The Dundee neighborhood home of Carol Lehan. She and her husband had owned the home for years as a rental property, and when they wanted to downsize, they spent about nine months on renovations before moving in themselves.
As Mike and Carol Lehan walked through their Dundee rental property with their contractor and interior designer, they started making notes of everything that would need to change if they were to live there.
“It was pretty much everything,” Carol says.
Undaunted by that long and expensive list of renovations, they gave up their 1½-acre property near Omaha Country Club and moved into the city.
Carol Lehan loves all the walkers who stroll past her Dundee home.
Walls came down, a garage and an addition were built, a master suite was incorporated on the second floor, a fireplace was added and the kitchen was gutted.
The redo of a “bowling alley” powder room off the kitchen meant they could have a combination laundry-mud room on the main floor.
Renovations took nearly a year, but after living there for several months, they remain satisfied with the whole-house transformation.
“It’s like having a baby,” Carol says. “I created this. Of course I love it.”
It was a journey they hadn’t expected.
After 27 years of living happily near OCC, they had no intention of moving until someone inquired about purchasing their home. They were intrigued, but also realized that meant finding another home.
Carol is a Realtor and knows the market well. However, after searching the city, they couldn’t find the perfect substitute.
They own some rental houses, including this property in Dundee, and started to talk about living in one of them until they could find something else. Then that talk began to shift.
“It just started to all seem possible,” Carol says. “There were things we could do here that would make it very livable.”
Mike had bought the house when he got his first job after law school. He and Carol met there at a party in the 1970s and lived there a year after their marriage. The tiny second-floor bathroom prompted a move, and it became a rental. Carol says that, at the time, she didn’t have the vision to change the layout into what it is today.
Joe Raymond of JPR Enterprises and Diane Luxford of D-Lux Interiors helped change that.
They worked with the Lehans as they decided to lose a bedroom on the second floor to create a master suite and turn the third floor into a massive closet.
Unlike some additions, when you know instantly it’s new, Raymond was able to match new woodwork and moldings to the rest of the house.
The jump in building material costs pushed the budget way past what they expected, and Carol says it might not have been a feasible project if the house hadn’t been paid for long ago.
They’re pleased it retains the charm of an older home, including the chilly office.
“It’s like we built a new house but kept the character,” she says. “We preserved the things worth saving.”
One of the Lehans’ two children lives in Minneapolis, and they love the walkability of daughter Sarah’s neighborhood, with its easy access to restaurants and other amenities.
That was also a reason they decided to renovate this home in Dundee instead of one of their other rentals. The only thing missing is a close grocery store.
To take further advantage of everything the neighborhood has to offer, they removed, reworked and reattached the front porch, They spend a lot of time there when weather permits, even though they also have a back patio.
“I like the parade of dogs, strollers and bikes,” Carol says. “It’s a much more active neighborhood. It’s kind of fun to be in the city.”
Photos: Inside a Dundee rental that was once an unlikely forever home
The Lehans had owned the home for years as a rental property, and when they wanted to downsize, they spent several months on renovations before moving in themselves.
Carol didn’t like the design of the original porch, which was in bad shape. It was removed and the stairs moved to the center in line with the front door. Spindles were used instead of a half wall. Tapered pillars reflect its craftsman’s styling.
The idea was to have another porch but it became a full addition, which adds wonderful living space to the main level. “It’s like having a living room and a family room, which is nice,’’ Carol says.
Carol Lehan loves all the walkers who stroll past her Dundee home.
Carol adores her custom Eurowood cabinets. “I love that they go all the way to the ceiling. I just hate when there is a soffit or dead space,’’ she says. “We’ve got the lighted glass doors at the top to display some pretty things.’’
The dining area with bay window seating.
The front living room. Quarter-sawn oak built-ins and a direct vent fireplace were added during the remodel.
A powder room on the main floor. It used to be larger, but they made it smaller to fit better in the new layout.
Carol thought the peacock wallpaper in the powder room on the main floor added a cool touch.
The main staircase in the Dundee home.
The master suite on the second floor was reconfigured and expanded.
The master bathroom and walk-in closet are in what used to be the old sleeping porch. It has double vanities, a large walk-in shower and lots of storage. They put in a clothes chute to the first-floor laundry room.
FINISHED BASEMENT
The basement had been finished before but it was updated to eliminate a choppy layout. The old laundry room became an exercise space.
ATTIC CLOSET
Unfinished attic space was converted into a walk-in closet with some cedar lining. It has leopard carpet and a chandelier. “Very girly,’’ Carol says.
The couple kept as many of the original features as possible.
The basement had been finished before but it was updated to eliminate a choppy layout. The old laundry room became an exercise space.
The house still has its original cedar siding, which was matched on the addition. Paint colors were updated to reflect the time period the house was built. Carol calls it an updated craftsman palette.
A two-car garage was built behind the Dundee home.
One of the cool features kept in the remodel.
marjie.ducey@owh.com, 402-444-1034,
