Fixer Upper
Published 2:12 pm Sunday, July 1, 2018
with Chad and Laurel Bertrand
Malloree Lavergne
mlavergne@americanpress.com
<div class="popup_content_wrapper"><div class="popup_content_under_toolbar article_content" data-role="article_content"><div class="article_viewer ArticleViewer text ltr use-3d" data-role="article-viewer" data-olive-control="ArticleViewer"><div class="animation-wrapper"><div class="align-wrapper offset-wrapper"><div class="zoom-wrapper"><div class="article" lang="en" xml_lang="en" data-view-mode="text"><div class="Content"><p class="indent">Four years ago, Chad and Laurel Bertrand found their labor of love in a 1980s home. The home, while outdated, only had a few things that were necessary to repair – the pool and the dishwasher – and was in the perfect neighborhood. When they informed their real estate agent, Greg Wise, that the 1980s fixer upper was ‘the one,’ he asked, “Really… this is it? This is the house?”</p><p class="indent">The house, though very different from the houses they had been looking at over a period of three years, had characteristics they knew gave it potential. While the cul-de-sac neighborhood, pool, and second story fulfilled items on their wish list, what attracted them the most were “the bones.” The open floor plan was perfect for the family of five, including three boys. Having an open living space meant almost never being separated.</p><p class="indent">It also offered the perfect price point for the renovations Chad and Laurel anticipated. “We were looking at a full aesthetic update, from floors to ceilings to lighting fixtures and countertops,” Laurel said. They started by changing things they couldn’t live with like the gold fixtures, the interior and exterior paint colors, the small garage doors, and the popcorn ceilings.</p><p class="indent">The bigger projects were not as easy to complete though. “It was difficult getting contractors to call back,” Laurel said. Chad and Laurel finally decided to enlist the help of their friends Courtney and Kevin Blalock of Blalock Contractors, who were only building houses at the time, not renovating. The subcontractors tackled projects like flooring, countertops, exterior stucco to replace vinyl siding, and exterior paint.</p><p class="indent">Chad said, “While it’s hard and procrastination sometimes gets the best of you, you can take pride in earning the sweat equity of the home. You have to have patience to know it’s going to be done.”</p><p class="indent">Now when you walk into the Bertrand home, you immediately feel the character they have infused into the house. Since renovating has been a slow process, every change and improvement has been intentional. From the original artwork throughout the home, to the spa-like and serene bathroom, to the hundred-year-old library table that completes the breakfast nook, you can see the detail and time that went into not just renovating a home, but telling a story through the home.</p><p class="indent">“Taking the time to renovate has allowed us to really craft each room with a little special something that makes it just ours,” Laurel said.</p><p class="indent">When you walk into the home, you immediately see the open dining room on the left. It has tons of natural light, an intricate chandelier, and a colorful hutch that displays their fine china. My favorite part of this room is the detailed stencil Laurel painted on the ceiling that surrounds and accentuates the top of the chandelier.</p><p class="indent">The kitchen and living area are what the home centers around and are full of pops of color and character. The breakfast nook is made up of an old library table that has been in the family for years, and a bench that Chad’s father made especially to hold all their blankets.</p><p class="indent">The entertainment center, which came with the home, was not the right size for their TV. Instead of finding a new one, the Bertrands were thinking creatively. The contractors they hired separated the two sides, and Laurel re-finished a dresser that she previously had no use for, sticking it right in the middle. To finish the entertainment center off, the contractors built a top piece for extra cabinet space and to complete the look. Using the resources they had, they created a look that was just right for the space.</p><p class="indent">Behind the living room is the pool bathroom, which boasts radiant colors and a fun, playful theme. The area around the sink as well as the area around the shower is covered with blue, teal and green tiles.</p><p class="indent">Throughout the home, one aspect that really stands out is the original artwork by Laurel’s mom, Lynne Ruf. Laurel’s favorite pieces are based on pictures the family had taken of Sam Houston Jones State Park. The large four-by-four foot paintings display cypress trees in hues of purple and teal along with hints of copper that shine perfectly in different light throughout the day.</p><p class="indent">Another aspect that makes the home unique is that each family member got a say-so in the renovation process. The Bertrands agreed that compromise is a big part of renovating a home together, and while each person may have sacrificed a little bit, not one of them is unhappy with how the house is coming together as a whole.</p><p class="indent">Renovating a home can seem challenging, but the Bertrands agree that there is beauty in the process and it is all worth it in the end. As Chad said, “It becomes a part of you.”</p><p class="indent">When asked what makes their house a home, each member of the family had something to say. One of the boys, Addison, said it’s, “The people who live in it,” while Holden said, “Well, I sleep there.” Laurel said, “It’s filled with details and items that tell not only our story, but the story of our family history.” And Chad summed it all up by saying, “It’s the comfort in knowing that although we didn’t build the house, we infused our character and family traits into it through the renovations and decisions we made together.”</p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="ui-resizable-handle ui-resizable-e"> </div>