When you walk past this historic 1877 Queen Anne home from the street, you are stepping back 150 years in time. But step into the backyard, and you are stepping into the 21st century.
At Finley Contracting, we love a challenge that bridges the gap between old-world craftsmanship and modern living. Here is how we honored a piece of local history while creating the ultimate space for family gatherings and entertaining.
Honoring the Street Side: Historical Preservation
Because the home is on the historical register, the front half and street-facing exterior had to look exactly the way they did when they were first built.
- Architectural Approval: We engaged a historical architect to review and approve all drawings, ensuring the new concepts aligned seamlessly with the original Queen Anne style.
- The Labor of Love: The 1,800-square-foot original house featured enormous amounts of custom moldings and trim. Every single piece was 150 years old and had to be replaced.
- Meticulous Reconstruction: We photo-documented the exact location of every piece of trim, carefully pulled them off, had them custom-made to match the originals, and put the historic front of the house back together piece by piece.
“It’s almost like you’re recreating something that somebody put together 150 years ago… It’s time consuming. There’s always a lot of discussions with the client that this is a labor of love, so there’s nothing fast about it.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Uncovering Hidden History
Demolition on historic homes always holds a few surprises. While tearing down old sections and staircases, we discovered tangible pieces of the original builders left behind a century and a half ago:
- Original Signatures: In this house (and another 1889 home we restored just two doors down on the same street), we found signatures from the original builders written using a calligraphy pen. One was tucked inside a wall, and another was discovered on the back of a stair riser when we removed an old staircase to build a new winding one.
- Time Capsule Artifacts: Along with the signatures, we uncovered old newspaper articles and little trinkets from the era.
- The Wine Cellar Display: Rather than discarding these pieces of history, the homeowner chose to preserve them. We built a special display in the home’s basement wine cellar to showcase all the historical artifacts found during demolition, including the original builder’s signature.
The Modern Backyard Oasis
While the front honors the past, the back of the home looks toward the future. To accommodate the owners’ desire for family gatherings and entertaining space, we added approximately 5,000 square feet off the back.
- Contemporary Details: The rear addition features modern details distinct from the historic front: a sleek metal roofing system, different siding materials, and modern doors and windows.
- The Best of Both Worlds: Because this modern addition is tucked away toward the rear, it is hidden from the street view. From the vantage point of the backyard, it provides a seamless blend of historic charm up front and sprawling modern luxury in the back.
Complete Case Study: The 1877 Queen Anne Restoration & Addition
- Project Scope: Historic exterior restoration of an 1877 Queen Anne paired with a modern 5,000-square-foot rear addition, totaling 7,000 square feet across 1.5 acres in the historic district.
- Key Historic Elements: Custom millwork reproduction, salvaged 2,000-year-old redwood wine cellar walls, original builder signatures preserved in a basement artifact display, and custom street-facing diamond-pattern windows.
- Modern Additions: Sprawling open-concept chef’s kitchen with book-matched ceramic slabs, linear fireplaces with heat-shift engineering, a dedicated guest suite, a custom mudroom hat-wall, and an expansive outdoor pool and living oasis.
- Builder: Kenny, Finley Contracting, Inc. (Hands-on owner-led construction specializing in historic recreations and complex architectural integrations).
Restoring a 150-year-old historic home means peeling back the layers and dealing with what time left behind. When it came to the exterior and architectural details of this Queen Anne, the job required a complete structural overhaul paired with surgical precision to remain strictly within historical guidelines:
- Tackling the Foundation & Framing: We removed all the old siding only to find that the framing was heavily rotted. We ended up entirely redoing the framing, replacing doors and windows, and building it all back based on exhaustive photo documentation taken before demolition.
- Custom Millwork and Pencil Molding: All the original moldings were pulled off and brought directly to our mill worker. He had custom router knives made to match the exact profile of those 150-year-old pieces, including the pencil molding that creates the distinct inner rectangles, allowing us to custom-make every single part and piece.
- Approved Color Updates: While the architecture and profile went back exactly the way they were, the color scheme got a modern refresh, which also had to go through official approval by the historical registry.
- Preserving Historic Exceptions: We were able to keep the original historic handrail. Because it is much lower than current building codes allow, its historic status gave us the clearance to rebuild it and put it right back to its original low-profile design.
“The moldings were existing… I brought them to my mill worker, and gave him the pieces, he had custom router knives made right to that exact profile, so he could remake them exactly the way they were. Calculating how much material you actually need up each little piece is challenging, but… yeah, we got it done.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
When you look at the rear of the property, you get the full scope of what this project accomplished. Transforming an 1877 historic asset into a sprawling, functional family estate required a complete reimagining of the site layout from the ground up to create the ultimate private retreat:
- Clearing the Slate: Before construction could begin, we had to remove a series of old, outdated outbuildings and sheds that previously cluttered the rear of the lot.
- The Massive Rear Addition: The architectural footprint expands dramatically toward the back. Roughly 75 percent of the house, stretching back toward the tree line on the right, is entirely new construction, anchored by a striking architectural bump-out on the left.
- Complete Landscape Overhaul: We redesigned the entire site context. The comprehensive package included fresh lawns, custom walkways, a brand-new pool, extensive softscape plantings, and modern irrigation systems.
- Prime Historic Real Estate: Finding an acre and a half right in the heart of the old historical district is a rare luxury, giving the homeowners a vast, private oasis just steps from downtown.
“They got about an acre and a half right in downtown… in the old historical district, which is a good spot to be. The building on the left comes out, that was added on… and pretty much 75% of the house that goes towards the trees in the back was all added on.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Stepping off the pool deck and into the newly constructed rear outdoor living space, you find a seamless blend of leisure, architecture, and practical everyday design. Everything in this view, from the elevated patio to the custom shade structure, was built entirely from scratch:
- The Ultimate poolside Hangout: We constructed low-profile site walls to support an elevated patio featuring an outdoor kitchen and a built-in barbecue. Overhead, a custom trellis shade structure offers a cool escape to relax just steps from the pool.
- The Daily Entryway & Mudroom: A side staircase leads directly from the driveway into the home’s dedicated mudroom. This serves as the family’s primary entrance, designed for dropping shoes, hanging gear, and keeping daily life organized.
- The “Sunburst” Feature: Because this section of the house is part of the new, non-historic addition, we had creative freedom to collaborate directly with the client on custom architectural details. This inspired a standout gable accent painted vibrant yellow by the homeowner, affectionately coined the “sunburst detail.”
“That was all built onto the house… We had to redesign the, the… I call it the sunburst, because she… the client painted it yellow, right? So that was the… that was coined the sunburst detail. That portion of the house is on a part of the house that is not historic, so that was pretty much our design with the client.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
As you move from the historic front of the home toward the rear addition, the architecture bridges the gap between old-world craftsmanship and contemporary living. This brand-new living room space is designed for modern comfort, grand entertaining, and seamless flow:
- Sleek Industrial Fireplace & Custom Cabinetry: The focal point of the living room features a recessed TV paired with a clean, linear fireplace. The entire surround and custom cabinetry are built from striking black steel and metal, giving the space a bold, modern edge.
- The Indoor-Outdoor Experience: A massive bi-fold door system completely opens up the living area to the backyard and pool deck. This creates an effortless transition between indoor lounging and outdoor entertaining that is a massive hit for family gatherings.
- The Shift in Design: This room represents the exact threshold where the restored 1877 historic front yields to the sprawling, modern 5,000-square-foot rear addition.
“That’s, like, where you start getting into the new, modern part of the house… you enter the living room there, and you have the TV cabinet, the linear fireplace, and the surround is all black and steel cabinetry, and then the door is a big, bi-fold door, right, so it fully opens to have that really indoor-outdoor feel.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
When you add 5,000 square feet to the back of a historic home, you have plenty of room to create dedicated spaces for comfort and hospitality. Nestled in the modern rear addition is a private guest suite designed to give visitors their own luxury retreat in this functional, self-contained guest space:
- Private Poolside Access: While the suite connects seamlessly to the main interior of the home, it also features its own private exterior entrance directly from the pool area—making it effortless for guests to come and go.
- Spacious Accommodations: The suite includes a generously sized bedroom that offers plenty of room and privacy away from the main family quarters.
- Full Luxury Bathroom: The ensuite bathroom is fully equipped with both a standalone tub and a separate shower, providing a relaxing, spa-like experience for anyone staying over.
“There’s a guest suite off the back of the house, so it’s got its own entrance… from the poolside, so if a guest came in… it’s got a big bedroom, and it’s got a full bathroom with a tub and a shower.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
When you enter the house through the daily mudroom entrance off the driveway, every detail is tailored precisely to how the family lives. Instead of off-the-shelf storage, we partnered directly with the homeowner to bring a unique Pinterest-style inspiration to life:
- Custom Wood-Hook Panel: The homeowner loves hats, so we designed and built a specialized wood paneling system featuring clean slats and integrated compartments.
- Innovative Pull-Out Hooks: Between the slats are solid wood squares. You simply slip your finger into the slot and pull down to reveal a sturdy hidden hook—making it both a seamless design feature and a practical coat-and-hat rack.
- Built-In Bench Seating: Paired with a custom bench beneath, the entire unit provides a dedicated, beautifully crafted space to drop gear, take off shoes, and keep everyday family life organized right where you walk in the door.
“She found an image of something… and basically you can put your finger in there and pull it down, and it’s a hook. So, it’s a wood hook… That was just a custom-made thing we did on-site with her, and yeah, she loves it.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Moving further into the modern rear addition, the primary bathroom delivers a true spa-inspired experience. Designed in collaboration with an interior designer, this open-concept wet room layout pushes the boundaries of luxury and technical tile craftsmanship:
- Seamless Open-Concept Wet Room: Designed completely open with zero glass doors, the space features two side glass panels and a deep footprint that keeps water contained naturally.
- Precision Linear Drainage: The room features an expansive floor-to-ceiling tile scheme across the flooring and shower walls, paired with a sleek linear slot drain on the left side and a carefully engineered floor slope.
- The Level Tub Integration: Because a soaking tub cannot sit on a sloped surface, we engineered a precise transition, keeping the rear area perfectly level to set the freestanding tub, while ensuring proper drainage behind it.
- Meticulous Symmetry: The tub filler and freestanding tub are aligned dead-center with the windows, requiring exact layout calculations to ensure all the tile and framing details finished out flawlessly.
“They wanted it very open, so there’s no glass door… the entire shower has got a linear slot drain on the left-hand side, so it’s got a slight slope. And then in the back, we had to go level, because obviously a tub can’t sit on a sloped surface… The tub filler is exactly dead center on the windows. A lot of layout to do to make sure everything finishes out right.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Climbing up to the second floor of the 1877 structure takes you right back into the roots of the home. While the sprawling master bedroom suite is part of the newer 5,000-square-foot addition down the hall, this original section retains its cozy, historic proportions and authentic architectural character:
- Custom Diamond Pattern Windows: Because this upper section faces the street, maintaining the historic aesthetic was mandatory. We had custom windows made featuring the original diamond grid patterns to preserve the home’s historic street-side integrity.
- Structural Reframing: Over 150 years, the framing in the upper level had begun sagging significantly. We carefully cleaned up and reframed the space to restore its original shape and structural soundness.
- Cozy Historic Proportions & Custom Touches: Featuring lower ceilings characteristic of the era, the original layout balances compact historic charm with custom client touches, such as custom wood paneling added inside the dormer window.
- The Scale of the Transformation: Originally, the two-story historic house sat around 1,800 to 2,000 square feet (roughly 1,000 square feet per floor). Today, thanks to the massive rear addition, the entire estate spans an impressive 7,000 square feet.
“That’s the original part of the house, and that’s why we have the diamond pattern windows… We had to clean it up because it was sagging everywhere, so pretty much reframed everything to get it to look right… Originally… about 1,800 square feet. Compared to now, it’s about 7,000 square feet.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Continuing down the second-floor hallway of the 1877 original structure, you find the second of the home’s original street-side bedrooms. True to the architecture of the era, these spaces showcase the intimate proportions and authentic layout of the home’s early days. Here is how we preserved these cozy upper rooms while addressing 150 years of structural wear:
- Original Heights and Spaces: Embracing the low ceilings and narrow proportions characteristic of the original second floor, we maintained the exact heights and structural spacing from the 19th century.
- Structural Stabilization: Just like the rest of the historic frame, this bedroom required extensive reframing to correct significant sagging over time, ensuring the room was structurally sound while retaining its historical shape.
- Comprehensive Bedroom Count: Together with the private guest suite downstairs, these street-side rooms complete the home’s multi-bedroom layout, balancing the historic 1,800-square-foot footprint with the modern 7,000-square-foot estate.
“There’s two bedrooms upstairs on the street side. It’s just really narrow, shallow ceilings up there… we did have to redo most of the framing, but… we put it back to exactly the way it was. So that’s original heights and spaces.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
At the intersection of the historic restoration and the new 5,000-square-foot rear addition lies the heart of the home: a stunning, open-concept chef’s kitchen designed for serious cooking and effortless entertaining. Our designs brought this high-end, highly functional kitchen space to life:
- Book-Matched Ceramic Slabs: The back wall and hood feature massive 4×8 ceramic slabs. We meticulously custom-matched and installed the pieces so that the stone’s natural veining flows continuously and wraps seamlessly around the hood.
- Concealed Storage & Minimalist Aesthetic: To maintain an open, uncluttered look, upper cabinets were bypassed in favor of a dedicated storage wall tucked behind the main cooking area, keeping daily appliances and supplies out of sight.
- Built-In Beverage Centers: The oversized island is fully equipped with integrated under-counter beverage centers, one dedicated to wine storage and another for everyday sodas, water, and beer.
- Connected Living: Designed completely open to the living room, the kitchen layout ensures the host is always part of the action, whether cooking up a feast or watching the game with family and guests in the adjacent modern living space.
“The back wall with the hood is all ceramic slabs… They’re all custom-made and custom-matched. You can see the veining, so we had to match them, and when everything got installed, to make sure that the veins continued to flow, and wrapped around the hood… When she’s cooking, she’s involved with everybody that’s in the living room watching the game, or whatever it is.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Continuing through the modern rear addition, the primary suite offers tailored luxury down to the finest personal details. Rather than standard wardrobe storage, the primary dressing areas were custom-built to match the clean, modern aesthetic of the rest of the home. This is how we crafted this sophisticated primary closet:
- Bespoke Custom Cabinetry: Built with clean lines and custom layouts, the dressing room features specialized storage built entirely to the homeowners’ specifications.
- Integrated Display Lighting: We incorporated custom interior lighting within the display cases to highlight accessories and create a boutique-like atmosphere.
- Separated Spaces: Designed as “her” closet (with “his” dedicated wardrobe located on the opposite side), the space strikes the perfect balance of functional organization and sleek modern elegance.
“That’s the primary her closet, so he has his closet on the other side… We did custom cabinetry with some display cases, with custom lighting inside. It’s simple, it’s clean, but it’s pretty elegant and modern.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Inside the primary suite of the modern rear addition, comfort meets high-tech functionality. Just like the main living areas, the private bedroom features a custom built-in entertainment and fireplace unit designed with clean, contemporary lines within this sleek bedroom feature wall:
- Linear Fireplace & Built-In Cabinetry: The custom floor-to-ceiling built-ins feature a modern linear fireplace down below with a television mounted directly above, framed by subtle, integrated linear side lighting.
- Heat-Shift Engineering: Mounting a TV above a modern linear fireplace requires specialized thermal management. To protect the electronics, we installed a heat shift kit that captures the heat generated by the fireplace and safely diverts it away from the television.
- The Upper Vent Detail: The diverted heat is safely released through a discrete linear slot vent positioned high up on the wall, keeping the entire installation functional, safe, and visually seamless.
“That’s a built-in cabinetry with a linear fireplace down below, with a TV above… We have to incorporate what’s called a heat shift kit, because we gotta pull the heat off the fireplace and get it away from the TV… The heat from the fireplace comes out of that vent up high.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Working within the intimate proportions of the original 1877 second floor comes with unique architectural puzzles. In this upstairs guest bathroom, low historic ceilings and dormer angles required careful space planning to deliver both a tub for the grandchildren and a functional shower for adult guests to create a comfortable, multi-generational bathroom:
- Tucked Into the Dormers: We strategically outlined the shower beneath the room’s sloped ceiling and custom-angled glass panels, utilizing the peak of the dormer to maximize essential head height.
- Accommodating the Grandkids: While adult guests need a proper shower, the homeowners specifically requested a bathtub to accommodate visiting grandchildren.
- Freestanding Tub Solution: Because low ceiling heights prevented the installation of a traditional built-in tub surround, we opted for a compact freestanding tub that fits comfortably within the historic room’s proportions.
“The challenging part about this is obviously because the ceiling heights aren’t very high… she wanted to have the tub, because of grandkids… There wasn’t really any space to put a built-in tub because of the ceiling height, so it’s a smaller freestanding tub.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Standing at this staircase reveals the exact physical boundary where the original 1877 home meets the sprawling 5,000-square-foot modern addition. The left side marks where the historic house originally ended, while the open transition leads straight into the new living room, kitchen, and rear living spaces creating this central connecting staircase:
- The Transition Point: This new staircase acts as the architectural bridge, transitioning visitors smoothly from the historic front rooms into the open-concept, modern rear of the estate.
- Semi-Modern Design Elements: To tie the old and new styles together, the homeowners chose a semi-modern aesthetic featuring sleek metal balusters paired with a rich walnut handrail cap.
- Custom Millwork Details: The design is finished with distinct architectural touches, including flared newel posts that anchor the staircase with refined craftsmanship.
“The left side of the staircase is where the house ended… we extended that whole part of the house, and that’s where you go into the living room, the kitchen… She did go semi-modern, obviously, with metal balusters, and the walnut cap, and kind of the flared newel posts.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Stepping into the front office located right at the historical street-side of the home reveals a striking design statement. While this front room sits in the 1877 original portion of the house, the interior millwork is entirely custom-crafted to create a dramatic, moody, high-impact home office:
- Floor-to-Ceiling Wood Paneling: We designed and laid out custom wood paneling, panel molding, and sticking across the entire room—meticulously framing the windows so that every wall is wrapped in rich woodwork from top to bottom.
- High-Gloss Automotive Finish: Bypassing traditional wall paint, the homeowner chose a bold, saturated red hue applied with an ultra-high-sheen finish that mimics the smooth, reflective quality of automotive paint.
- Blending Eras: While the structural footprint honors the historic front of the Queen Anne, custom interior treatments like this prove that historic preservation can still embrace bold, modern design choices.
“We designed all the paneling… that is the very front of the house, and that’s the office. We basically laid out all the wood panels, and the panel molding, and the sticking, and designed it around the windows… She went with the red color. It’s almost like an automotive paint. It’s got a super high sheen, so it’s very glossy.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Down in the basement wine cellar, history isn’t just displayed, it is built into the very walls. Instead of discarding the home’s original timber during the extensive reframing, we gave the historic materials a second life in what has become a true Finley Contracting signature. This is how our team crafted this rustic, one-of-a-kind wine cellar and artifact space:
- Milled Old-Growth Redwood Walls: The walls are lined with raw, rough-sawn redwood framing salvaged directly from the original 1877 structure. We carefully milled the historic studs into thinner slices (getting two planks out of each stud) to showcase the stunning, irreplaceable grain of ancient, 2,000-year-old wood with zero finish needed.
- Preserving Original Relics: Displayed alongside custom wine racks are historical treasures uncovered during the build, including a vintage typewriter, antique artifacts, and the original glass transom address sign preserved directly from the 19th-century front entry door.
- Sustainable Craftsmanship: By reclaiming and repurposing the original framing timbers, we honored the home’s architectural heritage while adding warmth, texture, and sustainable character to the modern basement retreat.
“It’s kind of my signature… I save the old redwood framing, which is rough sawn, and then I mill it up into thinner pieces… that’s like 2,000-year-old redwood that’s on the walls. That was actually in the original house framing. They don’t make wood like they used to, and it’s just beautiful stuff. There’s no finish on it—that’s just raw, the way it was.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Continuing through the modern rear addition, the primary suite offers tailored luxury down to the finest personal details. Rather than standard wardrobe storage, the primary dressing areas were custom-built to match the clean, modern aesthetic of the rest of the home. This is how we crafted this sophisticated primary closet:
- Bespoke Custom Cabinetry: Built with clean lines and custom layouts, the dressing room features specialized storage built entirely to the homeowners’ specifications.
- Integrated Display Lighting: We incorporated custom interior lighting within the display cases to highlight accessories and create a boutique-like atmosphere.
- Separated Spaces: Designed as “her” closet (with “his” dedicated wardrobe located on the opposite side), the space strikes the perfect balance of functional organization and sleek modern elegance.
“That’s the primary her closet, so he has his closet on the other side… We did custom cabinetry with some display cases, with custom lighting inside. It’s simple, it’s clean, but it’s pretty elegant and modern.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Located within the original footprint of the 1877 structure, this intimate sitting room serves as the vital transition point between the home’s historic past and its sprawling modern expansion. By opening up the space, we created a seamless visual and physical flow that bridges the two eras and restored this pivotal transition room:
- Restoring Historic Ceiling Moldings: We carefully preserved the home’s original ceiling crown molding and applied ceiling molding during demolition, reinstalling them meticulously to maintain authentic 19th-century character.
- The Marble Fireplace & Heat-Shift Engineering: We installed a sophisticated marble fireplace surround equipped with an overhead linear vent. Because the homeowner dislikes forced air blowing directly onto anyone sitting on the nearby couch, the integrated heat-shift kit safely diverts warmth upward.
- The Design Threshold: While it retains historic details, this room acts as the psychological gateway. Stepping from this space around the corner into the rear addition feels like a deliberate, stylish crossing from the old world into the modern 7,000-square-foot estate.
“That is part of the original part of the house… we opened everything up, because you can see it flowing into the new part of the house… She wanted the fact that when you came around the corner from the original part of the house, like, then it was just like you’re getting into the modern side, like, you left the old and into the new type thing.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Every extraordinary project starts with a clear vision, but bringing that vision to life requires a master builder who knows how to navigate the complexities of combining 150-year-old historic bones with modern luxury.
When the homeowner needed someone to take over during the early demolition stages after the previous contractor fell short, Kenny and the team at Finley Contracting stepped in, took the bull by the horns, and brought this massive 7,000-square-foot transformation across the finish line.
Here is what sets Finley Contracting apart on complex historical restorations:
- Breathing New Life Into Old Bones: Anyone can build a brand-new house from scratch, but seamlessly blending a 5,000-square-foot modern addition into an 1877 Queen Anne requires deep carpentry expertise, patience, and meticulous precision.
- The Owner-Led Approach: Competing against much larger, flashier companies, Kenny’s claim to fame is simple: when you hire Finley Contracting, you get Kenny. There are no handoffs to random project managers—just direct, hands-on leadership from someone who grew up on a job site starting at age eight.
- Building Relationships for Life: Exceptional craftsmanship is about trust. The success of this historic project forged a lasting partnership, leading to three or four additional projects for the same clients.
“Anybody can build a brand new house, you know, you’re starting from scratch, but taking this with the old bones and making everything work right is challenging, but that’s what makes my job fun… My claim to fame is, when you hire me, you get me. You’re not gonna get a project manager… I’m not fancy, I’m not flashy. But I know what I’m doing.” — Kenny, Finley Contracting
Custom Construction for the Discerning Client
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