This couple spent nearly 6 years renovating a 1920s bungalow-style home. How it turned out

Tara Stenberg was living in Greenville, Indiana, while she worked on Blankenbaker Parkway in Louisville.

"The bridges weren’t even finished (back then)," she told The Courier Journal. "It was a nightmare just to get to work and back."

Her husband Chad was a firefighter for Clark County — which meant he couldn’t live in Kentucky — so the couple decided to get as close as they could to Tara’s workplace while still residing in Indiana. They decided to relocate to New Albany and landed on a historic home in the Mansion Row Historic District.

"I love historic houses," Tara said, adding that the foundation of their home is from the 1800s. The original Victorian mansion burned down, and a bungalow was built in its place around 1920. "This (house) came up, but it needed a lot of attention."

Ready to restore

Though the 1920s bungalow was in dire need of work, Tara says she had a vision for their future home.

"I could just see it," she told The Courier Journal, adding that the layout of the property was unique. Though the house itself would require significant renovations, easy access to the main street via an alley behind the garage was a rare find that would be perfect for their needs.

Over several years, the Stenbergs replaced the roof and guttering system, repainted, restored original windows, added a rear dormer — with historically-accurate windows — redesigned a rear addition, removed a side entrance, constructed a period-appropriate garage, repaired or replaced all concrete steps and sidewalks, replaced dilapidated fencing, created a brand-new kitchen and incorporated countless new design touches throughout.

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Apart from the kitchen cabinets, all the renovations, including the built-ins, porch, deck and garage were completed by Chad, while Tara handled all the design and layout decisions, as well as the sourcing of materials.

"It took a lot longer than we anticipated," Tara said. "A lot of people watched the progress over the years, so they were excited to see it on the New Albany Historic Home Tour this year."

Completely new kitchen

"When (we) first got here, it looked nothing like this," Tara said of their new kitchen, explaining that it was offset from where it sits currently, with a butler pantry that blocked the natural light coming from the only window in the room. "I hate to tear anything old down, but there was no way it was going to work."

The Stenbergs' kitchen now boasts ample lighting, as well as locally made, floor-to-ceiling custom cabinetry. The top cabinets feature glass panes and light up to display special items. Tara has also lined most of the shelves with antiques.

The room features white oak hardwood flooring; above, oversized, modern glass globe pendants hang from the shiplap ceiling over the distressed black/ Danby white marble island. All new appliances — including a custom hood over a gas stove and convection oven, as well as a second oven and a wine and beverage fridge — complete the space.

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Different design style

Tara describes her interior design style as modern/vintage/eclectic.

"I have a (lot) of different things," she said with a laugh. "But I think a lot of that has to do with this house. To me, it just called for certain things, and I was blessed (because) there are things that I've inherited that just work well with this house."

Among one of her treasured, inherited items is a vintage Felix the Cat chalkboard.

"My grandma used to leave chores for my mom (on it) when she was just a girl," Tara said. "I was so excited to find it in the attic of my parent's home!"

In the guest bedrooms, Tara has an antique cherry wood sugar chest, as well as a cherry pencil post bed, a mixed-stain cherry antique dresser, and an antique burl wood front washstand — all of which were inherited from her grandmother.

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The home is also filled with a mix of modern and vintage art pieces, as well as a collection of antique Brush-McCoy pottery.

"There is a connection and a story behind so many of the pieces (here)," Tara said. "These memories make it home to me. When we first walked through this house, it just had a good feeling — I could see beyond what was to what it could be. It was a long road, and I am grateful to the Lord to see it completed."

Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.

nuts & bolts

Owners: Chad and Tara Stenberg. Chad is a retired firefighter/general contractor, and Tara is a mergers and acquisitions analyst.

Home: This is a 4-bed, 2-bath, dormer-front bungalow home in New Albany’s Mansion Row Historic District that was built around 1920.

Distinctive elements: Original wood siding and multi-lite upper-sash windows; engaged, full-width front porch with oversized columns with neck and crown molding and antique salvaged brick steps and walkway; gabled front dormer and rear shed dormer; triangular knee braces in the eaves; front door with diamond pattern muntins and rear French doors leads to L-shaped deck and courtyard; carriage style, 3-car, climate-controlled garage with covered porch and main street/alley access; original hardwood entryway leads to open staircase with square newel post and turned balusters, and ebony stained treads; sitting room with 10-foot ceilings, original plaster walls, wood trim and hardwood floors, original tiled fireplace with fluted columned mantel and original summer cover with classical winged maiden and cherub, modern green chesterfield couch, 3-piece puzzle table with varying shades of marble inset on brass legs; den with original plaster walls/ wood trim/ hardwood floors, built-in bookcase containing treasures both acquired and inherited, modern oversized lighting, and round vintage British mahogany coffee table; kitchen with floor-to-ceiling custom cabinetry, stained wood ceiling beam, shiplap ceiling, white oak hardwood flooring, custom hood over gas stove and convection oven, pot filler, second oven in appliance stack with microwave, large island in distressed black with Danby white marble top, perimeter counters in honed black granite, coffee bar with second kitchen sink and wine and beverage fridge, and oversized modern glass globe pendants over island; dining room with vaulted ceiling clad in shiplap, large vintage windows, French doors, custom color real brick floors, wheat color walls, vintage-style chandelier over white pickle-finish farmhouse wood table paired with modern black metal Windsor chairs and upholstered wingback dining end chairs; mudroom with vintage windows, custom color real brick floors with custom made wood built-in with cabinetry and maple wood bench and oil rubbed bronze hardware, unique oval mirror made of antique wood shoe forms, small collection of antique and vintage pottery planters on metal plant stand; guest bedroom with original windows and hardwood floors, large closet with original door and antique hardware, black distressed cannonball bed styled with 1920s hand-stitched and embroidered quilt in off-white and chalk blue on top of black and white gingham bedding, clear glass chandelier, vintage blue Hollywood regency glass bubble lamps with British pleat shades on top of large turned-base round side tables, and an antique cherry wood sugar chest inherited from owner’s grandmother; entrance of main floor bath with 1920s-inspired patterned tile floor, his-and-hers distressed Palladian blue vanities with vintage-style hardware and fixtures and marble tops, 4-foot tall beveled vanity mirrors, center pendant lights, white cast iron slipper tub with waterfall spout, glass shower with white subway tile, dark pewter grout, black honed marble hex tile floor and shower niches, and storage shelving inset into the wall behind bathroom door; second guest bedroom with against original thin strip hardwood floors, cherry pencil post bed, mixed stain cherry antique dresser, and antique burl wood front washstand inherited from homeowner’s grandmother, vintage red Paoli x-frame chairs and red poppy artwork, and vintage brass chandelier over bed; 3-foot wood globe light over staircase; shed dormer room with ceiling and walls clad with shiplap; horizontal windows that crank out to open; pair of modern leather wing chairs; vintage lane wood side table with pull-out tea trays; whimsical glass lamp filled with old marbles and blown glass balls; handmade pie safe filled with books; dedicated art and craft area with 10 feet of stainless steel table space, vintage metal swivel shop chairs, antique wood table and chairs, and vintage anco bilt wood art easels; tall white wainscoting with a large transom built into the top of wall in hallway; and more.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: New Albany couple renovates bungalow in Mansion Row Historic District