An Old Home with a New Life in Tacoma, Washington

An Old Home with a New Life in Tacoma, Washington

My mother instilled in me a maker’s mentality at a young age. She was a single parent that knew no limits. If I wanted new doll clothes, she’d hand me fabric. When my sister was about to get her license, my mom took a class and restored a junker ’61 Super Beetle into a beauty. I learned alongside her to reupholster a tufted sofa for my first apartment. I’ve both succeeded and failed with the idea that I can at least try to make things on my own. It’s one of my favorite traits I’ve received from her, and one I’d want to pass onto others. Just like my Mom, Lindy Dodge is a maker (and a blogger and instructor). The things she is inspired by, she learns to create herself. She has experience furniture-building, sewing, wood working, leather working, weaving, reupholstering, painting, home renovating, gardening and more. When she and her husband Travis, an engineer, found a home that needed to be restored before moving in, they went for it knowing that they would learn and change with the house.

Travis’ long commute started their search for a rental in Tacoma, WA. Their quest for an affordable apartment led them nowhere and started them on a quick mission to buy a fixer-upper. “Within 5 minutes of suggesting we buy a house, I had already found the one and quickly called on it. It was in need of EVERYTHING! The previous owners were a couple of old women (100 years old and 80 years old) in this huge old house that they couldn’t manage,” says Lindy. “But I looked past it all and couldn’t believe that something like this wasn’t out of reach – budget-wise and renovation-wise. I knew the second I saw that staircase that I needed to live there. The coffered ceiling and beams were a major pull as well. The next day we walked through it and the day after that we put an offer in and we have been gutting, renovating and living [in it] ever since.” Their home a is 3,000-square-foot, 103-year-old house. Lindy and Travis didn’t start with an easy first-go at renovating, but they have done an incredible job with the space.

Their home has the breezy, laid-back quality that they were hoping for. Linda and Travis have combined rustic, vintage, natural and modern elements together within their century-old, character-filled home. “We wanted to create a collected home that felt comfortable and natural and not ‘decorated.’ I realized that I had placed a lamp on a desk that didn’t have access to a plug, just because I liked the decoration of it and I quickly reminded myself of my goal – function and comfortable with an eclectic, cool vibe,” says Lindy. “I live in a home that was built with love and care and then brought back to life.” Travis and Lindy’s house has come alive because of their can-do, hands-on approach and what they have created with it is beautiful. —Lauren

SOURCES

Bedroom

Tufted headboard, built by Lindy, (James Design Co.)

Beach print: photo of Spain taken by Lindy, frame: IKEA

Lamp: IKEA

Paint color: Benjamin Moore, Owl Gray

Kitchen

Floating shelves, built by Lindy and Travis

Wooden bowls and ceramics: collected on Lindy and Travis’ travels/home goods/IKEA

Hexagon table: thrifted

Breakfast nook Roman shades: Lowes

Pillows: made by Lindy, fabric from Hancock

Raatan chair: thrifted

Dresser: Thrifted

White roman shades: made by Lindy

Cabinet paint Color: Farrow and Ball Downpipe

Drawers pulls: Martha Stewart Home Depot

Faucet: Home Depot

Wall color: Benjamin Moore Simply White

Towels: home goods

Rug: antique store

Island: thrifted

Basket light: made by Lindy from a Ross basket

Dining Room

Painting: painted by Lindy

Rug: ecowhides

Table: built by Travis

Buffet: found on property

Chairs: Lindy’s mother

Roman shade: Lowes

Living Room

Paint color: Benjamin Moore Simply White

Theater seats: thrifted

Beach print: taken by Lindy

Frame: IKEA

Pillows: made by Lindy & thrifted

Plant and planter: IKEA

Buffalo plaid bench: thrift store coffee table, upholstered by Lindy

Couch: thrifted and reupholstered by Lindy

Daybed: built by Lindy

Coffee table: built by Lindy

Painting: by Lindy

Woven wall hanging: made by Lindy

Stool: side of the road

Plant: Home Depot

Sheepskin: IKEA

Rug: RugsUSA

throws: from trip to Mexico

Sewing Room

Desk: made by Lindy

Baskets: IKEA

Chairs: thrifted

Paint color: Benjamin Moore Hale Navy

Lamp: thrifted

Plant: IKEA

Stair Nook

Hanging chair: thrifted

Plant: Home Depot

Rug: made by Lindy

Weaving: made by Lindy

LIVING ROOM:

Couch: thrifted and reupholstered by Lindy

Daybed: built by Lindy

Coffee table: built by Lindy

Painting: by Lindy

Woven wall hanging: made by Lindy

Stool: side of the road

Plant: Home Depot

Pillows: thrifted

Sheepskin: IKEA

Rug: RugsUSA

throws: from trip to Mexico

Paint color: Benjamin Moore Simply White

1/20 Lindy and Travis' home is an incredible mix of grand architectural details with simple, eclectic styling. This 103 year old home feels modern and lived-in without detracting from it's original charm.

2/20 "This room goes through the most design change. It's layout is so awkward, long and skinny, entering from the entry way and then leading into the dining room. It's been a challenge designing around the layout," says Lindy. "I love it though because I built from scratch, reupholstered, thrifted or painted every single thing in that room!"

3/20 "This entire home was done with such craftsmanship and the grandeur reminds me of The Great Gatsby. Little nooks, and reading rooms, and all the window seats and built in bookshelves give it such a grand feeling," says Lindy.

4/20 The sewing room is off of the living room. It is a space where Lindy can create her various fiber and furniture projects.

5/20 "We closed on the house last August and my husband lived here on a cot in the dining room for two months while he gutted it. We tore out all the animal stained carpet the first night," says Lindy.

6/20 One of Lindy's weavings in the dining room.

7/20 "Travis built that table in 2 hours and we found that basket for the light at a thrift store for $8," says Lindy. "The buffet was found in the garage behind the house as a workbench now serving as a beloved buffet holding all my thrifted China."

8/20 Lindy and Travis decided they could only spend $500 on their initial kitchen renovation. They saved money by covering the existing countertops with concrete, tearing out the upper cabinets, repainting the lower cabinets, updating the hardware and tiling the walls themselves.

9/20 "We are so happy with the way it turned out and [it] was definitely done on a budget," says Lindy.

10/20 "My favorite thrifted find of all time is that island, I found it at a thrift store for $50! It had the original manufacture tag hammered to the underside, just a simple brown piece of paper written in French and stating the age, built in the 1800s," says Lindy.

11/20 "[The dresser was] found at a thrift store and coincidentally fit perfectly in the empty space we created when we had to knock out the wall for the breakfast nook. Now serves as our spice dresser," says Lindy.

12/20 They created the breakfast nook by tearing down a wall. It's an incredibly peaceful and gorgeous eating area.

13/20 "We love all the natural light! I found that hexagon table for $11 and painted it white and Travis built the banquette seating," says Lindy.

14/20 "The Shibori dishes and wood bowls [are] from our travels," says Lindy. "The Shibori comes from Japan and the wood [bowls have] come from all over the world, namely Jerusalem and Morocco."

15/20 "We built these shelves in the breakfast nook for all of our dish storage to replace the upper cabinets in the kitchen," says Lindy.

16/20 "My favorite things about this home are the stairs and the stair nook! We pried up the carpet and found beautiful mohangany stair treads underneath. The nook gets beautiful light and houses my favorite plants," says Lindy. "I thrifted that hanging chair for $40! "

17/20 Their stair nook reminds them what they value and aim for in their home.

18/20 In previous homes, Lindy and Travis had a hard time creating a master bedroom that was gender neutral for them to share. Their current bedroom is a perfect mix of Lindy and Travis that they can both enjoy.

19/20 "I love the simplicity of this little mudcloth stool with the big white built ins. So perfect for our linens and winter jackets," says Lindy.

20/20 Lindy, Babycat and Travis Dodge in their dining room.

Original article and pictures take www.designsponge.com site