Architect Optional: Rookie Remodelers Reno 5 Baltimore Warehouses

By Kayla Albert for contributor CalFinder

Jim Kuhl didn’t realize he had tackled the job of a trained architect until he was knee-deep renovating a row of crumbling buildings in Ridgely’s Delight, Baltimore. Fortunately, Jim and his wife, Jennifer, were too dedicated to their dream home to stop and think that maybe they had bitten off more than they could chew.

After hearing that City of Baltimore was planning to sell a string of vacant properties in the neighborhood, the Kuhls went to work creating detailed renovation plans that could hold up under the scrutiny of the city and neighborhood association. Despite their lack of experience, they were given the go-ahead to start construction.

First things first: the couple had to fix the building’s structural problems–a massive project all on its own. It’s amazing nothing collapsed, Jim told Style Magazine. The buildings had been empty for 20 years. The roofs were in the basement.

After nearly eight months, the structure was finally sound enough to support work on the interior walls. With a clean, contemporary style, the industrial feel of the space itself comes through in just the right places. The exposed brick and stainless steel in the kitchen, for instance, serve as a reminder of the building’s past.

Natural light pours through the windows and the original warehouse garage door. Plush furniture and decorative touches make the space seem formal, but not stuffy.

Off the kitchen is a dressing room and master bathroom that the couple shares. The bedroom, however, sits atop a spiral staircase, where a short glass partition provides just enough privacy.

It was a grueling three-and-a-half years before all of the renovations were finished, but considering the initial state of the buildings and the couple’s total rookie status, I would say that’s not so bad at all. And hey, the results speak for themselves.

For more information about the remodel visit Baltimore Style.