Tentatively opening the door—painted a jolting shade of turquoise—Christie stepped into the foyer and felt her trusted Leo intuition rev into overdrive.         

“The house…was warm and embracing and felt like a well-fitting shoe or a go-to dress you cherish,” she says. “I could see our family in it, celebrating Christmases and birthdays and experiencing routine, intimate, everyday life.”

Tim—an enthusiastic lover of Colonials—was smitten, even though the interior needed embellishing, polishing and updating. The couple came away that fortuitous day, agreeing, “This could be our forever home.”

Reversing the downsizing mode they previously were in, Christie and Tim purchased the Loose Park stunner. Though Christie felt the approaching tsunami of a major renovation, the home’s charming karma alleviated any concerns about a daunting overhaul.

“The pastoral setting across from Loose Park contributes to the home’s personality,” she says. “Even in its outdated condition, the home brimmed with its past iterations and spoke to me of its future. Tim and I now endearingly call it the ‘Park House,’ honoring the former owners who cared for and treasured this historic residence.”

Eager to launch the home’s transformation to accommodate her family’s bustling lifestyle—including frequent visits from the couple’s two grown children and four grandchildren under eight years old—Christie enlisted the expertise of Donna, her longtime designer.

“I knew this renovation was going to be a complex, challenging and protracted endeavor,” Christie says. “But I also knew Schloegel was the only company qualified to deliver an exemplary product. Donna and her team, who worked with me on the Sunset project, are always patient, excellent listeners and helpful with ideas and solutions for my ‘vision,’ as it became known. Suffice it to say that Tim and I are thrilled with the results.”

A serial documenter, Christie prepared the renovation’s archival articulation—an oversized three-ring binder for compiling inspiration, photographs, sketches, resources, contractors, swatches and musings.

“Each of my home renovations has a dedicated scrapbook,” she says. “I consider it essential not just in the actual design process, but also to transfer to the next homeowner as a valuable reference tool. After all, I’m just a custodian of this house.”