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)
Darrell and Denise Crull, with four-month-old daughter Lillian, are all smiles about their renovated Oakhurst home. The Crulls moved into the house in January after living in Ball Ground.
Darrell Crull strolls up the antique-brick walkway he built himself. Note the stained-glass panel under the roof gable, which can be illuminated at night.
The 100-plus-year-old stained-glass window in the Crulls' dining room casts a gilded glow across the former duplex. The window was salvaged from the demolition of a mansion in New Jersey.
This gas lantern on the Crulls' front porch is one of the few new fixtures the couple used for renovation of their nearly century-old Oakhurst home in DeKalb County.
An antique high chair at right is one of many period furnishings the Crulls use to accent their Victorian bungalow.
Surprise! Renovators discovered this fireplace in the dining room hidden behind a layer of drywall.
The glazed brick of the dining room fireplace matches the jeweled hues of the room's stained-glass window.
The largest of the three fireplaces is in the living room. Renovators opened up a large portal just beyond it to create the dining room entrance by removing a wall that once divided the home into two apartments. The antique oak pillars add drama as well as support.
The guest room fireplace is one of three in the Crull home. Renovators used colorful glazed brick and reclaimed period mantels to highlight these focal points.
The tinted glass in the front door of the Crull home echoes the colors of glorious fall foliage outside.
This illuminated stained-glass panel under the roof gable is a Laughing Sun motif. It mimics a design central to the dining room's antique window.
Four-month-old Lillian's room once housed the home's kitchen. The Crulls chose to leave the brick chimney uncovered for the warmth and period charm the natural materials impart.
The guest room at the front of the house uses period furnishings to accent the home's vintage feel. After a Phase II renovation, the Crulls plan to convert this room to a formal parlor.
Laughing Sun, the company that renovated the Crull home, installed this brass plaque to document the home's origin and update. The company specializes in period restoration using vintage materials.
The stained-glass in the transom over the door also draws its inspiration from the dining room window. The home's heart pine floors and moldings impart warmth to the bright wall color.
Denise Crull designed a dream kitchen with vintage feel around a collection of thoroughly modern gourmet appliances.
The master bath gets abundant natural light through this transom window. It features a separate tub and shower along with his-and-hers basins.
A closer look reveals the rich color and intricate design of the dining room's century-old window.
The molding around the ceilings was milled from heart pine beams reclaimed from the Fulton Cotton and Bag Mill in Cabbagetown. The hallway lamps are rewired gas lamps.
The clawfoot tub and transom window in the guest bath are accented by a marble floor and counter.
