Nancy Blakemore's childhood bedroom, a place where she used to gaze at the red roof of Korner's Folly down the street, is now a tranquil pink room filled with antique furniture and topped with a Victorian wallpaper border that reminds her of the Folly.
After 2½ years of renovations, Nancy and Rich Blakemore have moved back into the historic white clapboard Meredith House on Kernersville's South Main Street where Nancy Blakemore grew up. Her parents, Theresa and James Edwards, bought the home in 1949 from a former Kernersville mayor.
Nancy Blakemore, a church music director, returned to Kernersville from Texas to live with her mother after her father's death. She married Rich Blakemore, a Web site designer, in 2000.
The Blakemores' project to remodel the house began as a bathroom floor remodel. That led to redoing the kitchen, which had last been updated 50 years ago. Finally, they decided to remodel the house completely, from adding new basement-foundation cinderblock walls to re-creating intricate door trim.
Although great pains were taken to restore mantels, chandeliers and heart-pine flooring, modern elements -- energy-efficient windows, and a large master suite with a generous bath area -- converted the cottage into a large home on the corner lot across from Kernersville Moravian Church.
The Blakemores returned to their home in November and spent a busy holiday season settling in and showing off their piece of Kernersville history. They had five open houses for people curious to see the changes to the home.
Moldings painted in muted metallic gold, celadon green and cottage white enhance the home's high ceilings and rich, wood floors. New walls full of windows that mirror the original window design add light and a bright living space. Beautifully restored stained glass double doors separate the new den from the back hallway entrance. The couple used architectural elements found in antique stores and in their own backyard.
One of the major coups during the remodeling was a discovery made as a dilapidated shed on the property was being razed. There, almost hidden in the shed was an ornate Victorian fireplace mantel that belonged to the front bedroom of the house. The mantel was tilted sideways and not obvious.
"Right before it was torn down, we found the mantel because we saw the shiny part of (its) mirror," Rich Blakemore said.
White metal cabinets gleam in the expansive laundry room. They were salvaged from the kitchen. They have been stripped and painted a smooth, bright white, and bead-board cabinets and granite countertops are now in the kitchen.
"The project has been a great test of our marriage," Nancy Blakemore said jokingly. "It's taken our retirement."
The home, built about 1900, was remodeled by Nancy Blakemore's cousin, Billy Edwards, and his partner Willy Craven. The construction included a long hall that serves as a gallery for the late James Edwards' portraits. Edwards was a professional photographer.
"During one of the open houses, one of our guests knew who the lady was in one of the pictures. Now I have a name to go with her face," Nancy Blakemore said.
The Blakemores list more projects to complete before they can say they are finished. They are waiting for their lace curtains and designer drapes to arrive. They need to hang more pictures. And their landscaping plan, created as a favor from Ceiner Botanical Garden Director Todd Lasseigne, is in its early stages. Lasseigne incorporated heirloom plants such as 100-year-old yucca plants from the original yard into their design.
■ Monica Young can be reached at cyoung9@triad.rr.com.
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