Homeowners Adam Ford and Rachel Modahl had always dreamed of owning an old house, even if it meant buying a fixer upper and doing a lot of the work themselves. That desire led them to buy a 1929 brick cottage in a popular East Nashville neighborhood, an area they loved for its vibrant mix of historic houses and active young families. Moving into the house in early 2022 with their two children, now ages 3 and 5, they began to plan how they would gradually renovate over the years to make the house their own.
They knew immediately that they needed a bigger kitchen—the cramped room had only a few cabinets and barely any counter space. They also anticipated the need for more bedroom space as the kids grew; their son and daughter shared one bedroom on the first floor, while Rachel and Adam used a converted first-floor porch as their bedroom, even though it had no heat or air conditioning.
But things quickly got difficult. They found that the tiny kitchen’s main storage area, a built-in pantry, had brown recluse spiders that wouldn’t go away; they struggled sharing just one full bath among a family of four; they discovered wiring in rough shape throughout the house; and they learned that the foundation was crumbling. They also noted problematic materials and issues common to many old houses.
“We joked that the house was full of radon, asbestos, knob-and-tube wiring, and lead paint,” recalls Adam. After 18 months in the house, it was time for a new game plan.
Switching gears, they decided to hire husband-wife general contractors Javier Gutierrez and Lyn Bowman for a whole-house renovation, based on a plan by architect Kaitlyn Smous. Around the same time that they hired their builders, Adam and Rachel—longtime fans of This Old House—saw that the show was looking for project houses. The pair submitted their plans and became part of the show’s 46th season.
“Our goals were to add at least one bathroom, have room to eat and cook together, and create more space for the whole family,” says Rachel. The architect’s plan called for growing the house from a small 2-bedroom/1-bath to a more functional 3-bedroom/2-bath plus 2 half baths, all while staying within the original footprint by rethinking the attic and the basement.
A large rear dormer made sense as a way to convert the attic into usable space for all bedrooms without affecting the main façade—essential given the restrictions of the historic neighborhood.
The basement, however, became the scene of the most dramatic change, when Rachel and Adam got the bad news from a structural engineer that the original foundation was in such poor shape it needed to be rebuilt.
“Our contractors had just built a house with 10-foot-high precast concrete foundation walls,” says Adam, intrigued by a new foundation that would not only provide the support they needed but also create a space with increased headroom. “Rebuilding the basement took it from an adequate house to a great one,” he adds. How to solve the puzzle of building a new foundation under an existing house? Move the house out of the way!
“Lifting a house to create more living space on a lower level may become a good solution for historic neighborhoods where you can’t change the main façade,” says This Old House host Kevin O’Connor.
This Old House general contractor Tom Silva admired the logistics of the house move: The moving team brought in two 50-foot-long steel beams and a series of 11 cross beams that were inserted through the house and supported by cribbing made on site with 6×6 timbers stacked in strategic locations. Once all the hydraulic jacks were in place, the house was lifted a total of 42 inches, then rolled into the backyard so the precast foundation walls could be dropped into place. “It’s quite a feat to see the house moved, and the new precast walls will be a huge improvement over the old cedar posts acting as lally columns in the basement,” says Tom.
The increased headroom in the basement got Adam and Rachel thinking about all the ways they could use the newfound 1,000 square feet of usable space—including utility room with washer-dryer, work sink, and powder room, and a future guest bedroom with walkout to the backyard. One item they chose to do immediately was build a safe room, for protection during the increasingly common tornados that Tennessee is seeing. One tornado tore through their very neighborhood before they lived there and damaged the roof of the house.
Builders Javier Gutierrez and Lyn Bowman tackled the safe room challenge with enthusiasm, researching guidelines to construct a room that meets FEMA standards. “We are using 14-gauge stainless steel panels with a tensile strength of 90,000 pounds to clad the wall and ceiling of the safe room,” says Bowman. “And we double everything–double studs, double bottom plates, double top plates, double ceiling joists, and double wall sheathing.” The room, tucked in a central area of the basement, is secured behind a steel door, but the hope, per Adam, “is to never need to use it.”
Transforming the interior layout meant a gut renovation that made way for an open-plan kitchen dining area across the rear of the house, a relocated stairway, and entirely new spaces on the second floor, where a large rear dormer opened up the former attic to accommodate primary suite, two kids’ bedrooms, and a hallway bath. To complement the totally new rear façade, the homeowners chose an innovative composite siding made of rice hulls and resin, which has the appearance of shiplap boards when installed.
With Nashville’s hot, muggy summers and cold, wet winters, creating a comfortable indoor climate is a key concern, and This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey sized up the homeowners’ options. “Their existing ducted HVAC system is relatively new and perfectly adequate for the basement and first floor,” says Richard, who also suggested ductless mini-split heat pumps for the new second-floor spaces.
A key goal for Adam and Rachel was ensuring the house retained its historic character, and they worked hard to preserve original elements. Adam restored all the old mortise locks and door hardware himself and they reused as many interior doors as possible. In the first floor’s converted porch, which they had been using as their primary bedroom, they made a surprising discovery when paneling was removed to reveal original brick walls. They chose to repair the brick and leave it exposed rather than finish the walls with wallboards and paint for the room, which will become an office.
“We liked the look of the brick and we felt like leaving it exposed and repairing it gave a sense of the house’s history,” says Rachel. “I like that we can see the different stages of the house’s evolution through the decades.” This Old House mason Mark McCullough traveled to Nashville to help with the brick restoration.
As they envisioned their renovated house and its new interior spaces for the whole family, Adam and Rachel also wanted to create outdoor spaces that would let them enjoy the neighborhood they loved. This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada advised Rachel as they strolled through a Nashville garden center and chose plants for the front area of the house, where a lounging area and walkways lined with ornamental grasses and perennials are planned. Adding that outdoor element really makes a difference, especially in an area as popular as Lockeland Springs. Notes Jenn: “This is such a vibrant neighborhood, it’s perfect for sitting out front, interacting with neighbors, or just enjoying the sounds of the wind rustling through the ornamental grasses.”