Design Archives – With the Barretts

Hildring House Transformation – Before & After – Part 2

Part 2 of the amazing Hildring House transformation in before and after pictures.

Sorry that it has taken me so long to get around to continuing the before & after shots of the Hildring House transformation. Things have been pretty busy, what with Valentine’s Day and getting ready to move.

That’s right. Hildring House soon will have new owners and Debra and I will be off to a new remodeling adventure. For now, though, let’s keep looking at the changes that took place at Hildring House. Once again, unless otherwise noted, all of the “after” pictures are by the wonderful Trey Freeze.

Let’s start back in the dining/living/kitchen area.

Living, dining, kitchen before — Before.

See how isolated the kitchen was? And not just because of the wall. The dramatic change in flooring material segregated the spaces. The pass-through, while a pretty convenient idea, did nothing to help the flow.

Removing the wall, installing the bar/island, getting rid of the fluorescent light box, recessing the kitchen lighting and carrying the same, wonderful oil-rubbed wood flooring throughout all of the area – and painting everything white – made it miles more open, welcoming, and accommodating.

Hildring House Adventure – Before & After – Part 1

Part 1 of the Before & After photos of the Hildring House Adventure – With the Barretts

Before & After at Hildring House – Part 1

You never reach a point in home remodel and redesign where everything is “done.” There is always more that could be changed. Another tweak of paint or fabric or flooring, a different window treatment, an alternative furniture placement.

At Hildring House, almost everything has changed. Even if a room hasn’t completely changed, it hasn’t gone untouched.

But we’re at the stage where we have to say, “enough.”

I believe the transformation Debra brought about here at Hildring House is astonishing. So, let’s take a look at some before and after shots, shall we?

The first change you notice about the facade is the color, since it’s the most dramatic. As important, however, is the fact that you can see more of it. Removing the huge bushes standing guard at the front door and the scraggly hedges blocking the windows made a huge difference – inside and out.

But, wait! There is so much more. Let’s go take a look.

Timber Frame Homes – A Guest Post from Hamillcreek.com

Tyler, who writes for Hamillcreek.com, reached out to WiththeBarretts about sharing a post lauding timber frame home construction. We’re pleased for the opportunity to share his work – and to feature the Hamill Creek site. Go check it out – it’s well worth the visit.

Here is Tyler’s article:

Timber Frame Home Designs – Eternally Beautiful Homes

Timber frame homes are making a huge comeback all over the world. Modern technology has ensured that several flaws which were inherent with timber construction have now been addressed, making this a viable alternative to block construction today. Continue reading “Timber Frame Homes – A Guest Post from Hamillcreek.com”

A Photo Journey Along a Trail of Portuguese Tiles

One of the first thing you notice in Portugal, whether you’re in Lisbon or the Algarve or anywhere else in this wonderful country, is the tile work. While not necessarily unique to Portugal, the extent to which the Portuguese use tile as an integral feature of their architecture is, at least in our experience, unmatched. Today’s post is a photo journey along a trail of Portuguese tiles (not too many words but LOTS of pictures – the way Debra likes it!). We’re so glad you’ve decided to join us!

The cladding shown on this building is typical, reflecting an attitude of “Why paint when you can tile?” Continue reading “A Photo Journey Along a Trail of Portuguese Tiles”

A Brighter Home, a Brighter Mind: How Natural Light Keeps Us Happy and Well – Guest Post

Dan here. Today, we have a special treat: a guest post from Eliza Cochrane of Carlen Glass, located in lovely Dublin, Ireland. She has a post on the benefits of natural light. If you’re a regular on With the Barretts, you know that lots of natural light in living spaces is important to us. We appreciate Eliza sharing and hope you enjoy her post.

room with natural light

I recall a few weeks ago, a brief spell of troubled sleeping. I would go to bed early every night and, after about four hours, would “waken” into a light semi-conscious drift. I’m not sure what caused the spell — though it probably had something to do with the increasing temperature of the summer nights — but there was one morning in particular that struck me as peculiar. On what was perhaps the hottest night of the year, I decided to sleep with the windows open and curtains drawn, to let a draught in should it come. I woke naturally — again, after a few hours of what should have been groggy sleep, only this time to the in-pouring of brilliant sunshine.

And not only did I feel fine, I felt great.

Experience Backed by Research

The experience was so strange to me that I decided to do a little research on natural light and the human body for an explanation: I quickly found out more about the natural sleep-wake cycle, and the regulatory hormones of this cycle. Continue reading “A Brighter Home, a Brighter Mind: How Natural Light Keeps Us Happy and Well – Guest Post”

Dining on the (NEW!) Deck – A Hildring House Outdoor Adventure from Debra

outdoor sofa — Photo by Amber Shumake Creative

Welcome to my looooong overdue post about the deck. I’m not gonna lie, I thought this deck was overkill …. a lot of $$$ …. would it really add that much to the value of the house …. etc etc.

Luckily, it was Mr WTB’s turn to win and so onward we went with the OTT plan. (Dan here. Notice how when it’s my plan, it’s over the top? Just wait until the post about the new 35 square foot bath in Debra’s Domain!)

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

This is the listing photo— that pergola was quite wobbly, there was a large ‘step down’ from the house to the patio. Continue reading “Dining on the (NEW!) Deck – A Hildring House Outdoor Adventure from Debra”