Josephine Jones found the home online. Tired of their existing home’s lack of privacy, Jones and her family were looking for something that was in a quieter yet still kid-friendly neighborhood. This Foxcroft home checked all of the boxes.
When the mom of three went to see it, though, it was clear that it had not been updated or renovated since it was built in 1971. “There was lime-green shag carpeting in the sunroom and jungle-print wallpaper in the kitchen with green appliances,” she says. Despite the dated interior, Jones could see the home’s potential. “It had some really appealing qualities. A great backyard. I loved that it was similar to a ranch, long and wide with the master bedroom downstairs. I’m the type of person who likes to imagine what can be done with a home, and I could see so much potential here.”
While Jones, who purchased the home in 2011, has an eye for design, she knew that she needed to enlist the help of a professional to modernize the home. She hired architect Susan Dudley, who then referred Jones to designer Kelley Vieregg. Together with Alair Homes, Dudley and Vieregg pulled together a whole-home renovation master plan that would transform the once worn-out home into a modern stunner.
Vieregg is no stranger to completing a whole-home makeover. And while the designer is used to projects spanning several months and even a couple of years, there are just a few that sometimes take a little longer. The Jones’ home was one that took three individual renovations before it finally came to fruition. “Initially, we renovated the master bedroom and bathroom and did plans for the kitchen,” Vieregg says. “But as they lived in the house, they started to live in the space differently. For example, the kitchen changed to incorporate the dining room, and we added a scullery. We never went outside the existing footprint. But we really enhanced the spaces that were there.”
One of the most significant components of the renovation was the sunroom (or solarium, as it was referred to on the original architectural plans). “It was such an odd space,” Jones says. “It was one long room with each window covered by these tiny shutters, and lime-green wall-to-wall shag carpeting and a sliding glass door that led into the living room.” But, like Jones, Dudley and Vieregg could see the potential. Dudley vaulted the ceiling of the room and added shiplap siding, which immediately breathed life into the space. Limestone floors replaced the concrete slab, while the coupling of a custom jute-tassel chandelier and monochromatic neutral paint color pulled the sophisticated look together. “Intentionally, the color palette and finishes— truly everything we did—was open enough to lend itself to renovation down the road,” Vieregg says.
Much of the remaining renovation consisted of gutting bathrooms and replacing the wall-to-wall carpeting throughout, as well as other aesthetic upgrades. But even so, the team was careful to create a timeless look that, despite the length of the renovation, would look seamless. “It’s extremely easy to get derailed in that type of situation and end up with a design that looks like it was done years apart,” Vieregg says. “It doesn’t come without a lot of work and intention. My designs tend to be more classic. I like to make a home curated and collected to make sure it reflects the clients’ personality and stands the test of time.”
Though the project took nearly ten years to complete, the design team and the Joneses were thrilled with the result. “It’s a very elegant family home,” Vieregg says. “Everything we did was intentional so that years from now, it would still be the same approachable and livable home with a nice, fresh sophistication.”