This stunning 1930s home gets a modern eclectic makeover.
There was no game plan when Laura Jo Fretwell moved into her 1935 home, only the promise of potential. The house’s in-need-of-TLC condition required a heady dose of creativity and verve. Eight years of renovations later, Laura’s love, sweat, and tears created a magnetic nook in a world of modern greige. Part of Laura’s love for older homes is that no one is like another.
“There’s something really beautiful about taking something old and unloved and bringing it back to life,” she says. “And I definitely feel like I’ve done that a lot throughout my home.”
Different textures and colors swirl through the rooms in a mist of imagination and ingenuity. Laura doesn’t hold herself back from experimenting with juxtaposing elements. Most of the furniture pieces and light fixtures in the home are antique and vintage. Her motto when decorating is buy now, find a home later. Laura, whose hobby is refurbishing old furniture, strips, paints, stains, refinishes, and reupholsters her treasures to make them fit her vision. One of her greatest scores is the guest bedroom art deco bed and vanity she purchased from Habitat for Humanity for $75.
Laura prioritized livability and warmth, making the house a welcoming and safe space for her family. Honoring the house, she echoed many of its original details while introducing more contemporary colors and fabrics. While everything is loved; nothing is too precious.
“I wanted it to be a warm, fun energy, but still respecting the era of the home and my style,” Laura says. “I love antiques, but I wouldn’t want to have a home where people felt like they couldn’t touch anything.”
Laura Jo wants people to feel welcomed and at ease in her home.
“I have a young son, and I have a dog, so my house gets dirty,” Laura says. “I don’t make people take their shoes off when they come inside. It’s a house that I want to be lived in and loved and not just appreciated.”
Some of Laura’s most cherished spaces needed the most help, including the family room. The room started without flooring, and the windows were so dire that she couldn’t see out of them. Laura installed the black-and-white floor tile, exposed parts of the hidden brick wall, and replaced the windows. Like most of the home renovations, Laura completed the manual labor herself.
“The sunsets and sunrises are amazing in that room,” she says. “It’s also just breathtaking when there’s fresh snow.”
Among Laura’s other house improvements is her double deck, which offers panoramic views of Jefferson City. The deck is connected outside by an outdoor spiral staircase and accessed by exterior doors. Before her purchase, there wasn’t easy access to the backyard unless someone went out the front door and walked around the house. Now, Laura and her family can watch the annual Fourth of July fireworks from the comfort of their deck chairs.
“There’s something really beautiful about taking something old and unloved and bringing it back to life.”
Laura Jo Fratwell
Upstairs, the attic includes a space that Laura dubs as “the diva den,” which houses her closet and a space to breathe and let go. Connected to the primary bedroom, the space is perfect for the moments when she needs to collect herself. Laura has a hard time imagining ever leaving because of all that the space brings her.
“I feel like that’s my creative space up there, and it’s also my little hideaway,” she shares.
After living in her home for almost a decade, the initial feeling of being overwhelmed by the projects to be done has waned. However, Laura is not immune to the curse of homeownership. The work is never done.
“The primary bathroom, I have big plans there,” she explains. “I want to gut it and expand it. I’d like to put a stand-alone claw-foot double slipper tub in front of the bedroom window. That window has an amazing view of the capitol at night. I have this vision of me sitting in this tub and being able to look at the capitol. So someday, that’s my next big project.”
Eventually, Laura hopes to see her vision complete so she can step back and feel that the job is done.
“I didn’t design my house for anybody except for myself,” she says. “I went into it with a love for the home, and it is a reflection of my personality. I know my taste is definitely not for everyone because it’s pretty loud, but it’s me, and I’m proud of it.”