Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

October 14, 2012

Open House: The 'DUMP' of their dreams

Betsy Scheintaub and Jesse Thompson loved their neighborhood but wanted a single-family home they could make their own. They found it – in a cramped, charm-challenged '60s-era ranch.

By Ray Routhier rrouthier@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

PORTLAND - Betsy Scheintaub and Jesse Thompson wanted to stay in the Deering neighborhood.

Their kids were already in school, and they liked the established feel of the area. They were living in a two-family house in the neighborhood, but wanted a change. Thompson, an architect, was also looking for a project. Something he could renovate while testing out some of his energy-efficient designs.

They say they were looking for the "dump" of their dreams, a cheap house in the neighborhood that they could make into something of their own.

So the couple found a one-story, three-bedroom ranch from the 1960s in need of some updates. After living in the house for more than a year, Thompson came up with a design, and the project began.

They eventually transformed a one-story, 1,100-square-foot ranch with three bedrooms into a four-bedroom, multi-level, 1,900-square-feet home with a very open feel.

"We really wanted to stay in this neighborhood, and there aren't any vacant lots to build on," said Thompson, of Kaplan Thompson Architects in Portland. "And we were looking for a project, so this fit."

Keeping the footprint of the old house, Thompson opened the floor plan up inside, built a two-bedroom second story over part of the house, and added interesting features like slate siding on the lower level of the home. The living room has two giant windows on top of each other, which gives the house the look of a '60s split-level from the outside.

Overall, the house has a mid-20th-century feel, helped out by the original 1960s fireplace and the sleek and clean design throughout. There are some pieces of furniture that help the mid-century aesthetic as well, including a red vinyl-covered chair in the living room that the couple bought from a motel in Old Orchard Beach.

Because they kept the original footprint intact, the house still has an attached one-story garage -- common in the 1960s, but something you don't see much of in new construction.

But the attached breezeway -- another common 1960s feature -- has been transformed into an entry and mudroom. The room has light-colored plates of wood arranged on the walls, some with coat hooks, for visual interest. It also has a low ceiling and doorway, a stark contrast to the 12-foot ceiling in the adjoining living/kitchen/dining area.

"We wanted the entrance to be cozy and welcoming," Thompson said. "Especially since the ceiling is so high (in the living room.)"

The ceiling in the living room is high, but is also slightly curved where it meets the wall. So is the lower ceiling over the kitchen. The fact that the walls and ceiling are white helps create the feeling that the ceilings are almost floating.

The home's living area measure about 24 by 24 feet, and includes the living room, dining area and kitchen, which is separated by a long island. While the original house had the living room walled off from the rest of the house, this design allows for the whole family to be together in one space for much of the time.

"I love the openness of this space," said Scheintaub. "And with these windows (one on top of the other), I can see that whole tree. That helps with the open feel."

One end of the living room has the home's original fireplace, painted white and accented by a gray steel insert. The white walls are contrasted by the wood floor, which is almost black.

The floor was originally a light tan color, but by using an old woodworker's technique -- steel wool and vinegar -- Thompson said he was able to "ebonize" the floor and give it this unique look.

(Continued on page 2)

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