EVERETT — Matt and Kristen Keenan, both go-getters in their 30s, would love to see more people buy and fix up the old bungalows in their historically blue-collar Delta neighborhood in north Everett. They aren’t encouraging gentrification, but preservation.
When they bought their 1930s house in 2007, the place offered lots of challenges.
They wanted to make some serious changes to the home. They decided that they would do as much of their own work as possible and take advantage of sweat equity.
However, instead of seeing themselves as stereotypical do-it-yourself types, the couple considered themselves general contractors. Some of the work — the roof, the plumbing and some of the electrical and tile installation — had to be hired out.
Working on one’s own home is all about safety, said Matt, a Boeing engineer and artist.
“If you can’t safely do your own work, then don’t,” he said, laughing about a favorite cartoon in which a DIYer wearing flip flops is using a broken ladder. “And then it’s all about budgeting and expecting the unexpected.”
“You have to be able to see the end game,” said Kristen, the owner of Vertical Gardens Northwest and the volunteer coordinator of the Everett Makers Market.
Among other changes, the Keenans gave themselves a new kitchen and a new bathroom, all while generally respecting the age and style of the house.
Janet Ore, a Montana State University historian, likes to hear stories about rehab projects such as the one the Keenans took on.
The author of “The Seattle Bungalow: People and Houses, 1900-1940,” published by the University of Washington Press, Ore is passionate about the preservation of working-class neighborhoods such as the one where the Keenans live.
“By the time their house was built, the popularity of bungalows in the Northwest was beginning to wane,” Ore said. “But what was constructed in that latter period were simplified bungalows that set the essential characteristics of popular housing for the rest of the 20th century.”
Not all old houses are well-built, of course, but people in that time had no choice but to use natural materials, including clear woods and plaster without chemicals, Ore said.
So, working with those good bones, one often can do well with an older home, she said.
“There is an inherent strength in an old house that you can’t replicate today in a house of the same value but with way more synthetic materials.”
Ore dislikes neighborhoods that change dramatically when people buy property and then tear down the structures in order to build new homes.
“I’m totally admiring of people who rehab an old building,” she said. “As a preservationist, my ethic is that the resource comes first, and that buildings have to be lived in and cared for to survive. So you make it livable and then do whatever you can to make it fit the original style. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
“It’s obvious that (the Keenans) are OK living in a small space and working with what they had. They looked around the neighborhood to keep their house in line with the structures around them. I wish everybody would do that.”
As they set out to do the rehabilitation on their house, the Keenans realized that not having children was to their advantage.
They were able to really get down and dirty to do the job, Kristen said. “It would have been unhealthy and inhospitable for children.”
With the help of sketchup.com, the Keenans made a rough plan of attack.
“The plan was our stepping stone to establish the aesthetic we wanted,” Kristen said.
And with that they donned their face masks and got started with demolition, taking care to test for asbestos and lead.
“But as soon as we saw red flags,” Matt said, “and I mean anything we weren’t 100 percent sure of, that’s when we hired the job out. But most people can lay a floor, paint the walls and even cut the trim.”
When you can, spend the money to do it right.
“It’s difficult to replicate the quality of materials that were used in the house when it was built, but if you have a good foundation, you should feel encouraged to go for it,” Matt said.
Above all, a DIY house rehab requires flexibility and patience, Kristen said.
“Just remember, there is a trick to everything, nothing is ever easy and the learning curve can be huge,” Matt said. “But in the end, it can be so satisfying.”
Tips from the Keenans
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Respect the original style of the house.
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Buy local and buy recycled (Habitat Store) when you can, but shop around online, too.
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Get bids, do your research.
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Buy the best materials at the best price for your budget, especially with wood.
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Buy paint samples (not chips) and apply the paint to the wall before deciding on the color you want.
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Watch all the how-to YouTube videos you can.
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Install built-in shelves on blank walls.
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Get help from the city building department.
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If you make a mistake, back up and start over.
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The city of Everett and the Snohomish Conservation District will offer help with a rain garden.
What the Keenans ended up with
*A rain garden near the sidewalk and a new permeable stone walkway to the porch steps
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A refinished living room and dining room with new ceiling trim work
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New window frames that match the originals, and lots of new paint
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Removal of a wall between the dining room and galley kitchen
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New kitchen cabinets, a peninsula, new quartz countertop and green-blue glass tile backsplash, as well as new appliances
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New tile in the bathroom, with a new tub, shower, toilet and sink that are modern yet fit the home’s original era
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New master bedroom ceiling with new molding, a chandelier, new paint and a storage cupboard fashioned from repurposed doors
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Basement additions that include a guest room and bath, laundry corner, exercise room and TV theater room
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Fabulous back yard with flower and vegetable gardens, a pond, a workshop and alley-side parking
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A new roof
If you go
The Keenans are the winners of a Green Gardening Monte Cristo Award, primarily for their rain garden. Celebrate with all the recipients of the 2016 Monte Cristo Awards and watch a slide show of their properties at 6:30 tonight, Oct. 13, at the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave. The winners of this year’s awards are listed on Page D3.
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