Brightening brings new energy to older house

When Shelly Stevens entered a cozy clinker brick Cape Cod in the Spokane Valley last year, it wasn’t love at first sight. The single-owner home, built in 1941, had fallen into disrepair.

Green shag carpet and heavy draperies darkened the living room. Cracked and faded linoleum lined the rest of the first floor.

“I said, ‘No way’!” Stevens said of her initial impression. But her sister encouraged her to see the possibilities that lay hidden within.

And an opaque, textured glass window at the top of a staircase persuaded her to make an offer.

“This is why I bought the house,” she said. The window opens outward to light the landing, and it inspired Stevens to look deeper and discover the home’s potential.

She bought the house and set to work.

“Every square inch of this home was either scrubbed or changed,” said Stevens.

Polished hardwood flooring replaced the old carpet, and the drapes were banished in favor of blinds.

A coat of gold paint warms the first floor. The country charm of the home is enhanced by Stevens’ affinity for antiques and vintage décor.

In the living room, a natural gas insert in the brick fireplace blazes. A screened pie safe houses her collection of papier-mâché rabbits, and a wicker basket holds colorful taper candles.

Red gingham curtains brighten the dining room. Wooden shelves – made by Stevens – sit above the windows.

White indoor shutters dress the windows in the master bedroom. A miniature staircase rests against Stevens’ pine bed.

When her carpenter noticed that Steven’s cat Peanuts had difficulty getting up on the bed, he crafted a cat-size stairway just for the cat.

A collection of earthenware crocks lines the home’s staircase and leads to a small landing under the opaque window. Stevens plans to have bookshelves built into this cozy nook.

She says guests love the pine paneling of the upstairs, so she hasn’t changed it. The upstairs bath still has the original aqua and black tile.

The gold and red kitchen with pine wainscoting and east-facing windows is where Stevens relaxes.

“The kitchen is so light and bright. I love to sit here with my coffee,” she says.

Downstairs, the original owner left a full bar complete with vintage Rainier beer can lamps. The bar is topped with a red formica surface and surrounded by multicolored stools.

It rests on a red linoleum floor. Copper lanterns with red and green bulbs add to the festive feel of the room.

“Everything that goes in here has to be fun and kind of kooky,” says Stevens.

She’s glad she gave herself time to fall in love with this home. She sold her lake property when she bought it, saying, “I don’t need to go to the lake anymore. I’d rather be here.”