A former wreck of a rooming house has been restored, revealing an exquisite and luxurious Victorian home.
Written by Kathryn Drury Wagner
Photography by Hayden Hill/Hill Property Media // Courtesy Liza DiMarco/Compass Georgia
When Shane Fatland and Byran Schreier began the process of renovating 102 E. 38th St., more than a few eyebrows were raised. “We were the new kids on the block,” says Schreier of the historic preservation review process. “We came in with our portfolio and architectural drawings, but still I think they had doubts we’d be able to handle it.”
Because this wasn’t just any old building. The 3,777-square-foot home, which they purchased in March 2023, had deteriorated over the years, becoming a notoriously decrepit, rent-by-the-week boarding house.
“From a sanitary, human standpoint, it felt sad,” says Fatland. Nearly every window was Plexiglas or broken, with only three panes of original glass remaining throughout the home. Doors had scary collections of multiple locks. And every nook and cranny had been filled. “The living room was a bedroom, the dining room was a bedroom, the porch was a bedroom,” he says.
Luckily for the house — and the neighbors — Fatland and Schreier are savvy, experienced renovators. The married couple first met in Minnesota, where they restored two houses, before taking on a 6,000-square-foot, circa-1882 Victorian in Rome, Georgia. That massive house had so much charisma, it soon became a location for the Netflix hit “Stranger Things.”
Fatland and Schreier have usually felt called toward a specific house and let that determine their next move, but for 102 E. 38th St., they specifically wanted to live in Savannah and centered their search here. Plus, says Fatland, “This house deserves to be saved.” It was built roughly in 1895, he estimates, based on historical images of Drayton Street.
The home’s location in the fun, bustling Street Car District helped, too. And let’s be honest, the challenge was hard to resist. “I loved that it was so bad people were like, ‘No way,’” Schreier says with a smile.
During the two-year renovation of the now four-bedroom, four-bath home, the couple lived in a 450-square-foot ADU on the property. Except for major mechanicals (HVAC, electrical, etc.), the couple did everything themselves. Toiling from his at-home workshop/studio, Fatland hand-turned the porch spindles and columns, and handmade windows using antique reproduction glass. “When you renovate, it’s important that it looks like it’s always been here,” he explains.
The exterior of the home, previously painted white, is now a regal combination of Adaptive Shade and Enduring Bronze, both by Sherwin-Williams. “It’s supposed to be tall, dark, and handsome,” says Schreier. “It has a vibe.”
Inside, they opted to go ahead and paint over the layers and layers of older paint on the wood, such as the original pocket doors. “At that point, you have to decide, are you going to strip it all, or lean into it?” says Schreier.
The kitchen is one of the few spots in the home where the original hardwood flooring couldn’t be restored. “It’s the second time I’ve had this kitchen,” says Fatland of the layout and design. “I love it, and so why not do it again?” It features a 12-foot island and some cutlery displays that would feel right at home on the set of “Knives Out.”
Upstairs, he carefully positioned closets where there had been none, reusing the original millwork and doors whenever he could and, when necessary, shopping for four-panel doors at Re:Purpose Savannah.
On the side of the home, a new sleek saltwater pool is surrounded by lush landscaping. “It was funny because the house was still in really rough shape, when, rolling down 38th Street, here come all these 20-foot palm trees on a flatbed truck,” says Schreier. Everyone was like, ‘They’re nuts.’” The pool area also has a bathroom/changing room and a fire pit area.
At press time the home was for sale, with Liza DiMarco of Compass Georgia as the listing agent. The couple get antsy once they finish a house, they explain. “We restore old houses,” says Fatland. “That’s what we do. During the process, it’s so fun to discover things and make things better. It’s rewarding. And then when we’re done … you almost don’t want to let go of the [renovation] process.”
They are open to their next project house calling out to them, maybe in Savannah, maybe not. “We love Victorian homes, but the ones we are usually after are Haunted Mansion-style, 1870s, Mansard roof, Second Empire. That’s our thing,” says Fatland. They seem happiest in a house with a tower, ideally one that’s being struck by lightning while the organ music soars.
When I tell them this house was lucky to have them, Schreier corrects me. “Aw, we’re lucky it would have us.”
