OPPOSITE PAGE: An outdoor patio area, which Steve built by hand, features hand-hewn, reclaimed beams
and accents are Pottery Barn and T.J. Maxx. In a short hallway leading to the master bathroom, two walk-in
closets feature
built-ins customized for optimal storage. “It makes me function better if I’m orga-
nized,” Traci says. The master bathroom has two custom
vanities topped with granite, a bathtub, and a walk-in shower covered in subway tile. The home features 8-foot, solid-wood
farmhouse-style doors, and Steve built each door header with 12 different pieces of trim. The 6-inch baseboards have similar attention to detail, with a thin strip of molding finishing the edges. In order to save energy, the stairway to
the home’s second floor has a door and its own heat and air. Other big energy-savers include foam insulation and LED bulbs. Upstairs, each of the two bedrooms has
its own bathroom, one with a bathtub and one with a walk-in shower. One bedroom features magnificent California redwood beams, which Steve cut and installed. The other has a balcony with cantilevered beams. Hanging on the wall in one of the rooms
is a rusted green garden gate, decorated with a magnolia wreath in the middle. “Start with what you love,” Traci says.
“You can find potential in just about any- thing. You don’t always have to spend a lot of money to make it beautiful.” When she’s at a flea market, she won’t
hesitate to get something she likes if she knows she’ll be able to use it somewhere. “She likes old stuff so much, she likes
me better every year,” Steve quips. ‘Forever house’ The view at the back of the home over-
looks a valley and the beginning of mean- dering Big Creek. In the summer, a west- facing field is planted with sunflowers. Traci uses fresh flowers to decorate
their home – paperwhites in spring, and in summer, hydrangeas, lavender, rosemary and boxwood.
The house was designed for ease of en-
tertaining, and separate doors at the back of the home lead from the back patio to the kitchen area and another to a guest bath- room, which has a vanity made from an an- tique dresser. The back patio features two covered sit-
ting areas and a pool Steve put in himself. One sitting area features a stone fireplace with a mantel made from wood beams from a 150-year-old barn. They chose exposed aggregate for the
patio, front walkway, circle drive, driveway and garage floor, and did the work them- selves, along with help from their children. The finished attic was one surprise
Steve completed while Traci was out of town. The attic’s sloped ceiling is covered with
wooden car siding, which Steve burned with a torch, painted white and sanded to give an aged look. It took 45 minutes of work for each board, and the attic space holds 200 boards. “That was my
If you want something really nice, you have to have tons of money, or do
it yourself. Steve Burges Homeowner
goal, to make it seem like
thing
it was some- turn-of-the-
century,” Steve says. The entire length
of the attic’s 36-foot wall features hidden storage, accessed by cabinet
doors
spaced at intervals along the wall. He also created custom, heavy-duty shelving with an industrial-farmhouse vibe by combin- ing black-painted metal plumbing pipes with wooden
boards. The staircase’s
handrail also is made with plumbing pipes. “It was my gift to her,” Steve says. “I was in tears because I couldn’t believe
he had done that,” Traci says. Upon turning the corner on the attic’s
twisting staircase, on one of the steps Steve carved a heart with “Steve + Traci” with their anniversary date. “This is our forever house,” Steve says.
LIVING WELL ❚ MARCH/APRIL 2019 ❚ 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34
