NORTH AUGUSTA — It was love at first sight when April King laid eyes on a “cute” two-bedroom bungalow five years ago.
Built in 1938, the home fits King’s “minimal-ish” taste perfectly, but she wasn’t sure her husband, Brad, would share her point of view.
“I thought I was going to have to talk him into it, but he fell in love with it,” she said, and it wasn’t because of its cuteness factor.
An architect, he was drawn in by its design elements. Things that appealed to him were its strong foundation and attention to details such as the way the bricks were placed in the dining room fireplace, she said.
“They are aligned and geometrically perfect,” she said.
The couple started working on the house soon after moving in, and they’ve been working almost every weekend since, only recently putting the final touches on the laundry room to finish up the renovation.
King’s decorating style has changed over the years especially after the birth of their son, Bennett.
“It has to be functional,” she said of the décor. “I like my house to look slightly like a magazine, but it’s lived in.”
Gardening tools and mops are part of the flow in the laundry room because the Kings clean and garden, she said. While the room is aesthetically pleasing to her, it’s also useable.
“When I was in my 20s, everything was beautiful and in vignettes, but it wasn’t functional. Things got in the way,” she said. “In my 30s, my design is more functional because we live here.”
As far as a specific style, King said she doesn’t have one. She likes elements from different eras. The fun part to her is mixing, matching and marrying them together. She blends antiques with new paintings she’s created.
“I love mixing styles – like the cottage style with midcentury-modern, fun and funky with antiques. They don’t necessarily go together, but the challenge is making it work,” she said.
King said she was inspired by her grandmother, known as BeBe, who also had an eclectic decorating style. Some of the accent pieces in her home she got through her sister, Brittany Henry, who was also inspired by their grandmother. Henry operates BB’s Fine Vintage.
The project with the biggest scope was the kitchen which they opened up to make a larger space. They extended the hallway to make room for a bar. Brad King built and installed the vent hood, and they added an island to provide space to entertain.
The wood floors were in good condition, she said. No one had placed linoleum or tile over them.
The formal dining room has traditional and antique elements added in. She created the silhouette artwork of her son as well as the colorful painting over the fireplace. They added the chandelier and bead board.
The formal dining room has had different functions over the years. King said she’s met others who lived in the home and found that the room was once a library filled with bookshelves and books.
The living room provides a flex space. One corner is a play area, but it has decorative elements that blend in with the rest of the home.
Also in the room in front of the TV is one of King’s collections – milk glass. With the limited space in the small house, she’s careful about that pieces.
“I’m very intentional about my collections. I only collect things I’ll take care of. I have a fun collection of earrings, milk glass and miniatures,” said King who also collects artwork.
The miniatures are in shadowboxes in the hallway.
Off to the side of the living room is a former carport that a previous owner enclosed. She uses it as her art studio. One of the elements she likes about it is the arched brickwork.
King has worked as an artists for several years, but for now, her art is taking a backseat to raising her son.
“I thought I’d go back to work immediately, then I met him,” she said. “I love my job, but I’m happy I can still continue to do that at my own pace. I’m full time with this baby.”
With the initial home projects completed, King does have a few other ideas for future ones such as adding a master bathroom.
“We’ve really fallen in love with the place,” she said. “We’ve really connected to the house and want to be here as long as we can.”
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
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