DESIGN POINT
RENOVATION ROCKSTARS
Beato's family home (above) is white and blue, and she kept this color scheme after the renovation. Portugal's historic homes tend to
This historic family home in Portugal has been blue and white since it was built. Because this renovation took place in an historic district, the investor did not even consider changing the colors to something else.
feature many bright colors, including pink, yellow, and light blue (see image on p. 61). (Left) Even the lock on this home is a piece of art and history. "The lock has a triple bolt on it, and the fun thing is that the key retracts into itself so you can put it in your pocket and not have a five-inch key sticking out," said Beato.
Renovation Rock Stars: International Edition A FAMILY HOME IN PORTUGAL BRINGS SURPRISES, CREATES MEMORIES.
BIG SURPRISES As with any older property, Beato’s project came with a few surprises. “The first floor of the home was originally built in the 1930s, and my dad paid for the second-story addition around 1945,” she recalled. The family soon found themselves dealing with complicated facets such as digging up the entire plumbing system throughout the prop- erty while the sewer system continually backed up during the process. “The pipes had also deteriorated, which didn’t help things!” Beato said. She also discovered another pitfall associated with renovating abroad: Some- times, you just don’t know what you don’t know – until you’re freezing. “Having
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district within walking distance of the beach. Beato knew that she would have to meet certain historic guidelines and keep the building intact when she reno- vated, which involved using period-ap- propriate tiles and finishes (see pictures on pages 60 and 61). “Not only was the process fascinating, but we started a ren- ovation trend in the town,” she laughed.
Portugal, renovating an exquisite piece of her own personal inheritance, her grandparents’ lifelong home. “This home is what I have left of a family legacy on my dad’s side,” Beato ex- plained, adding, “My mom had thought about selling it, but I said, ‘No way!’ My daughters agreed, so we were off.” The home is located in a historic
hen Lorraine Beato, an Atlanta, Georgia, realtor specializing in
single-family residential homes, invest- ment acquisitions, and upscale renova- tions, updates a property, she usually does so for one of her investor buyers or a retail client. Also, she usually works in the continental United States! Last summer, however, she found herself in
58 | think realty magazine :: january 2018
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