Good things come to those who wait. For designer and store owner Craig Parkes, that’s both a personal mantra and a decorating philosophy. When he and his partner, lawyer Matthew Hinton, and son, Fitzgerald, moved into their circa-1908 home in 2017, the herculean task of restoring the house to its original glory was the first thing on their list. Four years later, they’re still happily working toward that goal. “The best spaces take time and, when you’re patient, the right pieces eventually find you,” says Craig.
The 3,000-square-foot house had been divided into apartments from the 1950s through to the 1980s. Happily, some of the original elements had survived, such as the four-square floor plan, leaded glass windows and fir flooring. A wall between the kitchen and dining room was demolished to create a more airy, contemporary space. Rather than take the opening up to the ceiling, though, Craig opted for a cased opening to echo the home’s DNA. “It now looks like it’s always been here,” he says.
Throughout the house, a neutral palette sets the stage for Craig’s signature mix of vintage and modern elements. “This house is 110 years old,” he says. “Over its lifetime, it’s been witness to different design styles — Edwardian, Art Deco, ’80s modernist — so it makes sense that it would feature pieces from different eras.” Time has given the home a perfect patina, or almost perfect anyway: because the black foyer was such a success, Craig and Matthew are considering a dramatic paint treatment elsewhere in the house. “That space has yet to present itself to me!” says Craig. Only time will tell.
Scroll down to step inside this handsome heritage house!