Name: Brian Naubert
Location: Phinney Ridge — Seattle, Washington
Size: 6 bedrooms and 2 baths in main house. Separate basement apartment — built in 1909.
Years lived in: 7 — owned
At first glance you could never tell the distressed state this 1909 bungalow was in when owner Brian Naubert first purchased it. The neighborhood kids remember the decrepit house very well however. It was the one they always avoided on Halloween due to the terrifying condition it was in. Seven years later and the transformation is remarkable. Brian has poured every last ounce of love and energy he has into the breathtaking makeover.
This house's charming yet quirky history is hard to match. Early records indicate the home was once owned by the Catholic Church and served as a boarding house. Unwed Catholic women would stay for months on end and partake in daily chores to keep the residence in top shape. A tattered chore list still hangs on the back of the attic door. Other reminders of the church remain – such as the stain glass window in the former "Prayer Room" and current bathroom. Twenty-five foot Japanese Maples planted by the nuns are also a welcome reminder around the property. The house is named Villa Maria in honor of the church even though it no longer has any ties.
After the church sold the boarding house to private owners, care and upkeep went downhill. The house sat vacant for five years until it eventually caught Brian's artistic eye. The graphic designer wanted a project to keep him busy and boy did he find it. He worked meticulously for three years straight to restore the original bungalow details back to their previous glory. Today the tradition of the boarding house carries on with six of seven rooms rented out to tenants. The title of the renter's ad reads, "Best Rental House Ever" and that's no lie. Over 25 roommates have passed in and out of the house just in the last seven years Brian has owned it. All keep in touch with one another on the Villa Maria Facebook page. It is hard to guess how many borders in all have called this space their home, but it is most likely pushing one hundred. The beautiful history and heritage will be shared with many more thanks to Brian's restoration work.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Bungalow
Inspiration: Bungalow style itself. Brian researched as much as he possibly could to remain true to the structure. He also pulled from his drafting skills and love of architecture.
Favorite Element: The exterior paint colors. They are inspired by a trip Brian took to Pasadena and are unique to the Northwest. Well they were until three neighbors asked to use his paint chips.
Biggest Challenge: Finding a stopping point. Once Brian started to take the old house apart, he kept finding new projects. He finally drew the line, but still talks about what his next project on the house will be.
Proudest DIY: The day he added the last tile to the kitchen. I am surprised it wasn't the day he finished installing the main support beam of the dining room and the house did not fall.
Biggest Indulgence: The kitchen. It was in complete shambles when Brian first purchased the house. So his slogan was if he had to gut it he might as well splurge a bit too.
Best Advice: Research, research, research. Also take your time. The house is not going anywhere. With this theory it took Brian three years of full-time work to complete the project. The end result was worth it however.
Resources of Note:
Frequent trips to Southeast Asia, vintage shops and relatives supplied most all furniture. Paint colors are from Benjamin Moore. All hardware and Kitchen lighting is supplied from Rejuvenation. Switch plates are from Anthropologie.
Thanks, Brian!
Images: Image 1 - 3: Brian Naubert. All others: Katy Nida
• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE Check out past house tours here
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
• Are you a designer/architect/decorator interested in sharing a residential project with Apartment Therapy readers? Contact the editors through our Professional Submission Form.
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Stanley Console by ...
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Recipe: Ham, Cheddar & Chive Egg Bakes
Gorgeous! Would have loved to see more exterior shots.
Love your house! What is the name of that great orange color?
Very beautiful.
I wish there were more photos! Bathrooms...maybe even tenants' rooms?
Kudos to you for putting your heart and soul into restoring a home and then opening it up for other people to live in! I am way too much of a control freak for that.
I would love to live in this house, exactly as it is...well, minus the creepy naked doll. Other than that, it's perfect-well done!
I'm with jessicamc...I wish there were more photos, and I think it's great that you open up your house to tenants when you've put so much of yourself into it. I am also too much of a control freak for that.
Yeah that doll's creepin' me out! It must have a LOT of sentimental value. I LOVE everything else.
This house is amazing.
_Beautiful windows. interesting (in a good way) tapestry behind the bed. I would love to see before or process pictures too.
What a stunning place! I love the wood, the windows, the musical instruments ... all so beautiful!
If you follow the links in the post you can see more photos of this house. Specifically here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/96708356@N00/sets/72157594516655664/
If you go to his website and click on home remodel, there is a set of photos on Flickr with construction photos, before, and more interiors. I think I used to walk by this house and wonder about it. North of the zoo?
I love your kitchen!!!!! White subways tiles and all :-)
btw: is it a bungalow when it clearly has a second floor?
Yay Phinney Ridge! I know right where this house is, and it is beautiful. Though, truth to be told, there are lots of understated beauties in this neighborhood.
LOVE the orange! Could you please tell me what it is? I also love a home tour where the owner has personal photos on the walls. Nice homey touch! Great job!
Good Job staying true to your homes character. I really love Bungalows too. Your research paid off well.
Awesome place ..... House just the right size with great details
i love your place! great style. i do wish there were less object photos and more house photos. thanks for sharing! love the dining room and music areas and scarf headboard deco.
@queenyellowsun: word. Dear AT and Everyone, enough with the vignettes! A couple per tour, fine. But not one room shot, one vignette, rinse and repeat. In particular, in this tour, I'd have preferred to see more of the house and fewer practically-single-item vignettes of...musical instruments, which we're all familiar with.
Very beautiful home,the scenery,,everything is very nice..lots of room..nice neutral colors allover..very open..the only thing I would change is the Livingroom, atr deco,,I would place a nice comfortable light colored sectional couch. and big screen TV...it looks cluttered..to make it more open space to it..thank you for the tour..I love the trees outside too with the fall leaves..
I grew up in a very similar style/size house...I always thought of it as Craftsman/Arts&Crafts rather than bungalow.
Great phots...makes me want to visit. Thanks.
Wonderful. Lots of inspiration there.
Wow. How nice, how serene, how comfy and homey. Really a beautiful home.
The house is really lovely. Great designing skills. I never thought that Brian invest in this property but it really turn out to be a beautiful house.
hey, it's brian here. thanks for all the great comments. here are a few answers and excuses...
many more photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/96708356@N00/sets/72157594516655664/
some bedrooms would not be ideal to shoot as they are currently filled with tenants who may or may not have have a style worthy of this site.
yes, it is very tiresome and unnerving to share my home with so many people. there are however many advantages, and, the disadvantages are outweighed by the fact that with out them, i could not afford to keep this wonderful house.
the orange wall in the kitchen is Benjamin Moore 2-05-0769.
Anything other than a dark leather sofa in the living room would never withstand the use and abuse from so many rear ends, red wine, and a brown dog.
the scary doll is just an ironic object i picked up in Burma.
A true bungalow is 1 or 1 1/2 stories. this house is 1 1/2 as the four rooms upstairs don't have full ceiling height. a bungalow is a type of house and a arts & crafts or craftsman or styles. so i guess you could call this a craftsman bungalow and-a-half.
yes, it's the house north of the zoo!
most of the furniture in the common areas (aside from the sturdy roommate and dog proof couch) was inherited and has been in my family for generations, accented by some things from my travels or flea markets. i often wonder what my style really would be like if i had to start from scratch???
Gorgeous home:) I particularly love the colors you've used for the exterior, as they're not only fun but meld really well with your landscaping. Would you mind sharing the colors you chose?