Full-time job

When Anne and Damian Putney first entered the dilapidated 1905 Craftsman on Spokane’s South Hill, dirty gray carpet hid the century-old oak floors. A quarter-inch-thick layer of wallpaper and paint covered the walls. Original woodwork and built-ins had been painted or torn out. A second-floor shower was leaking into the kitchen below.

But as bad as the house was, “It had this great vibe,” says Damian.

“And it was in our price range,” adds Anne.

For a month the Putneys tried to talk each other out of buying the huge, rundown house that had been cut up into several small apartments in the 1940s.

“But the morning we were supposed to sign the papers we woke up and there was this total peace about it,” Anne says.

One month later, in April 2005, the couple moved in and got to work. They also quit their day jobs – Anne as a schoolteacher, Damian as a CPA – to focus on the renovation full-time.

Although Damian has a real estate license and still works as an accountant during tax season, much of the couple’s income comes from a handful of rentals in the area.

“For the first five years of our marriage, while our friends were spending their summers at the lake, we were working double-time and building up our savings,” Anne says. “We worked our butts off.”

While the couple lived in a small Davenport, Wash., apartment, they bought four income properties in Spokane. Although the Putneys did some remodeling to the rentals, “it was nothing like what we’re doing now,” Damian says.

With their belongings in storage, the first six months of the renovation had the Putneys camping in a second-floor bedroom, sleeping on a leaky air mattress and showering at their local gym.

“You really put your identity on pause to do something like this,” Damian says.

From the beginning the Putneys were committed to a meticulous reconstruction of the home. The interior was stripped to the studs in virtually every room, and new plumbing, wiring and radiant heat were installed.

As the old walls came down, and even older original features were revealed, the couple became obsessed with restoring the home to its former Arts and Crafts glory.

Though they hired contractors to help with the effort, the Putneys are saving money by doing most of the renovation themselves. They even search the Internet for bargains on light fixtures and other period finds.

“We spend about an hour a day on eBay,” Damian said.

In addition, Anne is working part- time this holiday season at Restoration Hardware in order to get a discount on furniture and fixtures.

Part of their vision involves using materials that will show wear and add a timeworn feel to the home. A copper backsplash that will get a patina with age, is planned for the kitchen, along with soft fir floors that will become dented by foot traffic.

To date, the second-floor renovation is the only major deviation from the original floor plan. A ceiling was removed in the master bedroom to reveal an attic crawlspace and small window, adding a spacious, vaulted effect and more daylight to the room. Damian crafted several fir beams for the new ceiling and “stained” them using a carefully concocted mixture of alcohol and a dye.

The Putneys also sacrificed one of the original second-floor bedrooms to make way for a master bath and new laundry room.

“I was thinking with kids on the third floor, that’s a long way to the basement to do laundry,” says Anne, who is expecting the couple’s first child in June.

Inside a wall in another bedroom, the Putneys found blueprints for the room’s brick fireplace. The plans were signed by well-known Seattle architect John A. Creutzer, who did general contractor and architectural work in Spokane in 1905 and 1906. It wasn’t long before the Putneys found their home on the Spokane Register of Historic Places as the Charles and Susan Hussey House.

“We found a lot of different things during the renovation – letters, photos,” Damian says. “But that was big.”

Today the Putneys continue the restoration as they prepare for their new baby. Although they look forward to completing the work and returning to their day jobs, the couple say they wouldn’t trade their experience.

“Our marriage has really grown since we started this,” Anne says.