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Not even a collapsing ceiling stop the cheery HGTV star.
“Have you ever seen the Money Pit?”
Like a lot of people with renovation horror stories, Grace Mitchell likes to compare hers to the plot of this 1986 classic, in which a pair of new homeowners tackle everything from a crumbling staircase to electrical fires to a bathtub that comes crashing through the floor. In most cases, the comparison is hyperbolic; for Mitchell, though, it’s the truth.
A language therapist turned designer and HGTV star (her series, One of a Kind, is currently in its second season), Mitchell knew she had to have the four-bedroom Fort Worth house when she walked through the door nine years ago. Built in 1919, it clearly needed some love, but the charming period details and walkable-to-town location were hard to beat. Mitchell, who had studied interior design, was confident she could handle the renovation, and called on father–son construction team Rick and Craig Goodwin to help. She and her husband, Kent, moved in with their four young children. Six weeks later, a second-floor bathroom collapsed through the ceiling.
“All of our plans were completely blown out of the water,” she recalls. “From the start, the house dictated what needed to happen and when.” So began a seven-year journey of turning disasters into opportunities. When the pipes in the master bathroom exploded, shattering most of the tile, Mitchell gutted and expanded the space to create a luxurious dressing room suite. After a local building inspector threatened to condemn the dangerously ramshackle back porch—nicknamed “the shanty”—she tore it down and built a garden room based on a set of 1920s orangerie plans from eBay. While the kitchen was under construction, the family washed their dishes in a bathtub.
Through it all, Mitchell never lost sight of what made her fall in love with the house in the first place. “There’s just nothing like a home built in this era; every detail shows the craftsmanship that went into it,” she says. “It was a big project, but being able to bring this house back to life—that was a privilege!”
Since the house lacked a proper mudroom, Mitchell built a row of lockers where the kids can stash their belongings. Walls: Timid White, Benjamin Moore. Millwork: Breakfast Room Green, Farrow & Ball. Wallcovering on ceiling and stairs: Farrow & Ball.
An antique factory table from 1stdibs is ideal for family meals: “Just swoosh the seats up to sweep underneath!” Sofa: Simple Things. Side table and stool: Wisteria. Basket: Target. Pendant and sconces: Visual Comfort. Tile: Bottega Design Gallery.
After tearing up the old floors, Mitchell interwove some of the original boards with new ones to keep an authentic feel. Cabinets: Horizon Oak Cabinets in Simply White by Benjamin Moore. Backsplash: Bottega Design Gallery. Countertop and hood: honed Borghini marble, through Onis Stone. Stools: RH. Ceiling lights: Hudson Valley Lighting.
Painted in Farrow & Ball’s Breakfast Room Green to match the millwork in the hallway, a $100 steel window from a local salvage yard lets Mitchell keep an eye on kids playing outside. Sink: Shaws. Faucet: Waterstone.
Extra-high wainscoting keeps luxe Cole & Son wallpaper out of reach of little hands. A matching fabric covers the vintage armchairs; side chairs were updated with lacquer and faux ostrich upholstery. Painting: Karen Smidth, Maybaum Gallery. Chandeliers: antique, House of Tuscany. Rug: Scout Design Studio.
A vintage screen from a friend was the inspiration for the room's palette. "She found it in an old barn and it was in perfect condition!" says Mitchell. Sofa: Lee Industries. Stool: Simple Things. Chest: Vintage Ralph Lauren. Cocktail table: Scout Design Studio.
Mitchell designed a “bathroom island” to go behind the antique barbershop sink, complete with drawers and a hamper on each side. Pendants: Canopy Designs. Sconce: Visual Comfort. Bathtub: Vintage Tub.
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Emma Bazilian is a writer and editor covering interior design, market trends and culture. She has very strong feelings about tissue box covers and believes that everything is better with toile.
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