Nashville Brick Cottage Renovation Blends Historic Charm and Modern Living

Nashville Brick Cottage: Historic Charm Meets Modern Living

When a young family purchased their charming 1929 brick cottage in Nashville, they envisioned a home that could accommodate their growing needs while honoring the property’s historical significance. Less than a year ago, they embarked on an ambitious renovation journey with husband-wife general contractors Javier Gutierrez and Lyn Bowman, alongside architect Kaitlyn Smous. The project, which was documented by This Old House for its 46th season, transformed the modest 1,900-square-foot home into a spacious 3,400-square-foot residence. The renovation demonstrates how thoughtful planning and innovative design can nearly double a home’s living space while maintaining the integrity of its original character.

“I like the size of this project and the fact that they kept the front of the house historic and wanted to keep the old house charm,” says This Old House general contractor Tom Silva. The key to achieving this balance was staying within the house’s original footprint while completely reimagining the interior layout and expanding vertically through the attic and basement transformations.

Preserving Historic Character on the Front Facade

One of the renovation’s defining principles was maintaining the home’s historic exterior appearance, a requirement imposed by the local historic preservation district. The front of the house remained completely untouched, preserving the original brick facade and fenestration that give the cottage its distinctive 1920s character.

Inside the front rooms, the team made extraordinary efforts to retain original elements wherever possible. The first floor’s front rooms—including the dining room (repurposed as a music room), living room, and a porch that had served as the primary bedroom (now the office)—each maintains its vintage appeal. When the demolition team removed paneling from the porch walls, they discovered original brick exterior walls that Rachel and Adam chose to preserve and restore rather than cover.

Additional original features preserved throughout the front spaces include:

• The kitchen’s original pine back door, relocated and repurposed as a hallway door
• The porch’s quirky jalousie-style windows with their distinctive louvered slats and vintage crank hardware
• The living room’s original stone fireplace surround, revealed after removing accumulated paint
• Restored mortise locks and original door hardware throughout the first floor

This thoughtful approach to preservation allowed the family to celebrate their home’s history while creating the modern functionality they needed for contemporary living.

Creating an Open-Plan Kitchen and Dining Area

The most dramatic transformation on the first floor occurred at the back of the house, where the renovation team removed several walls to create an expansive open-plan kitchen-dining area. This new space became the heart of the home, addressing one of the family’s primary renovation goals: creating an inviting kitchen where they could cook together and entertain.

The original kitchen had been cramped and poorly equipped, with only a few cabinets and minimal counter space. The new kitchen-dining area solves these issues comprehensively. A striking center island features a sink, generous prep surface, and bar seating supported by cedar posts that Adam salvaged with assistance from Tom Silva. The design choice to use salvaged cedar posts adds a rustic, authentic element that complements the home’s overall aesthetic.

The kitchen’s perimeter showcases a sophisticated mix of floor-to-ceiling cabinetry and counter-height open shelving, finally addressing the family’s storage challenges. Rachel and Adam made a distinctive design choice by selecting black for the cabinetry color and adding black floral wallpaper to the perimeter wall, creating visual interest and personality in this frequently-used space.

The adjacent dining area provides ample room for a large gathering table, while oversized sliding doors along the exterior wall connect the kitchen-dining area to a full-length rear porch that extends across the entire back of the house. “The open plan really turns the house into a whole different place, ready for the family and showing a lot of personality with some unusual choices,” notes This Old House host Kevin O’Connor.

Second Floor Expansion Through Attic Transformation

The original 1929 cottage had limited sleeping spaces, with the family’s two children sharing a single first-floor bedroom while the parents used a converted porch with no heating or air conditioning as their bedroom. The renovation completely reimagined the second floor by transforming the formerly unusable attic space.

A full-length rear dormer became the key architectural element enabling this transformation. By raising the attic ceiling to a usable 8-foot height, the dormer addition created functional space for two dedicated kids’ bedrooms, a hallway bathroom serving the children’s rooms, an open play area, and a spacious primary suite for the parents. This design approach preserved the historic front facade while creating the additional sleeping spaces the growing family desperately needed.

Storage solutions were thoughtfully integrated throughout the second floor through kneewall niches accessed by strategically placed doors, addressing the family’s ongoing storage challenges. A pocket door installed by contractor Lyn Bowman with assistance from Tom Silva allows the primary suite to be easily closed off from the rest of the second floor, providing privacy and sound control. A convenient laundry area positioned near the kids’ bedrooms streamlines household management.

The Basement Transformation: Foundation Replacement and New Living Space

According to This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, the basement transformation represents the renovation’s most dramatic change. The original foundation had deteriorated so severely that a structural engineer recommended complete replacement rather than repair. This unfortunate discovery led to a remarkable logistical achievement: the entire house was temporarily moved into the backyard.

The moving process itself was a feat of engineering. The team deployed two 50-foot steel beams and a series of 11 cross beams inserted through the house and supported by site-built cribbing constructed from strategically stacked 6×6 timbers. Once all hydraulic jacks were positioned, the house was lifted 42 inches and rolled into the backyard, creating space for the precast foundation installation.

The new precast 10-foot-high foundation walls replaced the original failing foundation, creating approximately 1,000 square feet of properly insulated and conditioned basement space. This newly usable area transformed the home’s functionality dramatically. The basement now includes a utility sink, full bathroom, and dedicated laundry area in place immediately, with rough-ins for a future in-law suite with walkout access to the backyard.

One notable and safety-focused feature is a FEMA-compliant safe room built in the basement’s central location. Given Tennessee’s increasing tornado activity—including a tornado that had previously damaged this very neighborhood before the family purchased the home—the homeowners prioritized this protection. Contractors Gutierrez and Bowman researched FEMA standards extensively and constructed the room with 14-gauge stainless steel panels featuring 90,000-pound tensile strength, double studs, double bottom and top plates, double ceiling joists, and double wall sheathing. The room is secured behind a steel door, providing comprehensive tornado and severe weather protection.

“You could make an argument that the new foundation created the biggest change of all,” says Richard Trethewey, emphasizing the critical importance of this infrastructure upgrade to the home’s overall livability and safety.

Smart HVAC System and Climate Control Solutions

The renovation incorporated a sophisticated HVAC strategy designed by Richard Trethewey and the renovation team. Rather than installing entirely new systems, the design intelligently reused existing infrastructure where possible. The existing gas-fired hot water heater and gas-fired heating unit were retained to serve the basement and first floor, while a new heat pump was added to condition the newly created second floor. This approach balanced cost-effectiveness with modern efficiency standards, ensuring comfort throughout the expanded home.

New Rear Facade and Exterior Design

In stark contrast to the preserved historic front facade, the rear of the home received an entirely new design. The homeowners selected an innovative composite siding material made from rice hulls and resin, left unpainted in its natural state to create bold visual contrast with black window trim. The new roof features charcoal gray shingles that complement the overall color palette.

A cable railing along the first-floor rear porch provides safety while maintaining visual openness and a contemporary aesthetic. Rachel noted with appreciation, “We were glad there weren’t any historic district restrictions about exterior color,” highlighting how the rear facade design freedom allowed creative expression while the front facade preservation requirements protected the neighborhood’s character.

Design Philosophy: Balancing Old and New

The Nashville brick cottage renovation exemplifies a sophisticated design philosophy that honors historical preservation without sacrificing modern functionality. Every design decision reflected the family’s commitment to maintaining the home’s original character while creating spaces that work for contemporary life.

The homeowners’ approach extended beyond superficial preservation. When workers removed paneling to reveal original brick walls in the porch office, Rachel and Adam consciously chose to repair and expose the brick rather than cover it with wallboard and paint. As Rachel explained, “We liked the look of the brick and we felt like leaving it exposed and repairing it gave a sense of the house’s history. I like that we can see the different stages of the house’s evolution through the decades.” This Old House mason Mark McCullough traveled to Nashville specifically to help with the brick restoration work, demonstrating the project’s commitment to quality craftsmanship.

The renovation transformed a 2-bedroom, 1-bath home into a fully functional 3-bedroom, 2-bath residence with 2 additional half baths—a significant improvement that addresses the family’s practical needs while the open-plan design creates the social and culinary gathering spaces the young family desired.

Project Goals and Outcomes

The renovation successfully achieved the family’s primary objectives:

• Adding at least one additional bathroom, expanding from 1 to 3.5 baths total
• Creating functional space where the family could cook and eat together
• Providing adequate bedroom space for growing children
• Expanding living space from 1,900 to 3,400 square feet
• Maintaining the home’s historic character and neighborhood compatibility
• Adding safety features including tornado protection
• Creating properly conditioned, usable basement space

The project demonstrates that historic preservation and modern living need not be mutually exclusive. Through careful planning, skilled craftsmanship, and creative problem-solving, a century-old home can be thoughtfully expanded and updated to meet contemporary family needs while honoring its architectural heritage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why was the Nashville brick cottage house moved during renovation?

A: The original foundation had severely deteriorated and required complete replacement rather than repair. Moving the house temporarily to the backyard allowed contractors to remove the failing foundation and install new precast foundation walls, creating additional usable basement space.

Q: How much did the house grow in size during the renovation?

A: The home expanded from 1,900 square feet to 3,400 square feet—nearly doubling in size—while staying within the original footprint through strategic use of the attic and basement.

Q: What measures were taken to preserve the home’s historic character?

A: The front facade and all exterior historic elements were preserved. Interior original features including brick walls, stone fireplace surrounds, mortise locks, hardware, and jalousie windows were restored and retained throughout the home.

Q: How was the unsafe attic converted into livable space?

A: A full-length rear dormer raised the ceiling to 8 feet and provided sufficient space for two bedrooms, a bathroom, a play area, and the primary suite on the new second floor.

Q: What is the new kitchen-dining area like?

A: The open-plan space features a center island with sink and prep surface, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry in black with black floral wallpaper, extensive open shelving, and sliding doors opening to a full-length rear porch.

Q: What type of siding was chosen for the rear facade?

A: The homeowners selected innovative composite siding made from rice hulls and resin, left unpainted in its natural state, creating visual contrast with black window trim and charcoal gray roofing.