“No problem.” He gave the banister a firm shake, but it didn’t budge. “I’ve never been inside before, but I’ve always admired this house.”
“They call it the RockwellMansion,” she said. “But it’s not the largest house on the hill anymore. I think it’s just a little over four thousand square feet.”
He ran a hand along the wood wainscoting by the stairs. “Do you know when it was built?”
“Late 1800s.” She led him to the living room. “By the same family that started the Rockwell lumber mill.”
He looked at the dark wallpaper. “This looks almost as old as the house.”
“Yes, it’s pretty bad. We’re thinking it should be removed and the walls painted. And this baseboard too. And the wood floors need refinishing.” She explained her idea to preserve some of the original woodwork and doors, and he agreed it was a good plan, making notes as she led him to the dining room.
“I don’t like seeing the original character stripped from some of these old beauties,” he told her. “I understand the need for livability, but history should be respected. By the way, is this on the historic register?”
“No, although I’m sure it could be.”
“Well, that’s actually a relief when it comes to renovating. Less hoops for everyone to jump through.”
“Even though it’s not registered, it seems wise not to do the sorts of changes that would prohibit that in the future. Just one more reason to give it a light touch.”
“Yes, I’ve seen old homes that have been modernized tocreate great rooms, and then they’re listed for sale and the buyer wants everything back to the historic blueprint.”
She briefly described her vision for brightening up the dining room, then led him to the kitchen—where Cliff broke into laughter. “What the heck happened in here?”
She explained about George’s grandmother. “Apparently she wanted to lighten up and modernize the whole house, but her husband put his foot down. Except for in here. Mrs. Rockwell really went to town in this room.”
He picked up the blue wall phone. “Hello? The eighties are calling—they want their kitchen back.”
Willow chuckled. “I guess her husband was right to rein her in.”
Cliff opened a cupboard door, letting it close with a bang. “I have a cabinet guy who can make something that’s both functional and respectful of the era.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Willow explained her ideas for tall cabinets and soapstone or marble countertops. “And I think some sort of stone floor would be nice.”
“Nicer than this vinyl.” Cliff made more notes then turned to her. “So are you handling all the design decisions? Or hiring Donna for that?”
“Well, we don’t want to go all out at first,” she explained. “George Emerson is the owner and he’s, well, rather frugal. But I have an art background and some design experience, so he’s entrusted me with the decisions.”
Cliff looked more closely at her now. “I don’t mean to be nosy, but are you and George a couple?”
“No, no, we’re just good friends. I’m helping him with the house.”
“And I assume you own that new art gallery in town?”
“Yes. That’s mine.”
“Nice.” He nodded with appreciation. “Show me more of this place.”
She gave him the full tour, telling him generally what needed to be done, and he continued to take notes. Finally they were back in the foyer. “I’ll work up an estimate for you,” he told her. “In the meantime, you can select your cabinets and finishes and paint colors and all that. And it would help my painters if you came in here and actually marked, with painter’s tape, which wood surfaces you want left alone. Be very specific so there’s no chance for confusion.”
“Right. I can do that.” She pointed to some leftover piles of stuff. “And we’ll get all this cleared out—”
“I can have my demolition guys haul that out when they demo the kitchen. They’ll send anything worth recycling to the Habitat thrift store.”
“That’s wonderful.” She opened the doors to the conservatory. “This is the only room that probably doesn’t need anything done. All the glass in here is in fabulous shape. As far as I can see it’s never leaked. I’m using the space to store furnishings that I think can be reused after the house is updated.”
“Looks like a nice space.”
She closed the doors then led him to the second and third floors. “As you can see, it’s mostly about paint up here. The wood floors are in good shape.”
