Scandinavian Simplicity at a Pennsylvania Colonial

Oct - 02
2020

Scandinavian Simplicity at a Pennsylvania Colonial

For hundreds of nights Sara Wasser lay on the floors of her hundred-year-old Pennsylvania house, staring upwards at the ceiling and bare walls because the sun came up. Before rising to spend the afternoon stripping away layers of linoleum, she had the quiet time to collect inspiration. It’s the way she managed to see past the dingy carpet and heavy, conservative background that adorned the run-down house she shares with her husband, Zach. Approaching the renovation within this individual, contemplative manner, she achieved a look that unifies easy Scandinavian style along with her home’s Hawaiian roots.

in a Glance
Who lives here:
Sara and Zach Wasser and their dogs, Polli and Floyd
Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Size: 2,400 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 31/2 baths
Renovation cost: $29,000

Sara Bates

The couple removed hundreds of layers of linoleum from the floor, walls and ceiling to create a clean slate for the $6,000 kitchen update.

They handled much of the renovation themselves to stay within budget, but Wasser hired a local craftsman to bring her vision to get open shelving to life. “He never scoffed in my unconventionalism,” she says. “Instead, it appeared to ignite his imagination.”

Wall paint: Silver Dust, Valspar colour matched by Duron Paints; array: Bosch

Sara Bates

Playful colors accent light walls, giving the space a Scandinavian vibe. Wasser mounted a sleek red stepladder to the wall for simple access to large kitchen shelves. The teal fireplace mantel supporting the range has been a salvage find.

Ladder: Stockholm Design House; mantel paint: habit, Duron Paints

Sara Bates

She re-surfaced this art room sink for just over $200. Budget-friendly butcher block countertops from Ikea attract the warmth of timber to the white kitchen.

Sink: Habitat for Humanity ReStore; countertops: Numerär, Ikea

Sara Bates

After removing tar paper, pressboard and linoleum, the couple coated the soft wood floors using a rubberized epoxy widely used in automotive shops and aircraft hangars. The simplicity of application and industrial-strength finish of the self-leveling merchandise appealed to them. “We knew it would hold up nicely to the claws of both pups,” Wasser says.

A punchy red pocket, which Wasser has owned since faculty, conceals a very small half bath.

Flooring: Concrete Gray Surface Master Protective Coating; refrigerator: Bosch; pocket door paint: Heritage Red, Benjamin Moore

Sara Bates

Wallpaper designed by Danish artist Lene Toni Kjeldcreates motion within this transitional space between the kitchen and dining area. Wasser hung the background horizontally rather than vertically since she selected that the stream of the design that way.

The background is 1 design of a string of eight that can be mixed and matched to create a customized appearance that contrasts across the wall. Another design from the series looks in the living area.

Background: Lace Transitional, Lene Toni Kjeld

Sara Bates

This cow painting is a keepsake in the Wassers’ period in Basalt, Colorado, in which they fell in love with all the job of artist Rosemary Ranck. Coincidentally, after commissioning the artist to create a piece for their new residence, the couple discovered that the artist grew up in the property’s place and her paintings were motivated by the cows roaming the Lancaster pastures.

Interior paint: Edgecomb Grey; trim paint : Revere Pewter; ceiling paint: James River Gray, all three by Benjamin Moore; light fixture: Roost Halo Chandelier

Sara Bates

A thrift store seed box functions as storage for barware. “I love the expression of pieces that don’t have any visual weight,” Wasser says.

Stemware stand: Custom Acrylic Products

Sara Bates

Subtle walls, warm wood floors and clean lines keep the simplicity of Scandinavian design from the living area. The hardwood floors, which were exposed when the couple bought the home, were drum sanded and given a clear coating of rubberized epoxy to create a durable finish that stands up to heavy foot and pet traffic. The total cost of remodeling the floors in the living and dining rooms was approximately $1,200.

Wall paint: Silver Dust, Valspar colour matched by Duron Paints, trim paint : Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore; floors: Hybrid Master Protective Coating

Sara Bates

Wasser’s husband crafted this rustic occasional table in the Armstrong walnut tree that he removed from the yard. After allowing the stump to wash out for many weeks, then he sanded and covered it in a transparent coating of the same rubberized epoxy used on the floors.

Wasser originally planned to create her window treatments using drop cloths. She found a talented Etsy artist that made quality linen drapery to get an even greater price.

Sofa: Fulham, Restoration Harware; drapery: white linen, Lovely Home Idea

Sara Bates

She scored this pair of Victorian-era chairs, which were originally blue and red velvet, from a local thrift shop for $200. A neighborhood upholsterer re-covered them in white duck canvas (front) and gray linen (back) for about $1,000, giving the place a clean, contemporary appearance.

Fabrics: Calico Corners; candelabras: Wisteria

Sara Bates

A slab of bamboo granite the Wassers found in a local scrapyard rests on the original stone mantel. The organic materials blend beautifully with the natural background print from Kjeld.

Background: Rose Transitional, Lene Toni Kjeld

Sara Bates

The couple bought ammunition boxes from a regional used-furniture store and repurposed them for storage in the entryway.

Ammunition boxes: Porter’s Used Furniture (currently closed)

Sara Bates

They built the second-floor guest bath in the top to bottom for around $1,500. Wasser’s husband made the wooden cross as a wedding gift for her. He fashioned it out of a phone pole that was struck by lightning. “I constantly told Zach I wanted an massive cross to get a wedding gift,” Wasser says.

Mirror: One Kings Lane; light fixtures: Allen & Roth, Lowe’s; place rug: Anthropologie

Sara Bates

A wooden tray from a marketplace in Zambia and also an impermeable linen shower curtain include rustic warmth to the tiled shower. Wasser mixed large square ceramic wall tiles using smaller blue handmade tiles, both from Lowe’s, to get a customized look. “The blue tiles have been total fluke find,” she says. “There were just a few pieces. I had to special order more, which required considerable time to get there.”

Shower curtain: Lovely Home Idea

Sara Bates

Even a cowhide rug, a staple in Scandinavian design, adds texture and depth to the principal bedroom. The lack of cupboard space in the bedroom has been the biggest design dilemma of the couple. “We opted for a open wall cupboard system, realizing that succeeding owners may not love it,” Wasser says.

Wall paint: Sea Foam; ceiling paint: Sea Star, both by Benjamin Moore; light fixtures: Avner Ben Natan

Sara Bates

Wasser painted the small principal toilet the same colours as the bedroom. “Considering that the distance is so small, I wanted it to be as visually indistinguishable as possible from the bedroom,” she says.

A one-piece shower stall previously covered the window. When the Wassers noticed that the window in the outside of the home while visiting with neighbors, then they instantly set out to expose the hidden light source.

Sink: Corrie Mini Wall Mount Sink, Signature Hardware; medication cabinet: Godmorgon, Ikea

Sara Bates

They removed pressboard, linoleum, carpeting and tons of nails in the second floor to show the original hardwood floors. A light sanding and a coat of polyurethane were all these floors required to deliver them back to life.

Wall paint : Decorators White; baseboard paint : Rendezvous Bay; stair tread paint: Pacific Ocean Blue, all three by Benjamin Moore

Sara Bates

Inspired by Recycled painted floors, Wasser covered the third-floor suite’s floor in a deep sea blue. Bedding and White walls keep the room feeling light.

How to Paint Your Hardwood Floors

Wall paint : Decorators White; baseboard paint : Rendezvous Bay; flooring paint: Pacific Ocean Blue, all three by Benjamin Moore; drapes: Anthropologie

Sara Bates

Wasser fully remodeled this Craigslist dresser by re-covering the top and sides in birdseye maple veneer and then toss the drawers in trim, which she subsequently decoupaged with burlap. Gold hardware and silk ties finish off this vintage romantic slice.

Mirror: One Kings Lane

Sara Bates

The couple hired a local craftsman to transform a vintage buffet into a dressing table in the third-floor guest suite.

Floor-length mirror: Gella, Uttermost; sink: Overstock.com

Sara Bates

A shower curtain ring has been created the homeowners bought at Lowe’s. Wasser used twine to tie a skirted shower curtain to the ring, adding to the bathroom’s vintage appeal.

Shower curtain: Simply French Market; claw-foot tub: Craigslist; tub hardware: Vintage Tub and Bath

Sara Bates

Sara and Zach Wasser cuddle up with their dogs, Polli and Floyd, in the living area.

See more photos of the Home | Show us your remodel

See related