Montclair NJ

What started out as a nightmare, turned out to be a dream.

In the middle of the night the homeowner awoken to the sound of running water. To their horror, a pipe had cracked in one of the primary bath’s vanity water lines and water flowed for hours. It had flooded the bathroom, the adjacent hall, their own bedroom, half of the downstairs living spaces and the basement. Half of this 19th century neo-classical home and it’s detailed millwork, plaster finishes, and wood floors were destroyed.

As a referral from another client, Windigo was called in during the cleanup and demolition operations to assess the situation and develop a plan for restoration. It was also an opportunity to update and renovate other parts of the home since contractors would already be there. Aside from faulty plumbing, the bathroom already had issues with design, aesthetics, and functionality. The primary bedroom suite lacked sufficient closet space, and the third floor “staff” bedrooms needed a spatial reworking to accommodate the modern family.

The approach started with a digital survey of the entire house and building a 3D virtual model. Windigo was then able to present to the owner semi-realistic imagery of design options while also giving the builder (Jack Finn) construction drawings for the renovation, which included major reworking and repairs of the structural framing. Once a design direction was set, the interiors team (Campbell Minister) came on board to develop with us the fit and finishes of the spaces and furnishings. A collaboration between the Homeowner, Architect, Interior Designer, and Builder not only successfully restored the damaged spaces to their formal historic glory but gave new life to underutilized spaces for the family.

And yes, a water leak detection system was installed.

Click this link for a 360 walkthrough of presentation renderings.

Photography by: Michael Marmora