This remodeled “cottage on the edge of the moor” is a reflection of the eclectic, literary, nature-loving family that inhabits it. Photo furnished
When Hap and Lori Houlihan moved into their Edgemoor Lane home in 2003 with their two sons, they knew they’d have to be comfortable in close quarters. While the two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath cottage rested on a one acre lot, it measured only 864 square feet. They anticipated that as the boys grew they’d need to expand, and so in 2015 they added 900 square feet to the home to provide more space while also keeping its coziness intact.
The original home, which Lori lovingly referred to as “the little cottage on the edge of the moor,” was built in 1948 from a prefabricated kit ordered from the Gunnison Homes Factory in New Albany, Indiana.
The home’s original owners stayed in the home until 1952, then sold it to Hap’s aunt and uncle. In the 1990s, Hap’s sister purchased the home and lived there until she sold it to Hap and Lori.
None of the Houlihans minded its small size.
“It was crowded, especially in the winters, but it made us intimate in a way we might not have been, and it forced us to spend a lot of time outside,” Lori said.
“It was cozy but comfortable until suddenly it wasn’t,” she added.
As the boys got older and bigger, it became clear the family needed a bit more space. The Houlihans had put extensive thought into the expansion before engaging David Wittmer and Prajna Construction for both the design and the construction.
“We wanted the front of the house to remain the same – preserving the feel of the original home was important,” Lori said. “It’s so beautifully situated on this lot, and it’s so charming.”
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Though the home –originally a kit home built in 1952 – saw a significant remodel by Prajna Construction in 2015, it was important to the homeowners that the remodel retain as many original features as possible. Original kitchen cabinets were powder-coated and reinstalled; countertops were sourced from Habitat for Humanity ReStore to match the original vintage style of the room. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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Though the home –originally a kit home built in 1952 – saw a significant remodel by Prajna Construction in 2015, it was important to the homeowners that the remodel retain as many original features as possible. Original kitchen cabinets were powder-coated and reinstalled; countertops were sourced from Habitat for Humanity ReStore to match the original vintage style of the room. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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Bradley Quinn
Though the home –originally a kit home built in 1952 – saw a significant remodel by Prajna Construction in 2015, it was important to the homeowners that the remodel retain as many original features as possible. Original kitchen cabinets were powder-coated and reinstalled; countertops were sourced from Habitat for Humanity ReStore to match the original vintage style of the room. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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Bradley Quinn
Though the home –originally a kit home built in 1952 – saw a significant remodel by Prajna Construction in 2015, it was important to the homeowners that the remodel retain as many original features as possible. Original kitchen cabinets were powder-coated and reinstalled; countertops were sourced from Habitat for Humanity ReStore to match the original vintage style of the room. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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Though the home –originally a kit home built in 1952 – saw a significant remodel by Prajna Construction in 2015, it was important to the homeowners that the remodel retain as many original features as possible. Original kitchen cabinets were powder-coated and reinstalled; countertops were sourced from Habitat for Humanity ReStore to match the original vintage style of the room. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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Bradley Quinn
Though the home –originally a kit home built in 1952 – saw a significant remodel by Prajna Construction in 2015, it was important to the homeowners that the remodel retain as many original features as possible. Original kitchen cabinets were powder-coated and reinstalled; countertops were sourced from Habitat for Humanity ReStore to match the original vintage style of the room. Photo by Bradley Quinn
The main change made to the structure was a redesign of the galley kitchen, utility room and small office/dining room into a larger kitchen and dining area. Integral to that project was reusing elements of the original kitchen. The metal cabinets, original to the home, were powder coated and reinstalled. The countertops and edging, which have a mid-century modern feel, were sourced from a factory in Nicholasville by Prajna to match the retro style of the cabinetry, and Lori purchased the vintage lighting online for about $200.
“We didn’t change the wiring in this area, and I looked for hours and hours for something that would work with the existing setup,” she said. “I had resigned myself to purchasing simple globes, but at the last minute I found these lights, and they fit perfectly.”
The open cabinets in the rest of the kitchen were a cost-saving measure, but Lori loves the look. She says, “They invite people in and invite them to help themselves.”
The new living space, bedroom and bathroom are modern and airy with clean lines that highlight the original house’s liberal use of windows.
“I wanted windows,” said Lori. “The great thing about the original house was that no matter where you stood, you were faced with a wall of windows. You could see outside no matter where you were.”
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The living area above was part of an addition to the home, which originally ended at the back of the kitchen. On the other side of the kitchen toward the front of the house, a small original living room was converted into a hangout area for the Houlihan boys, who are now in their teens. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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The living area above was part of an addition to the home, which originally ended at the back of the kitchen. On the other side of the kitchen toward the front of the house, a small original living room was converted into a hangout area for the Houlihan boys, who are now in their teens. Photo by Bradley Quinn
The addition’s living room includes one wall with floor-to-ceiling windows and doors that open to a deck that stretches the length of the room. In the summer, the doors are opened to create an indoor/outdoor space that is comfortable for hosting gatherings of friends and takes advantage of the vast outdoor area as an extension of the home.
When designing the new full bathroom, the Houlihans chose a shower stall with a labradorite bench and tiles that remind Lori of fish scales. Adopting a theme Lori calls “mother of dragons,” they found faucets shaped like dragon heads. All other hardware in the bathroom was purchased at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, including the sliding door.
“The door was one panel of a 1970s folding door that I purchased for $28. Prajna altered it so it would slide and added some textured glass to it to make it more private,” Lori said.
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A sliding door to the bathroom (below) was also sourced at the ReStore. The bathroom tiles and fixtures (right) fit Lori’s prescribed “Mother of Dragons” theme. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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A sliding door to the bathroom (below) was also sourced at the ReStore. The bathroom tiles and fixtures (right) fit Lori’s prescribed “Mother of Dragons” theme. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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A sliding door to the bathroom (below) was also sourced at the ReStore. The bathroom tiles and fixtures (right) fit Lori’s prescribed “Mother of Dragons” theme. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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A sliding door to the bathroom (below) was also sourced at the ReStore. The bathroom tiles and fixtures (right) fit Lori’s prescribed “Mother of Dragons” theme. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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Bradley Quinn
A sliding door to the bathroom (below) was also sourced at the ReStore. The bathroom tiles and fixtures (right) fit Lori’s prescribed “Mother of Dragons” theme. Photo by Bradley Quinn
In a nod to Hap’s years as a manager at Joseph-Beth Booksellers and as the general manager of the Morris Book Shop, they wanted the bathroom wallpaper to look like book pages.
“I picked some pages from some favorite books that were in the dragon theme I had going, but it ended up being too monochrome,” Lori explained. Her solution was to add more pages taken from a collection of “The Far Side,” “Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book” and Norman Bridwell’s “A Tiny Family.”
Across the hall from the bathroom is a large walk-in closet. Lori, who was recently named executive director at the Lexington Art League and previously served as the special events liaison and communications specialist for former Mayor Jim Gray, was the proprietor of the popular downtown boutique Isle of You, which outfitted many of Lexington’s most fashionable women from 1997 through 2012. The closet in her home exists, she said, because of all of the handmade fixtures she still owns from the store.
“The fixtures were custom built for my store by Lexington artist John Ishmael. If I hadn’t still had them, I couldn’t have built this closet,” she said.
In addition to the unique fixtures, the swinging closet doors, which were also purchased at the ReStore, were hand-painted by artist and interior designer Blake Eames. A beam in the closet was covered with bamboo harvested from the Houlihans’ backyard, creating what Lori claims is a detail about the house that draws the most comment.
The master bedroom was constructed at the very end of the addition, keeping the bedrooms at the farthest points of the home. “My favorite thing about the house is the long view in this bedroom. When I sit on the bed, I can see three yards over on both sides, and it’s very beautiful in the morning,” she said. “It’s a great way to wake up.”
Not only is the home a welcoming space, but the family has worked to create a magical refuge in their backyard. A bamboo forest takes up the far end of the yard, and Lori has spent many hours clearing a path and several small meditative spots within the bamboo. The backyard has become a favorite spot for visitors; friends can often be found gathered around a fire pit built within a large-scale bird-like installation, created by local artist John Darko for this purpose.
“The ‘fire chicken’ has been a great addition to the yard,” said Lori. “It’s not standing upright anymore and will probably need to be rebuilt. Although we can still use it, the chicken has fallen.”
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With a mature bamboo forest and a couple of vintage camper hideouts, the expansive backyard of the home’s one-acre lot really showcases the family’s eclectic and nature-loving bent. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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With a mature bamboo forest and a couple of vintage camper hideouts, the expansive backyard of the home’s one-acre lot really showcases the family’s eclectic and nature-loving bent. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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With a mature bamboo forest and a couple of vintage camper hideouts, the expansive backyard of the home’s one-acre lot really showcases the family’s eclectic and nature-loving bent. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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With a mature bamboo forest and a couple of vintage camper hideouts, the expansive backyard of the home’s one-acre lot really showcases the family’s eclectic and nature-loving bent. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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Bradley Quinn
With a mature bamboo forest and a couple of vintage camper hideouts, the expansive backyard of the home’s one-acre lot really showcases the family’s eclectic and nature-loving bent. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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With a mature bamboo forest and a couple of vintage camper hideouts, the expansive backyard of the home’s one-acre lot really showcases the family’s eclectic and nature-loving bent. Photo by Bradley Quinn
Lori’s parents gave the family a vintage camper, and another friend parked a vintage bus in the yard; both have electricity and have become popular hangouts during gatherings and provide private space for overnight guests.
“The camper was my parents’ camper, and when we were doing the construction they gave it to us so we had some extra space,” she explained. “They weren’t using it, and I’d always wanted to have one as a little guest area. I still use it as a quiet retreat. It’s a permanent part of the yard now.”
Cozy and tucked away backyard installations included, the improvements to the home over the past five years have turned the cozy den into a truly unique customized compound that provides the family with the space and unique features they need, and according to Lori, it was definitely worth the wait.
“I’ll be here for the rest of my life, so I wanted it to be something that would work from now on,” she said. “It’s perfect.”
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Homeowner Lori Houlihan and her dog, Opal Rose. Photo by Bradley Quinn
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Homeowner Lori Houlihan and her dog, Opal Rose. Photo by Bradley Quinn