In keeping with the theme of the neighborhood they tried to respect the character and time period of the Historic District. The inspiration for their new construction came from two sources; an existing older home in Eufaula, Ala. and the book “Creating a New Old House-Yesterday’s Character for Today’s Home,” by architect Russell Versaci.
When planning and building the house, they considered the expansions and alterations that could have taken place over a hundred plus year period.
Their timeline began with a house built in the late 1890’s, and progressed to a major renovation in the 1920’s in the Colonial Revival style and ended with the most current renovations occurring in the early 2000’s. The fictional timeline was helpful in the selection of materials and items used throughout their own home. Long before construction of the home began, the Scoggins searched architectural salvage websites, and then traveled to make their selections that would then be shipped back to storage.
They chose Gary Baumgardener of Home Design Dynamics in Fayetteville, Ga. as their architectural designer and used Haskell Interiors for some of the interior design. After their first conversation with Dwight Jenkins of Jenkins Company, they knew he was the right contractor for the project. The planning, design and actual construction was a four year project, which proved to be even more challenging since during much of the project Candy was pregnant, and their son, Grant, was born.
Many decorative features in the house are 1800’s architectural salvages, such as lighting fixtures, fireplace mantles and much of the heart pine flooring. There are, of course, modern conveniences in the home, but the Scoggins are careful to disguise them as much as possible. The home contains fully-automated lighting, heating, air and media, with the controls hidden in a downstairs closet. Light switches are push button replicas of early 20th century switches.
Care was taken outside, as well, to preserve the historical integrity of the downtown lot. When determining where the house would sit on the lot, preservation of the existing older trees and boxwoods was a determining factor. Today, a double detached garage and potting shed are at the back of the lot away from the street and a porte-cochere is at the side of the home. Exterior brass hardware, salvaged from the former Vanderbilt Hotel in New York, built in 1913, sets off the exterior charm of the house. There are three mechanical doorbells on the doors of the home with the front bell dating to 1872.
As you walk through the foyer you see the salvaged newel post cap at the foot of the staircase. Beautifully casing the ceiling is acanthus leaf bracketed crown molding. The upper walls are covered in gold, Florentine patterned wallpaper, while the lower walls display white five foot height wainscoting.
Double oak and walnut pocket doors lead you from the foyer into the dining room. The doors are circa 1800 “End of the Day” construction; so called because they were made from wood left over at the end of the day. The dining room has wainscoted walls and floral wallpapered walls above, which have the appearance of linen fabric. The chandelier hangs from a plaster medallion, and is a French Baccarat bronze and lead crystal, circa early 1800, that was converted from candle to electric. Plaster was also used for the acanthus leaf with egg and dart crown molding. The fireplace oak mantle is mid-late 1800’s and has a dark red 1”x 2” tile surround. The dining table is a round walnut pedestal table, paired with antique, walnut Chippendale chairs. Sitting atop ball and claw feet, it serves to ground the stately space. To the side of the room is a beautiful American burl walnut buffet with heavy carved ornamentation and claw feet. Elegantly finishing the room are plush gold draperies trimmed with gold braid and tassels.
On the other side of the foyer, another antique oak pocket door leads you to an office/study. The room has dramatic quarter sawn oak coffered ceilings with an American solid bronze six-arm chandelier, circa 1900. There are elegant built-in bookcases behind the desk and to the side of the fireplace. The mid-late 1800’s oak mantle has a 1”x 2” green tile surround that is flanked by fluted columns on either side. Wallpaper above the oak wainscoting is painted green and textured in an “anaglyptic” style, giving the room a rich, warm feel. The green color scheme was followed through in the velvet love seat and green and red paisley brocade draperies.
As you leave the study you pass a center hallway that leads you to the master bedroom and bath. The mid-late 1800’s bedroom mantle is embellished with fleur-de-lis carving and has a 1”x 2” red tile surround. The bronze and hand-cut Regency style chandelier is candle converted to electric and dates from the early 1800’s. The bedroom is furnished with chaise lounge and a four poster, mahogany bed covered in a red quilted coverlet. Brown, red and green floral draperies with fringed swags hang from all the bedroom windows.
Inviting you through arched doorways is the master bath which contains a pair of matching marble top, walnut washstands, circa 1860. One was modified to house a sink, the other used as a vanity table. The floor gleams with white, hexagon marble tile with a gray, Greek key border. White, crackled subway tile is used for the seven foot high tiled walls, and the upper walls are painted a chocolate brown. Most inviting is a white, claw footed tub, which sits at the end of the bathroom. There are two American silver-plated crystal chandeliers, circa 1920; one over the tub and one in the bath hall. The exposed plumbing shower is a large, walk-in with a marble hexagon-tiled floor and subway-tiled walls.
Grant’s bedroom is cheerfully decorated with blue walls, on which pictures hang of vintage airplanes, trains and cars. The twin spindle bed is covered by a quilt designed with blocks of blue, green, yellow and red colors. His bathroom has a marble top vanity, hexagon-tiled floor and subway-tiled tub/shower and blue and yellow striped wallpaper.
A beautiful arched hallway connects the bedroom wing to the main house. At the end of the bedroom wing is a built-in arched bookcase, framed by fluted pilasters. Curving lines of the bookcase come together to form a stunning focal point.
The hallway enters the main wing at the rear of the foyer where there is a powder room with a pedestal sink dating from 1910, over which hangs an antique mantle mirror. On either side of the mirror are circa 1910 bronze wall sconces. Finishing out the space is a beautiful American six-light bowl chandelier hanging from a tin ceiling.
At the rear of the house is a combined kitchen and great room where the style is relaxed and the family traffic is the heaviest. A ten foot, mid-late 1800’s oak cabinet in the butler’s pantry between the kitchen and dining room was the inspiration for the oak bar and custom made cabinetry pieces in the kitchen.
The kitchen is divided into “zones.” The large soapstone-topped island is the food prep area, featuring a large American brass double gasolier, circa 1860, as the lighting. The cleanup area contains a country-style white porcelain sink and two drawer dishwashers on either side. A third drawer sink was placed in the wet bar, which serves as the beverage area. The cooking zone is located at the back wall of the kitchen, which includes an industrial steel range and oven.
As you move into the connected great room a green sectional sofa is grouped in front of the fireplace and entertainment center. The gas fireplace has pilaster surrounds, salvaged approximately forty years ago from a home in Chattanooga. An early 1800’s twelve light multi-tiered Dutch brass chandelier serves as the main lighting. The coffee table, sofa table, breakfast table and chairs, and a drop leaf desk are all antique quarter sawn oak and compliment the oak cabinetry pieces. The butler’s pantry and a mudroom, both off the kitchen, provide access to the porte-cochere and covered parking area.
Just outside the great room, at the rear of the house, is an inviting covered brick patio furnished with antique wicker furniture. There is also a built-in outdoor kitchen area with slate countertop that houses a gas grill, refrigerator and ice maker.
Making your way back to the front of the home, the grand stairway from the foyer climbs to a landing with a Palladian window and six antique brass wall sconces. At the front of the landing is a recessed sitting area with red, green and beige hexagon-tile floors and mahogany double doors that open out to a second story porch. A twelve-light French bronze gas chandelier, circa 1850, hangs from the arched ceiling. The sitting area is furnished with a burgundy velvet love seat and oval marble top table placed in the center. On either side of the sitting area are the two guest bedrooms and bathrooms. The two bedrooms and baths have American brass light fixtures, circa 1890, which were originally made as combination gas/electric fixtures. A circa 1890 French bronze eight-light chandelier, converted from candle, hangs in the upstairs stairwell.
Candy’s grandmother’s oak bed proudly sits in one guest room, and is covered in a tan, green and burgundy floral coverlet with matching bed skirt. There are wicker side tables on either side of the bed, and built-in bookcases flanking both sides. A unique antique oak Murphy bed is available for extra sleeping space. Hexagon tile and the white subway tile line the floors of the bath. The vanity is walnut with a marble top.
The second guest room exudes a French style, from the robin’s egg blue walls to the Neo classical bedroom furniture. The walnut bedroom set consists of twin beds, night stands, chest of drawers and dressing table. The set is embellished with painted medallions and floral swags on the front panels and on the beds’ headboards and footboards. The bathroom has white, hexagon tile and the vanity is an antique mahogany marble-topped washstand that was converted to a vanity with sink.
Though Scoggins’ home is not “historic,” in terms of age, it certainly is a part of this family’s history. After four years of planning and imagining what their home could be, the family has turned their goals into reality. Now sitting in the beautiful Cleveland Downtown Historic District, the Scoggins’ house reflects what can happen when a family’s goal of modern amenities and historic charm come
together.