Arch deTRIOMPH

Arches add compelling curvature to the Villas’ interiors, and Sara is determined to restore them. “I want these original details so when people stay here, they are able to experience what saying in the Villas in 1931 would have been like,” she says. Here’s the process she’s using.

1. PLASTERED. First, the team had to tear away the existing plaster. This was necessary to see the structural strength of the arches.

2. ARCH ENEMY. Since the arches are made of wood, termite damage was a big concern. With the plaster removed, Sara was able to see how much the pests had munched away. “The frames of the arches remain, and we repaired the damaged places,” she says.

3. IN GOOD REPAIR. The next step is putting sheetrock back over the repaired arches and finishing the sheetrock to match the original plaster.

4. PAINT JOB. Finally, the arches will be painted to match the rest of the walls. “As state-of-the-art apartments, the Villas have charming details like the arches, and I’m so excited to restore them,” Sara says. “They truly are one-of-a-kind.”