Saving style

The house, located in Peterborough, Ont., had been abandoned for two years. Its coal-burning furnace was condemned by the city, there was major smoke damage, and six tons of garbage needed to be removed from inside. And to make matters worse, there was no working bathroom and no kitchen. But somehow Bill Lett, an architect, saw its potential. "The house was a really good example of Arts and Crafts style," he says. "The layout was fantastic, and the wood detailing, like the hardwood floors and the Douglas fir trim, was quite a find. Even though my wife, Kristy, was completely freaked out by the idea, we still bought the house."

Within three days, Bill drew up reno plans and started meeting with tradespeople. What attracted him most to the project was the possibility of juxtaposing the home's Arts and Crafts interior and exterior elements with a modern interior design. "The idea was to keep it fairly neutral," he says.

The budget for the renovation was $30,000, which was all the bank would loan the couple, who were first-time buyers. That meant Bill would have to do a lot of the work himself. It also meant that he and Kristy would have to find imaginative ways to stretch their dollars, especially in hard-working rooms like the kitchen and bathroom.