Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/395986
FA L L 2 0 1 4 | A L A B A M A H O M E B U I L D E R | 1 7 How do you transform a nearly century-old warehouse into a residence without losing the historic patina of the structure? That was the challenge faced by Lee County Home Builders Association member HF&L Construction, Inc. when the company was hired to turn this industrial building into a home for a young, growing family in downtown Auburn. It was a challenge readily accepted by Greg Langston of HF&L, who was eager to get his hands on an historic structure. "I love history and I've always wanted to restore an older home, but most of the old homes in Auburn have been torn down, " he said. Located just a stone's throw from Auburn University, the building had been through many incarnations in its history. Built in 1920, it had housed at various times a pool hall, night club, grocery store, clothing store, cab company, recycling center, restaurants, a cabinet shop and even a church before its current turn as a dwelling. "We were drawn to the idea of having large, generous spaces for the house," said homeowner David Hill. "We were in love with the brickwork when we saw the building. We really like how tough the building is. In general, the kids can be rough and tough and the building can handle it well." (Top) Closets and storage space are grouped with the laundry and bathrooms to shield the bedrooms from the public areas. This bedroom formerly housed a cabinet shop. (Above) The kitchen's original metal stamped ceiling tiles were removed, restored and rehung, and plaster replicas were created to fill in the missing corner pieces. (Opposite) A variety of patinas and textures were revealed throughout the process of renovating the space, with many left exposed to highlight the structure's history.