Most rehab projects incorporate the modern "conveniences" like indoor plumbing, air conditioning, and dimmer switches. But what about modern design? Join us at the next Des Moines Rehabbers Club meeting to find out what happens when a contemporary interior is creatively fit into a historic shell.

Where: 905 18th Street, Des Moines, IA 50314
When: 9:30-11:00 am, Saturday, December 6, 2008

Architect Emily Donovan and her family found such a project in a vacant and dilapidated Sherman Hill house. They were attracted by the home's location, brick exterior, and by the challenge of bringing the building back to life (while staying within an affordable budget). When they purchased the home, not a moment too soon, it had been on the City's "Demo List" for almost 10 years.

Their year-long complete renovation included not just new building systems, roof, and insulation, but also some major structural changes. The home's historic exterior surrounds a contemporary interior with an open floor plan. The design merges rustic and modern materials in creative ways with woodburning stoves and exposed brick, rough-hewn ceiling beams and stainless steel bolts.