Up and Coming

he western end of the Evergreen district has been traditionally the neglected stepchild of the neighborhood. Smaller houses predominate. But the smaller scale and price make them attractive to first-time buyers, and with the I-40 corridor construction moving this way, the values here can only increase. New paint jobs and landscaping let you know, even in a quick drive-through these days, that this end of Evergreen is up and coming.

This bungalow from 1924 has not endured a lot of indignities. Often with smaller homes a series of bad renovations can rob them of any original character, leaving them pretty generic. This house fortunately had little done to it prior to the renovation just completed, and the original features were played up to everyone's benefit, especially the house's!

The living room runs full-width across the front. That means it's quite large and (maybe just as importantly) it's filled with light from windows on three sides. Bookcases and a window seat grace the entry. From the outside you don't expect much detail, but once inside, the Craftsman influence is unmistakable.

The living-room ceiling is ornamented by a series of deep box beams that still have their dark varnish finish. The other accent here is a border around the narrow oak-boarded floor of alternating light and dark woods. It's a simple but striking detail.

The dining room has a wonderfully intricate board-and-batten wainscot with a wide plate rail above. Regrettably, the mantel was lost, but the observant renovators custom-built a replacement that continues the wainscot detailing. It's hard to imagine improving upon it.

The kitchen and bath have been redone completely. If they err, it is on the side of simplicity -- but that's better than overdone any day. It's easy to imagine personal elements completing the picture here. A large walk-in pantry and rear mud room with laundry hookups are the last of the public spaces.

There are two bedrooms, both nicely sized, with comfortable closets. Though the main rooms have narrow oak flooring, these two rooms have richly colored heart-pine boards that, to my eye, are the most striking floors in the house. The 10-foot ceiling height is perfect for showcasing ceiling fans, even with the new central heat and air system.

As richly detailed as the interior is, the exterior is a bit plain. Adding some Craftsman touches outside would be appropriate. Trellises or a porch railing would be easy. Craftsman favored boards, rather than turned spindles, for railings. A simple pattern like a diamond could be created by cutting a triangle out of opposing vertical 1x6 boards, and using them to assemble a railing.

A nicely scaled rear deck and a wood privacy fence were both installed in the recent renovation. The landscaping is minimal, but since fall is the best time to plant, now's the time to be considering what should be coming up here in this up-and-coming corner of Evergreen.

292 N. Watkins
Approximately 1,600 sq. ft.
2 bdrms, 1 bath; $74,900
Realtor: Pyramid Realtors, 754-2555
Agent: Becca Dickerson, 276-9426