Hermann house renovation

Here is where I will post updates on renovating our 1941 cottage in Herman, Missouri.Let’s hope our contractor really does come through in the next few weeks to start the job.

Normally I would not mess with a house that is architecturally consistent and whole. But let me review for you all why mucking up this funny little house with major renovation doesn’t hurt it, in my view, because it’s already pretty messed up, both in original concept and in subsequent changes. Just to name the highlights of why it’s weird and inconsistent:


1. Built in 1941 as the only house on this block ( at that time) taking advantage of the best view on the street. The back of the house now was built as the front of the house. Apparently they thought the road would really go on the other side?

2. Frugal original builders in 1941 used pieces from their Victorian farmhouse. So we have a Victorian staircase in our 1940s cottage. That will be coming out.

3. Frugal builders made a second floor stair landing that was appropriate only for children because the headspace is not OK for adults.


4. A 1980s renovation turned the garage into a large bedroom and added an extension to the front to make it look more like it’s 1960’s neighbors. All that did was add a weird skinny room to the kitchen which I guess is a pantry.


One of my friends has a city house built in 1941, and from that I can see what the builders of my Hermann house were trying to achieve. They did not meet that standard.I think of my house as the poor country cousin of her house.

I suppose architects would say we are trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. But really what we are doing is a common thing on this block, extensively renovating an older house in order to take advantage of this pretty view.

Some current photos before renovation

the Victorian staircase. It comes out, and staircase is reversed

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Replacing the floor on the left with a nice oak floor matching the one on the right. You can’t tell from this photo, but the floor in the living room is really pretty just needs refinished

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Large room that is now a bedroom. It originally was a garage. We’re going to turn it into a kitchen. It is a very confused room.

All of the drywall, wallboard, ceiling plaster, and especially all of the cheap paneling, needs to come off all of the walls. This will of course will be a major major cost. The drywall is early versions of it that is more like cardboard than anything else it is awful stuff.

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I will love to follow your journey. Sadly I couldn’t open your attachments.

And finally, a feature That will stay exactly the same: this nice large fireplace. It is handsome and nicely situated in the living room, and we have already converted it to a gas fireplace.

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That’s beautiful!!

Of course IL’s photos are sideways.

What a daunting undertaking! I'm sure it will be fabulous when done.

Love checking out the bulldogs at the same time as the building process.