Assembly not included
Sears house in Fox Chapel is better than before with additions and upgrades
When Kate and Howard Tanning purchased a Sears catalog home at 1003 Delafield Road in Fox Chapel, they knew they had their work cut out for them.
The couple, who spent a lifetime in the antiques business, had a very specific vision for the house they bought in 1985: to make it even better than it was when it was built. They believe it’s “The Chelsea” model, circa 1909-1910.
“There were two additions put on the home,” Mrs. Tanning said. “It was clad in aluminum siding and painted white. We took all of the siding off and embellished the exterior. We tried to make it more appropriate.”
They restored the original front porch, including new French doors, and added a side porch to mirror the front. New railings, window trim, shutters and historic paint colors were just the beginning of this extreme makeover. Eventually, they renovated nearly every inch of the four-bedroom, four-bath house.
Now they have listed it for $695,000 (MLS No. 1354748) with Chris McCarthy of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services (724-882-3342 or www.howardhanna.com). An open house is set for 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Mrs. Tanning believes the original kit from Sears included only the exterior trim and basic framing. The first owners had to finish the interior themselves.
“The house had no closets. The doors had no woodwork around them. We think it was a weekend house for somebody,” she said.
The Tannings added lots of closets with paneled doors, crown molding, chair rail and tall baseboards with quarter-round molding. To finish the fireplaces, they bought antique mantels from other dealers in Washington County.
Visitors pass through French doors at the front of the house into a 13-by-13-foot entry with Chinese chinoiserie wallcovering and an original diamond-pattern hardwood floor. There are oak floors throughout the house, some original and some added later.
The 18-by-12-foot living room features antique casework and paneled doors salvaged from old houses. The slightly larger dining
room has antique oil paintings and decorative accents, including a brass chandelier.
The 21-by-11-foot kitchen has been updated with white cabinets topped by crown molding, granite counter tops and an impressive set of appliances.
“There is a convection oven, wall microwave, warming drawer, Miele dishwasher and counterdepth refrigerator by Liebherr. The cooktop is KitchenAid,” Mrs Tanning said.
The den was one of the additions. It has a wall of bookcases, several large closets and an attached powder room.
“That room may have been added for an infirm person as an additional bedroom on the first floor,” Mr. Tanning said.
Upstairs are three large bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The 16-by-13-foot master has a large bay window, custom drapery, new closets and a master bath.
The other two bedrooms measure 13 by 12 feet and 16 by 10 feet. All have carpeting and new closets. There is an unused bedroom on the finished third floor.
The basement is partially finished and contains the laundry.
A burning bush in the garden inspired the exterior color scheme, Mrs. Tanning said. A flagstone patio is surrounded by planting beds that contain perennials, annuals and ornamental trees, including a beautiful Japanese maple.
“We hired a special gardener to move the specimen from the end of the lot to the Pasadena Drive side. It was one of the best things we ever did,” she said.
A winding driveway allows drivers to enter on one side of the large corner lot and leave on the other. The two-car garage has a second floor.
The property’s Allegheny County assessed value is $372,800. Over the past seven years, eight homes have sold on the Fox Chapel portion of Delafield Road for prices ranging from $267,000 in April 2013 to $1.35 million in July 2016 (www2.alleghenycounty.us/RealEstate/ search.aspx).
The couple agreed on what part of the renovation gave them the most satisfaction: the living room.
“It had a hideous fireplace in there and we found those cupboards and put them in there,” Mr. Tanning said. “Then we found the woodwork to mimic the mantel.”