Historic Bank Building Turned Apartment | Season 4

Written by Jenny Marrs on . Posted in .

This remodel has been a long time coming. We were thrilled to finally bring it to fruition after having thought about it for years. Above the old Bank of Centerton, there was an apartment that had sat empty for a long time. We thought this could be the perfect place for our out-of-town friends and family to stay. It’s not far from our home, but the people we love can get a little peace and quiet away from the chaos of the seven of us. 

Exterior

BEFORE

The balcony was worn down and sad, but it had a lot of potential. To update the space, we removed all of the old weathered wood flooring and hand railing and replaced it with new decking and new handrails. I really wanted to uncover the exterior brick but we were worried that it might be too hard and too expensive. The brick lay far beneath a layer of stucco and vinyl paneling. Thankfully, it all came off much easier than we had expected, and (yay!) we were able to expose the beautiful original brick.

We completed the patio by adding an outdoor table, outdoor rug, patio chairs and a living wall full of plants. I love how the living wall turned out. Our garden specialist installed hanging planters along the handrail that faces the street. Facing out, he put a wall of small succulents that look pretty and are low maintenance. Facing in, he added a wall of herbs our guests can clip from and use in their meals. The living wall gives the patio some privacy from the street, and also helps muffle some of the sounds from below.

Dave cut out a new doorway entering the apartment off the patio and we installed a gorgeous vintage door we had sitting in the barn, complete with the original door hardware. We also installed a huge sliding glass door that will help bring in some natural light to the apartment. Lastly, we hung huge custom copper gas lights to flank the main entrance. They were handmade by a company in Mississippi, and are a beautiful statement piece to mark the entry.

AFTER

SOURCES

Handmade Gas Lantern | Legendary Lighting 

Outdoor Fans | Kichler

Garden Wall | Vertical Garden Supply 

Metal Railing | Regal Ideas 

American Flag | Allegiance Flag Supply

Patio Table | Dave & Jenny Marrs Collection at Walmart 

Patio Chairs | Dave & Jenny Marrs Collection at Walmart 

Outdoor Sofa | Dave & Jenny Marrs Collection at Walmart 

Lounge Chairs | Dave & Jenny Marrs Collection at Walmart 

Striped Pillows | Dave & Jenny Marrs Collection at Walmart 

Window Trim Paint Color | Farrow and Ball Pigeon No. 25

Living Room

BEFORE

For the living room, I wanted to accentuate the windows lining the front wall so we painted the custom-made cabinets in one of my all-time favorite colors – Farrow and Ball Pigeon. I absolutely love the charm window seats add here paired with the handmade sconces with vintage globes. The woven texture of the window treatments, Dave’s handmade wooden coffee table and the earth tones in the rug bring warmth to the space.

AFTER

SOURCES

Sofa | Howse

Coffee Table | Dave Marrs

Rug | Zuma Imports

Lighting | Custom Made by Lucent Lightshop

Built-In Paint Color | Farrow and Ball Pigeon No. 25

Trim Paint Color | Farrow and Ball Dropcloth

Wall Paint Color | Benjamin Moore White Dove 

Kitchen

BEFORE

Originally, the kitchen was a tight galley style kitchen in the middle of the apartment. By knocking down an old bedroom, we were able to open up a large area for a more open kitchen with an island. Then, what used to be the galley kitchen, became the new dining area. Dave repurposed our old kitchen table and it fit perfectly in that space. Along the wall, we discovered large openings that used to be windows but had been filled in with brick. Dave brought in engineering experts to cut the windows out again. There’s so much natural light now where it had felt cavernous before. Dave made benches for the table to accommodate more seating, and I found vintage chairs that match perfectly with the table’s traditional style. He also made the stools that we placed along the island.

For the kitchen, I chose beautiful white oak cabinets for warmth, clean quartzite countertops and new appliances, including my favorite brand range and a hidden fridge built into the cabinetry. I had two of my favorite makers create pieces for this kitchen – James at Atmosphyre handbuilt the stunning brass faucet and the team at Lucent Lightshop created the most gorgeous alabaster handmade pendant lights.

AFTER

SOURCES

Custom Cabinetry | Premier Wood Concepts 

Island Pendants | Lucent Lightshop

Countertops & Vanity Top | Verona Marble 

Handmade Faucet | Atmosphyre

Countertop Fabrication & Install | Gunn Granite 

Range | Ilve USA

Runner Rug | Turkish Trunk

Dinnerware | Dave and Jenny Marrs Collection

Bedroom

BEFORE

Before, when you walked into the apartment, the first thing you saw was an odd, elevated floor in the corner that looked like a stage and a faux fireplace. We took that down and leveled out the floor. Then, we added a wall to create a new main bedroom on that side of the apartment. For the bedroom, we installed picture frame molding all along the bottom half of the walls and one of my favorite artist’s hand-painted floral wallpaper along the top half. This elevates the space while making it feel classic to the era the building was built. For this room, Dave built a beautiful sleigh bed, complete with round finials and a set of vintage inspired nightstands.

AFTER

SOURCES 

Rugs | Zuma Imports

Flooring | Audacity Flooring

Wallpaper | Kelly Ventura Art

Wall Paint Color | Farrow and Ball French Gray No. 18

Bathroom

BEFORE

We gutted the old bathroom, green bathtub and all. Where the green bathtub had been, we installed a large shower with handmade antique brass fixtures and beautiful handmade ceramic tile. For the main bathroom floor, I chose a handmade saltillo tile in a herringbone pattern. This tile compliments the natural wood of the custom vanity, as well as the gorgeous vintage inspired lighting. At the back of the bathroom, we added a separate water closet.

AFTER

SOURCES

Sconces | Lucent Lightshop

Faucet | Atmosphyre

Handmade Tile | Tiles of Ezra

Office

BEFORE

The office was transformed from a blank canvas into a moody workspace complete with a closet and a small laundry room.

AFTER

SOURCES

Trim and Laundry Door Paint Color | Farrow and Ball Drop Cloth

Wall and Ceiling Paint Color | Farrow and Ball De Nimes No.299

There are few things that make me happier than restoring a historic building while preserving the charm and craftsmanship of the original structure. This lovely little apartment makes me heart sing with every vintage and handmade moment. I am so pleased with how this one turned out and I can’t wait to host friends and family into this beautiful space. 

Photo Credit: Mike Davello