A King William home built circa 1907 has been lovingly restored by an award-winning architecture firm, but contractors weren’t allowed to touch the “oldest wall in San Antonio.”
Little is known about the wall that sits to the right of the driveway, but listing agent Christine Butschek said it was once part of a building next door — and the city forbids anyone from touching it.
Not so for the rest of the property, which has been extensively renovated by Austin husband and wife Ryan Bollom and Ashley Heeren, co-founding principles of award-winning architecture firm Low Design Office.
The 3,500-square-foot dwelling, as well as a 1,475-square-foot back house, have undergone extensive renovations. These include transforming a former bed-and-breakfast — which the listing describes as “dark and confined” — into a single-family residence with a breezy, open floor plan.
“We opened up the house to the studs and essentially started over, reusing all the materials we could,” said the firm’s whitepaper on the project.
The foundations are new, the decaying cedar piers having been removed and replaced. Other updates include new HVAC, plumbing, electrical wiring, stairs and porch rebuilds, and much more.
Many architectural finishes were also redesigned, breathing new life into the four-bedroom, five-and-a-half bath home. A wall of windows in the dining room also opens onto an outdoor dining deck, allowing for a breeze on those perfect Texas weather days. Yellow pine walls throughout have been painted with white and gray wash, further offsetting historic details with a modern aesthetic.
“You still have the exterior of King William, but then you have the interior a little bit more refined, a little bit more of a contemporary feel,” Butschek said.
However, Low Design Office is known for revitalizing and salvaging old properties by repurposing and retaining what can be saved.
“They have been written up in quite a few articles about taking restored pieces in the house already and not going out and buying new stuff,” Butschek explained.
The renovations, rather than gutting the good bones of the home, restored some of its former glory by undoing previous updates. Original brick and wood, which were covered up by previous renovations, have been uncovered and showcased with the new renovation. Longleaf pine floors are also original to the house. Other wood salvaged from the residence has been repurposed as long dining tables, which — like the home — bridge the old and new world with contemporary copper legs.
This home is listed by Christine Butschek with Phyllis Browning Co.
All photos and listing info via Realtor.com.
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