McKinney, TX
The Clover House was built in 1910; it began life as a small 4-square house built with two bedrooms and a large front porch. This one holds a special place in our hearts because it was our first restoration and resale project under Clover Lane Properties, starting in 2020. What a great start: As we worked on the Clover House, we uncovered a number of hidden delights.
Maximizing the Space
The Clover House started small, as were many houses in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Though families could be large, the cost of building materials meant space was at a premium. Now, though we always take care to work with the most period-accurate materials possible, it’s less expensive to add room. For the Clover House, the kitchen was moved back to accommodate more space for a dining area. We also added two bedrooms, a laundry room, and 1.5 baths. We made sure to keep true to the builders’ original vision by using lots of shiplap (more on that below) and penny tile. Penny tile, especially hexagonal penny tile, was popular in the early 20th century. (The tile also comes in round shapes the size of a penny, hence the name.)
Bring The Heat
In what we’d now call the living room, we repaired the original fireplace and added a gas element to make it functional. Unfortunately, the original mantel was long gone, so we added one that remained true to the period.
Secret Suprises
One of the best parts of working with historic buildings is revealing their secrets. While renovating the Clover House, we were thrilled to uncover original shiplap throughout, which we restored. In the primary bedroom, we also uncovered an old gun closet hidden near the fireplace. It was relocated to make better use of the space.
