The Great Bungalow Rescue

So, when our neighbor Jim passed away in 2023, his family asked if we wanted to buy his house. They all had their own places, but they knew how much we’d cared for Jim over the years—and how much he’d cared for us. So, without ever stepping foot inside, we said yes.

Now, Jim was a character. Sweet guy, but he never threw anything away. We had no idea what we were walking into. Turns out, it was a full-on hoarder situation—stacks of newspapers, random knickknacks, and things that probably hadn’t seen the light of day in decades. Every room was packed, but underneath it all, you could tell the house had good bones.

Going through everything was like stepping into a time capsule. We found some incredible pieces of history, held a weekend estate sale, and then got to work. The goal? Bring this place back to life while keeping its soul intact.

And we did just that. The transformation was so good, it actually won the Riverside Avondale Preservation Award. Jim would’ve loved it. His childhood home, once buried in clutter, is now a stunning bungalow ready for its next chapter.

Jeff: Restoring Jim’s house was more than just a renovation—it felt like a tribute. Jim wasn’t just a neighbor; he was family to us. For 14 years, we shared so many memories and helped each other out in big and small ways. When his family asked if we wanted the house, it felt like the right thing to do. We knew we couldn’t just fix the house; we had to honor Jim’s life and the memories he’d built in it. The process was a lot of work, but it was also incredibly rewarding. It felt like we were giving the house and Jim’s story a second chance. When we finished, it wasn’t just a another renovation—it actually felt like we had brought the house back to life. After everything Jim had poured into that place, it deserved to shine again. And honestly, I think he would’ve loved it

Jeff: We found some wild stuff going through Jim’s house. There was a stash of silver dollars hidden away, stacks of old Snap-on tool catalogs (he must have been obsessed), and even some early computer boards from way back. But that was just the start. We uncovered a huge collection of old comic books, a full 1970s Playboy collection, and decades’ worth of TV Guides and HBO guides—seriously, he must have kept every single one! And then, of course, there was the ammunition. Boxes and boxes of it, tucked away in closets, drawers, and even inside old toolboxes. It was like stepping into a time capsule of Jim’s life, and every room had something unexpected. Sorting through it all was a mix of history, nostalgia, and a few ‘what the heck?’ moments.

Jeff: Jim always said he loved his mama’s house. He’d talk about how beautiful it was when she was alive and how he wished he had the resources to make it shine again. That stuck with us. So when we took on this project, it wasn’t just about fixing up an old house—it was about honoring Jim’s memories and his love for the home. That’s why we painstakingly restored every wooden window, saved the original 1920s hardware, and kept the original doors and hardwood floors. It was our way of bringing the house back to what Jim had always dreamed of but never got the chance to do. If he were here today, I am quiet sure he’d start to cry.

Well, for one, it was literally right next door, so we couldn’t escape it—even if we wanted to! But the biggest difference was that we weren’t working for a client, which meant we got to call all the shots. We picked every finish, worked late into the night, experimented with new ideas, and if we made mistakes, they were ours to fix—no one to answer to but ourselves. And because we weren’t restricted by someone else’s budget, we could really take our time and do things right, without cutting corners. It was challenging, but also the most rewarding project we’ve ever done.