Extreme Makeover: 'Owner of Lincolnville residence redecorates
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
The former home of the late Vernon "Bum" Poppe and Ruth Poppe is undergoing a transformation under the creative hands of its new owner, Sylvia Bailey.
Bailey purchased the home about four years ago and moved into it in January 2004, after she retired from her job at Northrop Grumman Corp. in California where she designed and built test equipment.
Since then, she and her sister, Charlotte Nickel of Tampa, have spent countless hours renovating the interior.
The house has a stucco exterior and a full basement and attic. According to records, it was built about 1918 by August Tiemeier at the end of a north/south street (now Newton St.) lined with other large wood-frame homes. The Poppes lived in it for 40 years.
Using area contractors, Sylvia added a sun room to the west of the house, a deck to the north, and electrical outlets to the interior.
The sun room received a stucco exterior to blend with the remainder of the house. The stucco was purchased in ready-made sheets.
Sylvia has a special knack for creating new things out of old.
"I've been collecting antique things since I was 18 years old," she said. "I refinish most of them myself. I have this thing for rescuing old chairs. And what I really like is using old architectural pieces."
A good example is the ventless fireplace in the sun room. Sylvia overlaid it with panels from an old organ.
She used old doors as paneling on walls and other items in the house. Several cabinets were built to accommodate antique lead- glass doors.
Stained-glass windows add interest to several rooms, including a full window in the foyer. Windows from a former Methodist church were rebuilt and colored glass added as an accent. The windows then were hung over the inside frames of the sun room windows.
The coffee table in the sun room is an old restored trunk bought at a flea market in Massachusetts. Sylvia said it dates to the late 1700s.
In other rooms, she used fancy wood moldings, wallpaper, border prints, and paint to create a feast for the eyes. Light fixtures in every room are encircled either by antique metal medallions or store-bought medallions.
The kitchen was gutted completely. Renovations include granite-topped table and counter, cherry wood cabinets, and an antique cast iron sink. The hood on the stove was overlaid with wood panels and trim to add to the room's decor.
The bathroom is the latest room to be finished. The claw-foot bathtub, sink, and marble-topped cabinet came from a demolished Baltimore hotel.
To complete the ground floor remodeling, Sylvia intends to knock out a wall this summer and combine two rooms for a family room. The upstairs will get her attention the following year.
Exterior features
Sylvia has been busy outside as well as inside the home. A rose garden has been established on either side of a walkway from the street to the sun room.
A pagoda is under construction on a brick walkway leading to the deck.
Deck rails have yet to be installed, and eventually a walkway will lead from the deck across a large pond which has been built next to it behind the house. Large stones encircle the pond. More brick will be laid around the deck and the pond.
Sylvia has worked up a spot in the spacious backyard for a vegetable garden. She especially enjoys making homemade salsa.
Sylvia's creative energy and hard work ensures another historic home will be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
