It really is a beautiful space. The upstairs sitting room in the Weintraub home near Chester Creek is reclaimed space. Over the years, owners of the home have opened up areas under the eaves once reserved as air space insulation. In the middle, on the Lake Superior side, is the sitting room — dominated by an elegant arched window that brings the light and the lake in.
“It’s why I bought the house,” Laura Weintraub said. That was 13 years ago. Today, she lives in the home with her husband, Marty.
They were recently honored by the Duluth Preservation Alliance for the restoration work they’ve done on the 1922 home.
“We’re very proud,” Laura said.
The first battle was to bring back the oak trim. Everything had been painted white, Weintraub said. She put a lot of sweat equity into stripping it all.
She also added color to the walls.
The eave space upstairs got the couple thinking about what other space might be available. They punched through and found space similar to that of the sitting room in the middle. Today, it is an office and music space. On the other side of the sitting room is Laura’s enviable walk-in closet.
The narrow kitchen was another project. A simple flip of appliances created a full useful space, Weintraub said. Cabinets rise up to the tall ceiling, creating a vertical lift to the kitchen.
They shopped tiles stores in New York City to find a green color Marty remembered from his childhood. They continued the arts and crafts feel here, changing a 1980s French country decor. They created molding to match the other parts of the house.
They did a lot of research to match the “simple lines and simple patterns” typical of arts and crafts style.
“My kitchen belongs to my house again,” Laura said of her thoughts when the project was completed.
The work isn’t ending anytime soon, she said. There are a lot little things to do throughout the home. “We’re not done.”
Their work isn’t relegated to the inside only.
A crumbling front step was carefully recreated to its original sweeping state off the front porch.
More recently, the backyard got a makeover. Gardens are tiered, making use of a steep grade from the alley. Weintraub already had hosta gardens going in the yard. Now, they’re expanded and enhanced with a flower garden perfect for wandering bees.
A centerpiece is a deck and hot tub along with a brick patio.
“We wanted a gathering area,” Weintraub said. “We worked to make it look natural.”
The preservation group noted all of the changes, adding that they replaced vinyl windows with wooden ones, tuck pointed the brick exterior and replaced tiles in the bathroom.
Obviously pleased by the steps toward restoration, Weintraub had an expected saw to match her enthusiasm for the results.
“It’s a labor of love,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun.”
