Buying in RareForm: Grace & Tyler land Doris' Dutchie of 1922 !
Determined newlyweds go all-in on the sweat-equity mantra: their ensuing revival began on closing day breathing Doris’ spirit back into her timeless classic!
Congratulations Grace & Tyler, on the steps of the foundation for their future: Doris’ Dutchie of 1922
nothing beats the closing day smiles! the dutch colonial was rewrapped in modern hardi-board, and benefited from our contingent roof claim offer with its august hail storm claim
Doris’ Dutch Colonial rests on the edge of the river in Louden Park. An architectural enclave that followed the demise of the Stonebridge Mansion on the Mississippi River. Stick framed in 1922, Doris’ former dutch colonial was overlooked on the marketplace for most of the late fall and into the holiday season.
While her interior is filled with originality, Doris’ dutchie suffered from a bit of trend chasing through the finishes & fixtures. A bland palette and tired millwork and hardwoods with an absence of original lighting. the “Sweat Equity” scope of work was targeted & concise: beginning with a whitewash delete from her stoic interior, the Improvement Co spec was approved for a 6 week and 30k budget to revamp Doris’ main floor
Meet Grace & Tyler, newlyweds with a wonderful bond and drive to engage in architecture from the golden era. Grace devoted to her career in politics & Tyler a speech pathologist. G&T have been renting in NE for a number of years and decided following their wedding was time for their own deeded classic home.
Get to know purveyors’ Grace & Tyler fun facts:
they were born on the same day in 1990 (our obsession is turning 90’s babies into preservationists)
G&T met at Duluth rock show were Tyler was blowing the trumpet 🎺 for his band “Ali & the Scoundrels”
Grace hails from carpentry 🪚 family in Massachusetts & Tyler’s father is an electrician in Cannon Falls
dive bar karaoke 🎤 is their favorite pastime despite Grace being an atrocious singer, their duets are infamous at Otters in NE
Our search began last fall following a fireside chat over goals and plans for their lives. Touring began within their targeted budget, and it became quickly apparent that the value of the housing stock didn’t align with their investment ideals in their targeted range. Like many of our clients the realization of value and future return on investment became the focus
These two benefited from being very trustworthy with RFP and our expertise, it became clear that we wanted to forgo chasing “move-in” ready starter homes and seek something with more long term upside. Grace was on board with market timing, and we developed a specific goal in mind of beating the spring rush, while easier said than done this story was the result of their convictions in the face of the unknown and trusting our way of acquiring classic homes.
Doris’ exterior is as stately as original colonials get! and we’re planning to reinstall flower boxes & shutters as Doris had her when she departed in 1999
We located this photo from the archives of the Wellesley Dutch Colonial during Doris’ final years around the late 90’s
RFP: if you could advise buyers in your shoes heading into this year, what is the biggest takeaway of working with RareForm?
“I think being open to buying a house that you know will need some updates is a really good mindset to be in, and I think that’s where I really appreciated working with Steve & RareForm. Before putting in an offer, we were able to figure out what immediate needs we would need to take care of, what we could wait on, and other options. It helped us feel confident in our investment, especially buying an older home. ”
The bannister before shot complete with stain samples for our light brown cocktail & the bungalow bear welcoming G & T to their colonial
RFP: Talk about your journey to Doris, what elements of your childhood and life drew you to classic architecture?
“I grew up in a home that was built in 1900, and I always loved the little details in that house that made it unique. Additionally, the family business is a contracting firm that handles historic renovations. For me, this instilled a love of older, classic homes. I knew that when it was time for us to start looking, that's what we would prioritize.” - Grace of 1922
Closing was 8 am, Improvement Co had hardwoods scheduled for 9 am start, smooth oak by end of day 1
we decided the sunroom will be the anchor of the main floor color pallete
RFP: once the opportunity presented itself, you went all-in to secure the house, was understanding the risk factors and the condition of the home was critical in your ability to act so decisively?
“I think the most critical thing was that Grace and I spent a lot of time really discussing our parameters for a classic home, “must-haves” & “nice-to-haves”, and everything else. Since we had a lot of discussions about it, I was comfortable with going all in on it!”
the two elements of Sweat Equity: a bit of DIY grit & some “checkbook maintaining” making this phase one sweat-equity revival happen!
Tyler became a savant with the carbide, remiving heavy oil enamel from his birch inset archway
“Absolutely yes- we knew what risks we were willing to accept and what work we wanted to put into it. Having a whole understanding of the home we were buying helped us feel good about putting in a competitive offer.”
Doris’ colonial is anchored by this sunroom: a terrific centering space between the gracious mainfloor common chambers of living and dining, our enamel selection options for here are going to be period-fire
complete with 1922 keys, the open penninsula kitchen will be a huge upgrade for these two with their first dishwasher! Custom oak butcher tops are being restored to match the hardwood tone.
witnessing clients take true action into cherishing our architecture is what its all about for us, this photo captures the essence of “buying in rareform”
RFP: you're planning a comprehensive update to the dutchie, what portions of the improvement co's approach to phasing updates are you most excited about?
even the garage is cute at doris, and sprawling inside for tools and a future kid carrier!
getting a firm grasp on the “before” photos it was so great to get these two in the home before our team started altering her condition for their tenure on the river! we were able to structure the purchase to provide funds for our phase one scope of work that began on closing day:
“We’re both excited to add some colonial color, stripping the white paint off the millwork is so satisfying giving the wood new life! We’re also also really excited to get the floors redone. Its really hard to chose but with RareForm its all happening before move-in! ”
this arch will be such a statement piece when Improvement Co. completes the restoration in February
our patient and wonderful stain cocktail day with the best in the business Captain Reaset.
the Improvement Co. scope of work for Doris is exciting as like all out projects were making a huge impact on the colonial at a value and executing it in G & T’s 6 week timeline for move-in!
hardwood restoration: oak flooring suffered from oil sun damage and needed a period correct brown finish over matte
Lighting to period-correct: adding sconces to mantle & renewing original fixture locations on the main floor
Enamel main floor millwork : a vibrant tone that honors Doris’ colorful history-
Kitchen counter refinish: a bizzare brazilian cherry delete
millwork stripping to architectural features: corner cabinets, birch mantle, and inset paneled arch that is heritage birch between living and dining
Roof- we managed the roof replacement prior to closing from the august hail path in Mac-Grove
Laughter over a found lawn Gnome that we believe to be an artifact from the Doris days on Wellesley.
RFP: you began this journey only knowing what your peers and network told you about buying homes, how did your perceptions differ from the realities learned in the competing marketplace ?
“I thought it was going to take months to find a home!” -Tyler
”I agree with Tyler- I thought we'd be searching for months before we found something we liked, and I was prepared to lose out on homes due to several bids. I think the timing of when we were searching really helped us out.” -Grace
the obligatory RareForm soaker tub for two photo, bath bombs and books incoming in this rejuvenating upper bath as we pressed them to see if the tub was fit for two…
this photos sums up the squad and the all-in mentality they had to secure Doris, fortune favors the bold rings true for 1922.
RFP: Doris' location is one that steve joked that you have no business in this neighborhood as a first time buyer, what weight did the location carry in your mind for executing the remodel? What things are you most excited about living on the river?
“We absolutely love the location. When I tell people what neighborhood we are living in, the response is often “oh, you are never going to leave.” I think that’s true! I love the location by the river and am so excited to have walks with our dog Red alongside it.
It’s a cool location because it’s walkable, bikeable, and close to Gus Gus!
”
Phase one began on closing day with a quick 6 week timeline- we will be shooting the post prodiction from our craft improvements on the dutchies’ main floor: Congrats Tyler & Grace!