Portfolio

Portfolio

Our projects range in size, budget, and scale from whole houses to screened porches, tiny bathrooms to newly constructed carriage houses. The focus throughout is compatibility with the original character of the existing structure, making sure that the old and new speak a common language.

Lawndale Primary Suite

The owners of this vernacular cottage needed another bedroom and bathroom. We added an addition with a Primary Suite with a reading nook, Office, Laundry and Screened Porch.  

Midcentury Kitchen

This architect designed 1961 split level, had a cramped kitchen that led directly to a carport. We moved the side entrance and opened up the kitchen to the dining room. Custom cabinetry and vintage lighting help the new space blend seamlessly with the old.

Morehead Hill Addition

This early 1900s vernacular cottage had generous public spaces, but lacked laundry, bathrooms and closets. We opened up the center hall and added a screened porch. Two bathrooms with laundry and a walk-through closet give the owners the storage they need. 

Ten Mothers Farm

 A modern farmhouse with a modest footprint, passive solar features, and open floor plan is a first for us – but captures what we love about views, light, and planning for the future under one sweet roof. This two-bedroom, one-bath house has a loft with office and guest space and a plan for an addition when their family grows.

 

Minimal Traditional Addition

This 1940s Minimal Traditional had served its owners for many years, but they needed a little more elbow room. We added a Dining Room that connects to a Primary Suite and Screened Porch. On the basement level, we added a TV room, Art Space, and Music Room. 

9th Street Renovation + Dormer

Originally a c.1900 gable-and-wing cottage, this house got a bungalow dress in the ’20s, then ranchified in the ’50s – time to modernize! Initially the goal was to update the kitchen, bring in more light, and add a bathroom to the second floor. Raising the ceilings to their original 10′ height, bringing in a lot more light, and creating an office on a new landing happened along the way.

Englewood Garage Studio

The existing garage had been partially finished and wasn’t a particularly inspiring space. The new homeowners needed a dual work from home space and storage for their books.  The garage got general repair to the exterior, new lighting, and radiant heating in the floor make it functional and comfortable into the future.​

 

Deck House Kitchen

This deck house had a cramped kitchen and a dining room far away from the living space. We swapped the kitchen and dining room, removing the wall between. Alteration was needed with the big sliding glass doors, but we otherwise worked with the existing windows, ceiling line, and materials to create a beautiful family kitchen/dining area.

Edward Street Renovation

Closed off from the sunshine in the back yard, this vernacular Victorian had been a rental for many years. We reconfigured the kitchen and created a cozy dining area that is also the exclamation point at the end of the long hall. A new primary bath, laundry space, and fantastic color palette bring the light in.

Duke Park Kitchen

 A midcentury ranch with terrible flow and a cramped kitchen had served this couple adequately for years… but with retirement they wanted a place they could really enjoy and entertain. Moving the kitchen and dining room closer to the living space created an easy flow and site lines all the way through the home.

Farmhouse Kitchen + Mud Room

The owners of this Old North Durham home needed to update their kitchen and do some necessary structural repairs. A tiny butler’s pantry and uncomfortable laundry room separated the kitchen from the dining room and cut off the view of the backyard – so we rearranged the spaces and opened the kitchen to the rest of the house.The navy cabinets, handmade tile, and butcher block worktable give the kitchen a vibrant and modern feel. 

Knox Street Screened Porch

While this 1948 brick Cape Cod was remarkably intact, the rear fell flat and was disconnected from its woodsy yard and play spaces. By adding a mudroom and a screen porch, we gave this family function and gathering space. The gabled porch – with detailing matching the home’s original plans – added visual interest and opened up the garden to the playroom via large french doors.

Club Blvd. Restoration

The back of this 1921 Craftsman style four square was clogged with several enclosed porches and an incompatible 1980s addition. We changed roof lines, matched original windows, and added a screen porch to connect the house with the lovely backyard. Inside the scope included a powder room, mudroom, kitchen, master suite, and hall bath. Focusing on timeless finishes and fixtures, the renovated areas feel just right.   

Markham Renovation + Addition

An ungainly master suite and awkward kitchen cut the living spaces off from the beautiful backyard on this 1920s bungalow. Touching every room on the first floor and adding a hangout space with fireplace to the rear, created a home made for entertaining.  

Iredell Attic Conversion + Garage

The owner’s of this brick bungalow wanted to add a master suite in their unfinished attic.  A new stairway was seamlessly tucked into the center hall and two new dormers were added for light and elbow room.  A brand new freestanding garage sits along the alley, complementing the home’s lovely, original architecture.

Kitchen and Master Expansion in Duke Park

A 1970s enclosed porch off the rear of this little house was dingy, drafty, and a junk pile. Capturing that space into the kitchen and master made both rooms open and bright.

Old North Durham Restoration

This bungalow was hiding under aluminum siding and had lost its way. We restored the front porch with period appropriate brackets and a new railing.  A rear addition including a screen porch completes this renovation. 

Iredell Update

A turn-of-the-century cottage with a huge yoga studio on the back, this house had an awkward floor plan and layers of poorly done renovations. Some clever reconfiguration, a new screened porch, and all new finishes and it’s ready for another hundred years. Lots of photos here!

Englewood Kitchen

Sometimes it takes a whole new view to solve the problem – like the dark, tucked away kitchen in this 1950s home. Relocating it to the end of the long living/dining space and repurposing the kitchen into a mudroom made all the difference.

Duke Forest Ranch

A little bit staid ranch, a little bit mid-century modern, this architect-designed home from 1956 needed a little push towards the modern. We designed a screened porch with all the right details and improved the back facade.

Rockwood Kitchen

A terribly dated 1980s kitchen with failing appliances and an odd side door entrance was not doing this 1930s Colonial Revival any favors. A new kitchen plan and mudroom within the existing footprint gave the family all the elbow room they need and color they wanted.

Old West Restoration

This 100-year-old vernacular Victorian needed all the things – and got it! We reopened the center hall, added a screened porch and primary suite, and reconfigured the kitchen with a banquette dining area. The high ceilings, gracious trim, and proportions of the original spaces get to shine again.

Book a Consult

hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702

We’re growing!

We’re growing!

We have some exciting news to share: 4/1 got a little bigger, with the addition of me, Emily-Kate. Yes, this did indeed happen in August and yes, that was two months and a different season ago, but alas, I’ve been busy getting up to speed and the “write blog” on the to-do list kept getting pushed to the side. Until now! 

I’ve long admired Sara’s work on historic homes around Durham. In fact, in 2012 or so, I traded Sara a garden consult for a house consult. I was so impressed with Sara’s knowledge and down-to-earth attitude, that I asked to buy her a coffee and pick her brain about design and preservation. I had been working in the farm and food world and after renovating my 1913 mill house and falling in love with the process, I realized that a job change might be in order. Having coffee with Sara and learning about her path to creating 4/1, was inspiring. I walked away with the thought “I think I’d like to do that job.” 

Well, four years and a graduate degree later, I get to! 

In May, I graduated from UNC-Greensboro with an MFA in Interior Architecture and a certificate in Historic Preservation. While at UNC-G I worked with the North Carolina Main Street Program, which helps small business owners in small towns renovate their historic buildings. During my two years with Main Street, I was part of a team that worked on designs for over 100 commercial buildings across North Carolina. Working with Main Street helped me put the theory that I was learning into practice. In classes I learned about the Historic Preservation Tax credits; at Main Street I was able to work with folks from the State Historic Preservation Office to make sure that what I was designing would be eligible for these credits. 

I’ve long been passionate about woodworking and I was able to expand my skills while at UNC-G. I spent much of my time in their woodshop and took several carpentry courses. Not only is my home full of the bowls, tables, chairs, etc. that I’ve made, but in 2017 I started designing and building furniture for clients as well. Throughout school, I also worked on many freelance design projects. These included some graphic design: making labels, album covers, and t-shirts for local businesses in Durham; and quite a bit of residential design: helping homeowners in the renovation process with fixture and finish selections. I also took on many hands-on projects: repairing historic gravestones, installing kitchens, etc. 

In my free time, I can often be found cooking elaborate meals for friends, going on adventures with my two pups, and working in my garden.

I’m excited to bring these experiences to my work at 4/1! 

Book a Consult

hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702

New Year, New Look

New Year, New Look

After seven and a half years of workmanlike service, my old lady of a website was starting to look a little low in the heels. I haven’t had time to think about it properly in at least three (yes, my youngest child is turning three in March, how did you know?), so I needed some outside help. Chelsea Mars just happened to be launching her own business this fall, and the neighborhood network sent me her way. I am exceedingly grateful that she could translate my hand-waving and vague terminology into a lovely, functional website that should be much easier to keep fresh and clean for the next seven years… Must set a reminder to redesign in 2024!

Along with the redesign comes new photos in the portfolio. I have at least three more projects that will be photographed in the coming month or two, and expect to keep up with finished projects moving forward. All the best intentions, over here!

4/1’s project list is moving along like gangbusters, with projects large and small. Current excitements include creating a small guest house out of the 1890s dependency behind the imposing Markham House on Cleveland Street, converting a bungalow attic into a library and office for a pre-WWI memorabilia collector, and bringing some extra mod to a mid-century ranch north of 85.

Book a Consult

hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702

Queen Street

Queen Street

Throw-back Thursday to an entry I wrote two years ago and never posted! cheers to Jessie and Matt, who have since taken on an addition to their house and a family addition.

A while ago, I acted as preservation consultant on a lovely little two bedroom house over in Cleveland-Holloway.  I’ve long admired Jessie and Matt for their deliberate and thoughtful contributions to the neighborhood, and they got this place when it was boarded, vacant, a sometimes-home to squatters, and seriously depressing.  Now, with a bright coat of paint, it’s an absolutely charming rental house, just up the block from them.  (It doesn’t hurt that Jessie is a photographer, and many thanks for use of her stellar photos.)

 

Book a Consult

hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702

I’m Back, Baby! (or: I’m back, with a baby!)

I’m Back, Baby! (or: I’m back, with a baby!)

It’s been a busy spring for 4/1, and the hits just keep coming. As of today we bid a fond adieu to Emily, who has left for a shiny new job with the Main Street Center, part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in far-away Chicago. I am extremely proud of her and grateful that she kept the lights on during my maternity leave.

As of today, I’m is back in the office and catching up on all the action that happened this spring.  New client appointments will be scheduled over the next few weeks, and I’m circling back to make contact with all of Emily’s open projects.  As always, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to shoot 4/1 an email.

Art provided by S, age 7. (Only a designer’s kid would draw a row of houses complete with gable vents.)

Book a Consult

hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702

Announcing Finnegan Ansel Davis

Announcing Finnegan Ansel Davis

FAD copyFinnegan Ansel Davis
joined Sara, Chris and Sully
March 23, 2015
9 pounds even · 20 1/2 inches long

Both Sara and Finn are doing great!

Sara will be on maternity leave until early June. Please contact Emily Wallrath Schmidt at emily@fouroverone.com or 919.937.2779 for assistance.

Book a Consult

hi.there@fouroverone.com   (919) 339-1411
Office Address: 1235 Berkeley Ave, Durham, NC, 27701
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 355, Durham NC, 27702