Better than new

Building anything – a life, a career, a marriage and a good home – takes time. And work. Lots of hard work. It doesn’t hurt to have a good skill set.

When Lindy Haunschild reconnected with her elementary school sweetheart, Mark Dreis, she had no idea she was embarking on more than just a relationship. But after their marriage in 1999, the couple began a home-improvement project that hasn’t stopped.

Haunschild’s compact cottage, perched on the South Hill just below the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, was built in 1938. It was typical of the period, with tiny, dark rooms and a dark interior.

“I loved the house, but it was so dark,” Haunschild said. “I’d always wanted to do something to open it up.”

Dreis, an engineer, came to the marriage with 17 years experience as a custom boat builder in Hawaii. He took on the challenge of making the old house better than new.

“Older homes were built to keep out the wind, not let the light in,” Dreis said. “So we decided to open it to the view.”

Out went the walls. Now the tiny 1930s kitchen is a solarium built with steel beams and glass walls. The view changes with the seasons.

“In the winter we look out over the city,” Dreis said.

“In the summer, when the trees are full of leaves, it’s like living in a tree house,” Haunschild added.

Dreis didn’t drive to the nearest big-box store and pick out a new interior. Each element of the remodel bears his thumb print.

The Brazilian cherry French doors that open from the kitchen onto the new deck were built by hand and finished with 20 coats of marine varnish. The deck railing was Dreis’ own design. A certified welder, Dreis fashioned an elaborate pattern out of steel that resembles a vine.

Satillo tiles on the kitchen floor complement the home’s original hardwood floors. Haunschild requested a large kitchen island, so Dreis crafted a curved 12-foot-long island with a concrete top. It took 12 people to pour, trowel and smooth the surface. After it cured, Dreis sanded the top until he achieved a highly-polished granite-like finish.

“I had to engineer a water-trough drainage system for the wet sanding,” he said.

The kitchen remodel changed the character of the house. Now, the once-dim interior is full of light.

Future plans include tackling the western wall of the house. A master bedroom and a garage/shop are on the drawing board.

Haunschild keeps a wall of illustrations clipped from magazines and photographs made on her travels to guide the project.

“I’ve learned that Mark can do anything,” Haunschild said. “I bring home all these things I’ve seen and he makes it happen.”

He recycles the credit and returns it.

“Lindy was my creative inspiration,” Dreis said. “I think we are a perfect match.”