Inside the Amazing Renovation of a 1907 Pennsylvania Schoolhouse

 

 

Leanne Ford Shaffer and Brad Shaffer married, moved into a former schoolhouse, and kicked off a DIY renovation. Three years later, the honeymoon still isn't over.

More By Joshua Lyon 

 

 

         

A Hands-On Education

After Leanne Ford Shaffer and her husband, Brad Shaffer—the brains behind Acre Goods + Services, a creative agency focused on interior design, styling, and branding—got married in 2010, the couple began looking for a new home. A Craigslist search for a rental unexpectedly led to a mortgage: The Shaffers scoped out a 1907 schoolhouse—anchoring two wooded acres in the village of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, 13 miles northwest of Pittsburgh—on a Saturday and made an offer the next Monday.
In this photo: A vintage chalkboard and classroom chair reference the home's past. The bar cart was a gift; the couple bought the painted wooden eagle during a trip to Australia.

Max Kim-Bee 

                     

 

Before: Kitch

         

 

A faux-brick backsplash? Dark cabinets? Formica counters? This room boasted every bad-kitchen cliché. "Within a week, we'd taken a sledgehammer to the kitchen," Leanne remembers. "The place was ugly, and it wasn't our style at all."
What came next was an adventure in DIY renovation. As the Shaffers stripped away the structure's unfortunate 1960s alterations, they discovered stunning details. Brad pulled up layers of jaundiced-looking linoleum to reveal pine floors.

 

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Max Kim-Bee

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2 Before: Kitchen

A faux-brick backsplash? Dark cabinets? Formica counters? This room boasted every bad-kitchen cliché. "Within a week, we'd taken a sledgehammer to the kitchen," Leanne remembers. "The place was ugly, and it wasn't our style at all."
What came next was an adventure in DIY renovation. As the Shaffers stripped away the structure's unfortunate 1960s alterations, they discovered stunning details. Brad pulled up layers of jaundiced-looking linoleum to reveal pine floors.

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After: Kitchen

Fixing the kitchen proved inexpensive, thanks to subway tiles and plenty of white paint, and a few bargains: "We had our new kitchen designed in Sweden," Leanne jokes of the Ikea cabinets, butcher-block countertops, and farmhouse sink. An antique bakery table, equipped with Pottery Barn baskets, functions as the kitchen island. The Shaffers found the barstool in the trash.

Max Kim-Bee

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Before: Dining Room

Low ceilings and plain drywall initially plagued the dining room area.

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After: Dining Room

When the Shaffers removed the structure's dropped ceilings and drywall, they discovered dramatic roof beams and charming beadboard. In the dining room, and throughout the residence, they sanded the pine floors and stained them a rich ebony.
In this photo: Leanne and Brad, with their terrier, Tom, relax in midcentury Woodard chairs. A friend crafted the dining table out of wood salvaged from a bowling lane. The oversize light formerly illuminated a factory. The walls are painted High-Gloss White by Behr.

Max Kim-Bee

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Before: Living Room

Dated carpet and furniture made the living room feel dark.

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After: Living Room

Brad installed beadboard on the ceiling to echo the restored walls. By jettisoning the cabinet doors beneath the window seat, he created a clever spot to stash logs for a new woodstove.
Leanne and Brad didn't spend a fortune decorating—nor would these inveterate thrifters have wanted to. A healthy junk-shop habit supplements souvenirs gathered on various trips and hand-me-downs from friends and family. The vibe is classic Americana, treated with a rock 'n' roll attitude: A JFK campaign poster faces off against a gilded Federal mirror, both items nicked from Leanne's childhood home.
Bright idea: When it comes to hanging wall art, don't overlook the mullion bar between two windows.

Max Kim-Bee

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Eclectic Collectibles

Fate obliged Leanne's fantasy of lining the living room walls with beadboard: Under drywall, the duo stumbled across the timeless panels.
"My wife and I have always had similar taste—a sort of modern vintage aesthetic—but while working on the house together, we really developed our shared style," Brad explains.
Plus: 85 living rooms you'll want in your home »

Max Kim-Bee

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Powder Room

The Shaffers refashioned the hall closet into a powder room. The faucets hail from a school science lab. The walls are painted Pup Tent by Martha Stewart Living.
Plus: 49 bold bathroom decorating ideas »

Max Kim-Bee

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Before: Bedroom

The couple decided to tear down the dropped ceiling and basic wallpaper.

 

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