Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Goodbye Scruffy, Hello Elegant
November 12, 2006
Tinah Saunders
photos by Charlotte Teagle
Published on: November 9, 2006
The golden light of an autumn afternoon imparts an appropriately gilded aura to Darrell and Denise Crull’s Oakhurst bungalow.
Former suburbanites, Denise, 34, and Darrell, 37, were so enchanted by the vast potential of the scruffy former duplex, they bought it for $160,000, as is, in January 2005. They waited a year for another $160,000 in renovations before moving in.
“Did it have a good foundation? No. Did it have a good roof? No. I guess it just had good bones,” said Darrell, a network analyst for Ceridian.
And hidden gems.
During early demolition, Kara O’ Brien Renovations found an unknown fireplace behind layers of drywall. The home has three, set triangularly around an interior wall.
“They ripped this whole house apart,” said Darrell. “You could see the sky.”
The home’s high ceilings and heart pine floors form a vintage framework for the choice salvaged enhancements the Crulls got from Laughing Sun, which specializes in intown restorations using reclaimed period materials.
If not too distracted by the colorful glazed brick and antique mantel surrounding the living room fireplace, guests in the Crull home will quickly encounter the breathtaking glory of the dining room’s wall-sized, century-old, stained-glass window, recovered from a former New Jersey mansion.
New stained-glass panels echoing designs from the antique window were installed in the transom over the door, and an illuminated stained-glass panel adorns the gable just below the roof peak.
Pine molding milled from support beams removed during the renovation of the Fulton Cotton and Bag Mill define the ceilings, and refashioned antique brass fixtures light the home’s central hallway.
Denise, an associate in Ryland Homes’ design center, selected the kitchen appliances and worked with builders to create the airy kitchen. Dentil molding tops the ample cabinet space surrounding the brushed stainless equipment. The modernized bathrooms feature marble floors and beadboard wainscot, but carefully selected fixtures and period artifacts, such as the clawfoot tub in the guest bath, help preserve the home’s turn-of-the-century feel.
“The deed says it was built in 1920, but we think it’s older than that,” Darrell said.
Darrell contributed his own sweat equity, rebuilding the front walkway and drive using 2,000 vintage bricks and seven special specimens from Calhoun Brick Co., a local brick maker popular in the early 20th century.
With the birth of Lillian, now 4 months old, the Crulls paused their restoration effort. The presence of a staircase anchored by a handsome antique newel post signals plans to eventually finish the attic.
(click on the photos below to view the gallery)
