It's a new house, but on the inside you wouldn't know MANY SOURCES: New house features vintage components salvaged from remodeling jobs and other sources

Richard Amrhine, The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va.

Apr. 11--Some people dislike new houses because they lack charm and that "lived in" feel. Others think old houses are just that -- old, and probably inefficient money pits that require weekly repairs.

Suppose you could have the best of both -- the vintage look and feel in a house that's brand new?

Shawn and Diane Smart figured out how to do that and executed their refreshingly novel plan along Delegate Road, off State Route 206 in King George County. Ground was broken in July 2005, and they moved in just over a year ago.

Knowing that Shawn Smart is a carpenter who works for Mike Huie and Abby Construction, which specializes in remodel- ing older Fredericksburg homes, helps explain his desire and ability to blend old with new. Much of the interior work he was able to do himself using fixtures, features and wood salvaged from remodeling jobs in downtown Fredericksburg and elsewhere.

FORMULATING THE PLAN

Given his experience with Abby and the many years the couple lived downtown, the Smarts were able to develop a clear sense of what they wanted to do when the time was right.

"We wanted the Arts and Crafts style, with lots of wood, slate and natural stone," said Shawn Smart.

And wood there is, starting with the solid heart-pine kitchen cabinets Huie supplied from a remodeled home. Huie also provided the massive cast-iron, pre-World War II double sink.

Smart crafted the rest of the kitchen, including the tile countertops, around those features.

The kitchen is one of the several rooms that Smart trimmed with vintage pine, mahogany, Douglas fir and walnut. The wide-plank pine flooring is new, but blends easily with the decor.

"All of this was planned in advance," he said, right down to the push-button wall switches. "We were able to collect a little of this and a little of that and store it until we needed it."

GETTING IT DONE

The actual builder of the house was Lionel Babcock, a longtime local builder and friend of Smart's. Smart said Babcock was willing to let him do as much of his own work on the house as he wanted to.

"A lot of builders wouldn't have gone along with that," he said.

Smart said he's indebted not only to those who let him salvage the old wood and fixtures from their homes, but also to those who provided storage space or held onto items until he was ready to use them.

The salvaging concept reveals itself clearly when noting that nearly every door is different from the rest. Some are versions of classic two- or six-panel doors, while others are stacked horizontal panel. All are solid wood, and have period hardware that Smart either salvaged and saved, purchased from reproduction hardware suppliers, or found on eBay.

Throughout the house are various nooks and crannies, from inset telephone cabinets to the stair step that's actually a lock box. A padded window seat with storage is a perfect fit for a staircase landing, and the well-positioned porthole window makes it a favorite spot for Harley the hound.

Not only do the little spaces fit the Arts and Crafts style, the couple love them as neat places to put things.

RIGHT FOR ALL REASONS

Along with its respect for the past, the house also considers the well-being of the planet and the Smarts themselves.

The master suite is on the main level to help the couple live comfortably in the house as they age. There are two more bedrooms, a full bathroom and a computer alcove/den upstairs.

Special consideration was given to energy efficiency. With a treed lot, the 18-inch overhangs that shade the interior and the many ceiling fans, the Smarts say they need air conditioning only on summer's hottest and most humid days.

The home's only gutter and downspout protect the main entrance. Rainfall is otherwise allowed to drip from the roof to water the foundation plants.

Smart said the only place he "acquiesced" was on the siding, which he originally wanted to be real wood. But with a shortage of time and a nod to low-maintenance convenience, Smart went with a wood-grained Hardi-plank siding that looks good and will last forever.

A nearby shed is a miniature version of the house and was built -- no surprise -- using materials left over from the construction of the house.

Part of the Smarts' pride in their house is the economical fashion in which they were able to build it. By using salvaged materials, searching for bargains, calling on his friend the builder and using Shawn's own sweat equity, the Smarts were able to build the house for a very reasonable $200,000.

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