Before, plants were sparse, window frames were run down, and ground cover was unsightly.

Now, a slate lanai extends the home outward, while a new roof and a new coat of paint make the space warm and inviting.

The Looks

During the most recent renovation, adds Thompson, “Forest City went out of its way to restore the wood floor in the master bedroom. That really gave it some nice warmth.”
When it came to the look of the home, the team addressed every detail. “We didn’t go with any flashy finishes that would make it stand out,” says Shintani. “A lot of interior and exterior paint had to be stripped off, and peeling and damage below the windows had to be repaired.”
They repainted the exterior of the home using colors that would have been popular in the 1940s. Shintani’s team even kept windows operational by stripping, repairing and restoring the original hardware to its initial beauty and functionality. “I had my guys taking off 20 layers of paint, polishing the brass,” says Shintani. “And you wouldn’t even know they’d been there now.”
Another standout feature? Copper gutters and downspouts. “We preserved the existing copper gutters where we could, and if they were beyond repair, we installed new,” says Shintani.
Adds Thompson, “Copper gutters are what would have been used in that era if there were gutters on the home.”

The Landscape

When it came to landscaping, the Forest City maintenance team worked to preserve as much old-growth vegetation as possible, even consulting an arborist who advised them on how to prune and care for the old trees surrounding the home. “That’s part of the ambiance of the street—those huge trees,” says Boudra. “Walking down the lane, you feel like you’re walking back in time.” 

Previous >> Page 2 of 3 >> Next