of existing homes she had seen on their house search.
The couple found a good partner for their project in contractor Phil Hughes of P.R. Hughes, an area custom home builder and renovation company. Construction on the home began in December 2012; move-in took place in September 2013.
The main structure, designed with future buyers in mind, has three dedicated bedrooms, five and a half baths, a large open-plan kitchen and living room, plus flexible space on the open third level and a dedicated office off the main entry.
A central laundry room upstairs is accessible through the master closet. There’s also a mudroom that doubles as the domain for the couple’s three rescue dogs.
Above the detached two-car garage is more potential living space. At present it’s a large exercise room with its own bathroom.
Of particular appeal to these natives of the northern American states – McLarney grew up in Ohio, Kosa in Michigan – is the ability to enjoy outdoor living in southern state North Carolina so much of the year. Therefore, overlooking the backyard are double-decker screened porches. Each 27sqm porch has a mantel-mounted TV set and its own gas fireplace surround-
— HEATHER MCLARNEY
ed by the same faux white stone that’s on the columns on the 10sqm porch on the front of the house.
“The contractor encouraged us to build a larger front porch,” McLarney says, “but it faces west and I felt we’d get a lot more use out of porches that didn’t have the boiling afternoon sun. I also liked being able to look out at some green space at the back.” The results are two comfortable, private outdoor east-facing rooms, which, she says, they’ve used during all of the 12 months since moving in.
Complementing the various tones of grey with white accents throughout the house is the marble McLarney chose to replace the beige-and-chocolate colour scheme she used in her Atlanta home. Grey and white marble can be found in the kitchen, butler’s pantry, coffee bar off the master suite and fireplace surrounds. Except for a metallic treatment on the coffered dining room ceiling, all the walls bear a grey, flat finish.
Like the natural walnut floors throughout the house, still awaiting area rugs, the walls are still mostly bare. McLarney admits she got to the point where she couldn’t make another decision about the house. “They don’t tell you how many details go into building a house!” she says. “It was every little thing, from the size of the windows to the toilet- had
Furnishing house progress, to purchases. the house Charlotte Tribune