Ella Pendergast was in disrepair when we acquired her in 2021, her revival lasted 14 months involving 20 of our trades, we documented most of the rewarding transformation.

we executed all of the major phases of classic home revival: Ella required a completed floor-to-ceiling stem-to-stern execution that required a ton of creativity on part of mgmt & design

Our Pendergast revival required the execution of all phases of classic home restoration in one year long marathon.

A very abnormal scenario for a home this historical importance to fall into such disrepair.

This project was the culmination of our depth of experience dating back to Improvement Co ‘s initial passion fueled projects from 2009

Improvement co. began organically as executed 100’s of projects for sellers pre-listing and our own portfolios of RareForm apartments

We developed a phase model for distilling the classic home ownership experience resulting in positive & confidence boosting experiences with detailing your classic to each owners needs.

the entire main floor was faux finished in a two tone tuscan-villa vibe, that presented very heavy: this allowed us to completely rewire and curate sconce and chandelier locations

Pendergast’s have such an immense level of spanish archways and naturally striking clean lines, we have added bold color in the library & dining but left the commons a clean finish

Our aim of the phases provides a confidence, budget and family morale boosting experience that results in feeling the depths of love we have for period architecture.

Beginning as the “design-to-sell” which has fiscal focused trend for achieving peak sale price. As we matured thsi has become a patient and methodical process, one that is rooted in humility for how the home lives and spending quality time before making updating decisions.

That being said the phase one provides a canvas for amplification of the classic home while honoring the budget & time constraints of new home ownership.

Phase ☝️ Improvement Co:

💥 curating the overall interior finishes: ✨ hardwoods, enamel, millwork natural wood emphasis, radiator celebration 🍾

💥 utilitarian checklist: laundry room simple build-puts, mudroom benches & storage, adding carpet to winter rooms

💥 Personal design touches: lighting scopes & restoring original fixture locations, wallpaper, tile & hardware alteration

Phase one can occur at onset or staggered throughout the first 2-5 years as budget had timing allows for our trades to get in and execute.

two-toned enamel was used in the south facing dining room which ended so playful and joyous, the ceiling detail accent show really well in person as our stewards love this room

entry after. a matte stain cocktail was used on all her hardwoods, with 4 coats of matte waterborne finish for a subtle natural wood look which keeps the attention on architecture.

the plaster work inside is original and incredible in person, the original owners crest is replicated on the exterior as well as a peak gargoyle protected the entry

As with most real estate diamonds in the rough, Valleyview dropped into our laps following decades of passionate classic home restorations. The karma of thoughtful preservation came back to us as fate bestowed this Spanish example due to our reputation for deep-diving to preserve architecture.

It was an off market opportunity due to its somewhat downtrodden state after years of busy family life had left it a little rough around the edges. 2/3 of RFP took a look on a blustery late winter day and as they say, the rest is history.

Under the grime and Carmela Soprano 90’s detail (that last time she was given attention) her bones were regal and ready for a renewed spirit to take the reins and polish her up.

Through the arched front door you step into a grand limestone foyer under three lit pillow vaults. To the west is a long sunken living room with a fireplace on one end, to the east is the an intimate dining room with floor to ceiling french doors for plenty of southern natural light. At the end of the hallway is the library or study with beautiful curved built in bookcases and a second jade detailed fireplace with original built-ins intended for sheet music on the piano!

The 90’s were alive and well in these halls and doing no favors to the exquisite forms that Ella had spelled out. Hideous sponged brown and beigey-yellow paint covered the beautiful textured plaster and vaults throughout both the main and upper level common areas. There had been a tragic 1990 two story addition and kitchen remodel that created an odd and very end-of-the-20th-century feel to the back end of the house on both floors. It was the perfect proving ground for the newly formed Purveyor’s Improvement Co. : how do we revive these spaces to feel historically appropriate but with a modern flare and all while on a budget?

the rear library & piano room needed a ton of plaster and millwork restoration. This is such a special cozy room that we revitalized in a rich billiard green with Italian sconces

the library has original art deco bookcases and sheet music niche for the piano wall, this room drops into her sunken screen room that will be phased in Walkabout gardens incoming

There was an overwhelming amount of space to address as every square foot of floors, walls and ceiling had to be restored and every fixture had to be replaced. It was an undertaking as grand as the structure herself.

We started on the main floor, deciding that for budget purposes the cabinetry in the kitchen had to stay. There was so room for a $45k cabinet bill so we had to work with what we were given! Given the well worn state of the cabinet doors and drawers Maestro Israel wanted to try a Danish product for the enamel as he knew that even with surface damage to the cabinets he could get the silky finish he wanted.

the kitchen layout was large and we were able to revitalize the space with in a contemporary classic style that was executed by El Capitan laying down an incredible enamel finish

the ella kitchen in maritime-yves blue with stained oak pulls and milled backsplash throughout integrating the space into the original home.

Ben was relentless on Ella: as his plaster work, enamel, and skim coating was done on all 4500 square feet of her interior, he definitely had the most hours inside this restoration.

Meanwhile, another painter, Ben, started working through the plaster restoration. We decided on a creamy white throughout the main the upper level walls in matte finish so the light would sit nicely on all the curves and texture with an exception made on the walls in the dining room and library as those spaces were asking for their “moment” in the spotlight and deserved more a more colorful consideration.

injecting humor is required on projects of this scale: laughter on this one in the planning phase as we encountered over 10 surprises altering scope & budget per ‘classic remodeling 101’

Knob & Tube electric executed a flawless lighting scope especially inside her sunken living room, where 4 sconces and 2 chandeliers were added to amplify the space

the pilot holes above are used to fish wiring through the original framing, plaster rounds are saved and re-plastered into the ceiling resulting in visual perfection and moody lighting

the spacing on the symmetrical-overheads is always a fun creative process, as the sight-lines through the arches needed the fixtures to accent the viewing enjoyment inside the home.

niccy-on-level was point person with his myriad of tile setting lasers, which adds to the precision of our lighting scopes, there was a lots of laughter during this evening rough-in.

the final product in the living room added the impact that historic spaces command: this is now a gathering space that is motivational and moving to its guests.

were planning to restore the oroginal french doors that open into the sunken screened garden terrace, this is planned for arrival from Marvin this fall for installation.

Simultaneously, the construction crescendo continued with Brian on hardwood restoration. There was a lot of work to do when it came to the beat up and manhandled hardwoods throughout this fine lady. Patching here and lots of wear to work out there. The kitchen design became somewhat of a matza ball once we knew we were going to work with the cabinets in an Yves Kline blue the rest of that space needed to be brought up to that level so we decided we had to lay new new oak in the kitchen where there was drab and worn out linoleum. Brian took the change order with grace and worked tirelessly from main floor up to the second level.

the original bath was destined for demolition, cracked patina in the floors adds to her depth and the curation of sink, wallpaper, and wood tones turned this into a classic masterpiece

this bath was certain for extinction with a majority of designers, contractors and consumers, when patina exists we see opportunity of adding depth the space with curation

this was the best before and after in the entire house, so I forced the attending team members to cram into the tub for a podium pose!

dining room is south facing for incredible natural light, symmetry is abound in the radiator placement throughout the house.

the sunroom is also sunken the level of the living room, this is the wall were our french doors will be redone to original Pendergast intent

There was one thing that kept bothering us about the living room… there were ZERO lights. When we took ownership this long, grand room had no hardwired electrical - no sconces and no overheads. This didn’t seem right, enter: Knob & Tube. Late one evening, armed with a “saw-in-the-box™” and some gumption, Damien started looking for electrical and unearthed four sconces that had been covered throughout the years and while he was at it he added two overheads as the ceiling height of nearly 9.5’ begged for some dramatic drop on a dimmer.

this room has bizzare HVAC ducting and lineset that was correctly move into the wall so that brian could install a solid and level oak finish to match the upper level

the wrought iron railing was removed as the edge board was deteoriated from wear over the years, replacing this cured its strength and the floor was skimmed in patch before stain

stain sample day is always so much of a joy to select the tonality of hardwoods in concert with the existing millwork tone.

we have to thank fellow Pendergast owners the Stanleys for donating this incredible runner that they removed for a Missoni, it was a perfect fit from her sister house on Elmwood Place

Once we had addressed most of the hardcore interior restoration we were able to focus on the fun stuff - paint! enamel! lighting! wallpaper! And boy, was I happy to oblige. To his true credit, Steve really let the paint deck wielder go to town with the enamel spec. With so much space, texture in the plaster and natural light, I wanted to keep the walls crisp and clean, a state they hadn’t been in quite a long time.

There were a few exceptions, mainly the dining room where things got wispy and feminine with a hint of pink on the walls and a golden two tone play on the decorative moulding on the ceiling. As well as the library which felt like it needed a moody setting to go with the dramatic curved and beveled built in bookcases and the jade and black marble encased fireplace. We decided to do a tone on tone and match the deeper jade tone in the marble on the walls and find the lighter shade for the decorative moulding along the ceiling.

the library tone is classic countryside tudor, livened by italian sconces and modern globes on the kitchen wall

the plaster repair in this study was quite invasive as israel & ben display with their grins indicative of the passion they have for this true prep heavy restoration work.

The upper level was where things got a little more jolly, a little more disco, if you will! ✓ Purple ✓ Pink ✓ Green ✓ Jade ✓ Blue ✓ Yellow … all in a single ?! SURE.

I like to think of rooms as free-spirited & individualistic, while always also being in commune & conversation with one another. Whatever angle you look from should have a harmonious sparkle. For the upper level of Valleyview I wanted it to feel totally clean if all the bedroom and bathroom doors were closed. The beautiful original doors had already been painted so it didn’t feel like heresy to keep them white, which, allowed for there to be a “Bell of the Ball” in the upper level.

In all of the Ella Pendergast homes I’ve been in, this hallway “Bell of the Ball” comes in the form of a floor-to-ceiling linen closet, sometimes, like this one, with a special pass through portal to the bathroom behind it. It’s a beautiful puzzle of doors and drawers that gives an almost sculptural moment to what is otherwise a space that simply gets passed through. These have often been enameled again and again throughout the years and it’s become somewhat of an Improvement Co. trademark™ to strip the doors and drawer fronts and let the beautiful grain shine, often birch, my personal favorite.

israel loves a stain blend, we had slight variation between these two options selecting the softer one for the upper level linen built-in

this in wall chest centers the 5 upper bedrooms with plenty of storage and adjoins the jade primary on the other side for towel access- another sign of Ella’ female thinking design

bedrooms up received a colorful palette of soft pink, soft mustard, light herb green and bluebird blue, while the lounge // owners room got dark burgundy panelling

I would never advise anyone be the first to paint woodwork in any house, untouched original woodwork is becoming more and more scarce so when you have it, leave it, if you ask me, but if the decision’s already been made for you it provides a design opportunity. Such was the case at Valleyview in the upper level (thankfully the main floor had been spared the paint brush). Mother Nature is always an inspiration so possibly it was because it was spring and the flowers were blooming and the leaves on the trees were green and the sky was finally blue for multiple days in a row but I couldn’t turn away from the brightest and most saturated colors in the deck for the trim throughout the upper level. Thankfully, Ben was gracious with my multitude of trim colors and brought the vision completely to life throughout, the result is a time capsule of spring 2022.

the prep phase was intense on all the plaster work, this was one of several stages of wall prep before primer and paint

this dual closet and arched window room as the best light in the upper level with east and south facing glass

Then came the earrings, if you will… Murano lights direct from Italy, wallpaper in varieties of Morris and Frank, 80’s inspired hardware. The final touches that truly give a home a distinct point of view and direct the storyline of who this structure is and who the people are who live in it.

we altered the pop through medicine cabinet to offer storage for bath products and access to the linen closet from the primary bath

the tireless restoration hours that go into each white painted door is immense

credit this sink find to our merchant Georgi Gregori which we swapped sinks for her blue bath revival in shenandoah terrace.

the yard! Wowzers. Words cannot describe the burial grounds for old railroad ties, numerous boulders, underlayment plastic and fencing materials. We hauled out two 20 yard landscape dumpsters to the back yard graded in a positive slope while working with the hillside retaining walls that make Tangletown so special.

Walkabout Outdoor did the boulder wall work and Creekside outdoor completed the grading project with many days in the bobcats leveling and getting the rear patio and lawn area to work with the landscape. This was finished just before winter and phase two is planned limestone patio and full privacy trees along the Dols lot-line side of Valleyview

lots of looks like this one when we began this lawn cleanup, none of us have any idea why or how this lawn became a dumping ground in a neighborhood that is known for its garden tours and emphasis on green native landscapes

Special Thanks to Mallary Barr for your continued support in our wild and crazy revivals that require a partner to be fully supportive of our passions

Special thanks to all our trades and everyone who put so much sweat and tears in to this Pendergast, it truly is intoxicating the rewarding feeling felt when you take such striking original architecture and return it to the level of design intent commanded from her first blueprinting in 1925. Purveyors Improvement Co. has become truly a one of kind renovation arm for classic homeowners in a approach that doesn’t over complicate remodeling, as the emphasis is placed on originality with preparing the vintage home for today’s families.

the Improvement Co. executed all phases into the Revival of our ‘Ella Pendergast’

Kaci & Micah's East Harriet Boxcar

Workingman's 1915 Wonderland of Longfellow