Double Charm the
Follow along with this new cottage build and a farmhouse renovation for our 2021 Project House.
Renovations and new builds are in two different wheelhouses, but they share similar processes.
It can be daunting to start either one, but with the help of a talented builder, you’ll have your dream house in no time.
That’s why this year, Cottages & Bungalows and American Farmhouse Style have teamed up with Garden Gate Homes to bring you both an old farmhouse renovation and a new construction guest cottage for a double dose of Project House 2021! We’ll cover the challenges of preserving the charm of an old home and adding character to a new build. You’ll get to see your favorite cottage and farmhouse details as we uncover new spaces in every issue this year.
ABOUT THE BUILDER
Husband and wife team Kara and Matt Christensen are the perfect pair for this project, as they have decades of experience in renovating and building homes. They started out renovating their own homes and selling them for a profit, continuing this process for years before starting their own company and using their talents for clients’ homes. “We moved 20 times in a 20-year-period,” says Kara, “and we’ve worked on around 50 homes.”
Each project is different, but many times the project will include an addition, since older homes are smaller. “We do new construction and renovate old homes, which often includes styling,” says Kara. They work as a team—Matt as the builder and Kara as the designer.
In 2007, they moved to Franklin, Tennessee, so Matt could take a job with a builder in the area. Unfortunately, he was laid off two years later, but this motivated them to turn their renovation hobby into a career, starting Garden Gate Homes in 2009.
HOME TOWN
They loved Franklin so much they decided to focus all their builds in the area, which is where our Project Home is located. “It definitely has a smalltown feel, even though it’s big,” says Kara. “The town is charming, and the people are equally as charming.”
Franklin has a variety of older homes, so the couple has an abundance of opportunities for renovating. “What I find unique about historical towns is the character of each home is different depending on when it’s built,” Kara says. “We make sure our homes will add to the character and quaintness of the town.”
THE VISION
When homeowners Hank Parrott and Lisa Hughes reached out to Kara and Matt about renovating their 1900s farmhouse and building a guest cottage on the same property, they had already created a plan for the main house with architect C Kevin Coffey of C Kevin Coffey Dwellings, but Kara was able to design the guest cottage. “They gave me inspiration pictures, and I drew a few things up,” says Kara. “It’s my favorite part of the process aside from styling.”
Though they like the current look of the main farmhouse, it’s outdated and needs a lot of work. They will be increasing the size of the kitchen and master bedroom and adding on a laundry and mud room, a huge side porch and a three-car garage. “The existing square footage is 1,343 square feet and that will increase to 2,043 square feet with a garage of 1,000 square feet,” says Kara. They are knocking down walls and playing musical chairs with the rooms, but some of the existing features, like the wood flooring, will remain.
With two projects in the works, it’s the perfect opportunity to learn all you can about both processes, and we can’t wait to share the details with you!