Matt Ruhl was out to get his daily run when he passed a”For Sale” sign in front of an older home in Olympia, Wash.. The massive carport behind the house was what caught his attention. Matt and his wife, Larissa, were residing in an apartment with no plans to purchase a house, but their longstanding desire to shelter their cars and Matt’s Ducati bicycle served as the ultimate catalyst toward homeownership. The house needed a lot of work, however, the few skipped quick repairs, opting rather for a painstaking restoration that could take a couple of years.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Matt and Larissa Ruhl, graphic designer and data analyst
Location: Olympia, Washington
Size: 2,000 square feet with 800 square-foot basement, 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms
John Prindle
The house dates back to 1926, and has been among those featured stops on a 2011 Holiday Tour of Historic Homes. After Matt and Larissa got the deed, the old house was in need of some serious remodeling appreciate.
“The entire house had to be rewired and replumbed before we can even move in,” Matt says. The few knew about those issues, but had no clue just how many years it might take to fully restore the house.
“In 2001, the Nisqually earthquake struck and did some major damage. We had to replace the chimney and sewer line,” Larissa says. “That perform delayed cosmetic modifications, which turned out to be quite a good thing since it gave us time to actually learn the house and create our personal sense of style.”
John Prindle
It all started with this three-car garage, converted out of a carport.
“We adored Olympia’s historic bungalows. On countless walks through neighborhoods we would admire the structures but lament the lack of garage space,” Larissa says. “We toured the house that day, put in an offer, and by August it had been ours. Immediately, we had the carport converted into a garage. We followed styling cues in the house and installed arched doors.”
John Prindle
The arched theme continues throughout the house. Broad passageways create an awareness of space and flow between the chambers. The built-ins are original to the house, but were refinished by Matt and Larissa. The hardwood floors are interrupted only here and there by large wool rugs. The staircase was restored to its former glory with plenty of sandpaper and elbow grease.
Chairs: McKinnon Furniture, Seattle
John Prindle
The living room was the last space to become finished. “It sat vacant for quite some time,” Matt says. “People passing by will frequently leave notes or telephone messages asking whether the house has been for sale or lease. Then it served as a warehouse to hold items while other areas of the house were being worked .”
The arched front feels like it never finishes. It took three separate efforts to get a new piece of glass properly in place, and some of the original framing had to be rebuilt due to its age.
“We vividly remember entering the house for the first time… the expansive windows and light-filled insides offered us,” Matt says.
Sofa: McKinnon Furniture, Seattle
Pillow: Drees, Olympia, Wash..
TV and Stereo Cabinet: Restoration Hardware
Carpet: surged by Hammond Knoll, Tacoma, Wash..
John Prindle
A reading nook offers a view of the massive backyard and also the three-car garage that started it all. The bookshelves were designed by Matt and Larissa and constructed by Beech Tree Building Company in Olympia.
John Prindle
When it came time to reinvent the fireplace, Matt and Larissa once again called on Beech Tree Building Company. The original mantel was just a small, unattractive shelf — entirely out of proportion to the fireplace. Rather than tear down it, they chose to build it over. Matt explains,”I believed it would be nice to leave it in case somebody else later wants to restore it completely back to its original state.”
The brand new mantel is extra thick to accommodate the old one hidden inside. Matt abandoned time-capsule-like notes in various places before they were covered over –“Who we were, what years we did certain things to the house,” Larissa says. “But in addition, he composed a few humorous ones. Things such as,’Shame on you for ripping down all of my hard work, do you know just how long that took me'”
Mantel: Beech Tree Building Company
Photograph: “Fan Light Over Green Point” by Christopher Petrich
John Prindle
In the kitchen, they considered tearing the wall down using the ironing board cabinet to make it even more roomy, but decided instead to maintain the integrity of their original house program. “We believe ourselves temporary stewards of this home,” Larissa says,”and even though our work on it is extensive, we constantly aim to respect the bones of the house.”
Beech Tree Building Company sources sustainable materials and assisted them realize their own vision to maximize the space. 1 alternative is a huge pullout cutting board, along with the ironing board’s former residence was converted into a shallow pantry.
Matt and Larissa designed the pattern for the leaded glass cabinet doors, clipping ideas from style magazines while adding their own twists. There were several thickly painted metal vents across the house. It took hours of hard scrubbing and work to show the glistening surface seen above the flooring.
Cabinetry: Beech Tree Building Company, Olympia, Wash..
John Prindle
This dining nook is just off the kitchen. The walnut table has been custom-made by Beech Tree Building Company from Matt’s design. Two stylish leather chairs add a retro-modern edge.
Table: Beech Tree Building Company
Chairs: Bellini
Light Fixture: Restoration Hardware
John Prindle
The kitchen and dining room have original oak hardwood flooring that was hidden for years under carpeting. Matt and Larissa’s Cosmetic tinkering started quietly with a few rooms upstairs, but if they saw the results they knew they would have to handle the entire house.
“We set the bar high,” Matt says. “We did not know what we were becoming. We started to scrape off all of these layers of paint, and we were amazed at all the detail that was buried.”
By 2000 until 2008, the couple spent almost every weekend stripping paint and working their way slowly through the house. It turned out to be a full-scale operation between charcoal masks to reduce the dangers from old fashioned paints. Both hardcore renovators tackled everything themselves — doorways, window frames, baseboards, vents — and only called for assistance as it came time to power-sand the flooring with industrial equipment.
Art:”Garden” by Mike Major
John Prindle
Adjacent to the dining room, the guest bedroom includes a fully upgraded bathroom with heated floors and a massive walk-in cupboard.
“We simplified the palette to just three colors, discovering that it stitches the chambers together and creates a calm, flexible background,” Larissa says. “We worked with a interior designer to pick the colors for the main rooms. She advised us to paint the ceilings the same color. That was great advice.”
Paint colors:
Woodwork: Grand Teton White by Benjamin Moore
Walls and Ceilings: Pittsfield Bluff by Benjamin Moore
Baths and Toilet Walls and Ceilings: Elephant Tusk by Benjamin Moore
Bathroom Vanity: McKinnon Furniture
John Prindle
The master bedroom seems like a secluded bed-and-breakfast inn. The steep slopes of this ceiling create the space unique and cozy.
Art: Melissa Springer
Furniture: McKinnon Furniture, Seattle
John Prindle
First crystal doorknobs are located throughout the house. Some of them were cracked or missing, but Matt and Larissa would only settle for almost exact matches. They happened upon a few of them at ReStore in downtown Seattle.
“There are subtle differences in the burden of them, the way they are cut. You really have to hold one in your hands and look it over to see if it will work,” Matt says. “We did not want facsimiles — we needed the real thing.”
The ReStore replacements come in the same age, and are impossible to differentiate from the doorknobs that came with the house. It’s this meticulous attention to detail that makes the house so charming.
Replacement doorknobs: The ReStore, Seattle
John Prindle
When speaking about their house being showcased in a historical tour, Matt says their residence is called the”Carlyon-Rydman House” — an amalgamation of the first and second owners’ last names. He says,”Rydman lived here from 1944 to 1987. Then there were three owners before us.”
When asked if they have any intention of selling the place, Matt says,”No way. Rydman was here for 43 years. My goal is to beat Rydman’s record.”
Maybe in the year 2112, a new homeowner could uncover a cryptic, comical note buried inside a wall. Following that, it may be called”The Ruhl House.”
Art:”Garden” by Mike Major
More tours:
View a Conventional Home for Modern Life
A Modern Renovation in Seattle
Between Sea and Sky on Raft Island
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