Couple overhaul a neglected but stately brick Tudor and usher it into its next chapter
Written by MARY FITZGERALD
Photography by JEREMIAH HULL // ATTIC FIRE
IF YOU BELIEVE IN FATE, you know you can’t fight it. When Jamie Durrence and Robby Perkins happened upon a listing for a stately brick Tudor in Ardsley Park, they were intrigued but guarded.
“It was more than we were looking to spend at the time,” says Perkins, “and we knew the house needed a lot of work.” But they just couldn’t shake the feeling that this could be the one. The longer the listing lingered on the market, the more they wanted it. Giving in to temptation, they finally called the agent to view the property in person.
“I remember almost turning around before we ever stepped foot inside,” says Perkins. Once inside, they were captivated by the home’s charm — it was as if the house had been waiting for them to usher it into its next chapter.
The residence, adjacent to Adam’s Park, has a long and storied history, and Durrence and Perkins have the documentation to prove it. “We have the original hand-drawn set of plans for the house, and we know it was designed and built for a Colonel F.W. Altstaetter in 1922,” notes Perkins. Since then, the home has been occupied by several prominent Savannah families, including generations of the Sprague and Oxnard lines.
Although the house was well loved by its former owners over the past century, its age was starting to show, and it had fallen into a bit of disrepair. “The original slate roof had been let to fail, and water had taken its toll. It had been decades since the kitchen and baths had seen an update. It was a total overhaul — but, you know, fools rush in,” quips Perkins.
Managing a major restoration project is nothing new for Durrence and Perkins. The power couple (both Savannah College of Art and Design graduates) are the founders of Daniel Reed Hospitality and the masterminds behind such Savannah standouts as The Public Kitchen & Bar, Local 11ten, Soho South, Franklin’s and Artillery. Durrence is the managing partner and a seasoned restaurateur, and Perkins is the creative director responsible for concept design and development. “Jamie and I have preservation awards from the Historic Savannah Foundation for our work on the historic buildings that our restaurants occupy,” says Perkins. “It has always been a priority to respect the architectural details.”
In addition to their commercial projects, they have residential experience, too. Each had owned and renovated homes before — a historic house on Park Avenue and a mid-century modern home in Windsor Forest — but this was to be their first shared home. “We were looking for a place to own together,” says Perkins. “A place that could accommodate family and friends and host large gatherings.”
Before making any major changes, the couple lived in the house for a while to become familiar with its assets and shortcomings. They found no need to add to the home’s spacious 5,160 square feet, but they did renovate and reconfigure some of the past remodels.
Part of the home’s appeal had been the fact that the original architectural elements had largely been left intact, notably the well-preserved paneling in the living room, the archways in the main hall, the gorgeous solid oak tongue-and-groove floors throughout, and the three working fireplaces.
“Some of those details were in amazingly good, original condition,” Perkins says. “No one had ever dared to paint the original woodwork and paneling in the house. We tried very hard to respect the integrity and history of the house while bringing it up to speed with all the modern amenities and conveniences one would expect in a home today.”
The five bathrooms were modernized with new fixtures and marble mosaic tile, all in keeping with the character of the home. Being in the restaurant business, a kitchen redesign was a must for this couple. They removed a wall to open up the space and installed Old Mill Woodworks cabinetry, custom designed by Perkins. Forsyth Metalworks constructed the impressive unlacquered brass range hood that shines between solid walnut cabinets on either side. Perkins specified large format slate tile in the kitchen and keeping rooms, and contemporary lighting from Visual Comfort & Co. “The kitchen was a very special project for me,” he says. “When it finally came time to tackle it, I knew exactly how I wanted it to function.”
“Each room in the house has its own feature or focal point,” states Perkins. The library is cozy with built-in bookshelves displaying the couple’s collection of leather-bound books. “During the winter months we love to make cocktails and cozy up in the library with the fireplace roaring.”
Perkins describes the living room’s paneled walls as “remarkable” and shares that the original trim and millwork were ordered out of a catalog from a Chicago company. The custom fireplace surround features handsome stone detailing. A hand painted mural in the dining room was “done in place,” according to Perkins, and the room is accessorized with Perkin’s extensive silver collection. When not on display, the silver is used as serving pieces at parties. Another mural, painted by Perkins, has pride of place in one of the guest bedrooms. The smallest of the bedrooms is the only wallpapered room in the house and boasts a grisaille mural. The couple converted this space into their home office during the pandemic.
Off the primary bedroom, a welcoming sleeping porch was, and still is, a staple for surviving Savannah’s hot summers. Another porch situated off the living room gets high marks, too. “Many months of the year, the porch is the most used ‘room’ in the house,” says Perkins.
The furnishings throughout the house are an eclectic mix of old and new, curated and collected. “Our home is the product of inherited pieces of furniture, art collected over decades, things we feel we can’t get rid of — no matter how tattered they get — and the occasional new addition to the collection, usually snuck in when my husband isn’t home. I like juxtaposing contemporary and old things,” says Perkins. “To do it well, that’s taste!”
A cohesive color palette flows throughout the house, letting the architectural details, artwork and furnishings shine. “I have a list of ‘go-to’ colors that I use repeatedly,” says Perkins. “I am not afraid of color, but only where it’s successful.”
As beautiful as the interiors are, the grounds are equally grand. But when Durrence and Perkins arrived, they weren’t exactly spectacular. The property had been neglected for some time and had gone wild. To get a sense of what was there, they first had to remove almost all the plant material and vegetation. In doing so, they discovered a side gate that had been walled over, hidden behind overgrown azaleas and vines. It led directly to Adam’s Park, which was a welcome surprise.
Going into the project, Durrence and Perkins assumed this would be their forever home. “It wasn’t until just recently — and very unexpectedly — that we came across something that felt like the next chapter in our story,” says Perkins. Leaving the house will be bittersweet for the couple, but they do so with a sense of pride of accomplishment and great memories from nearly a decade spent in the home. The residence has been the backdrop for many milestones: “We hosted many wonderful holidays, events and fundraisers,” notes Perkins. “My sister got married here.” Acknowledging that all good things must come to an end, he says, “We’ve always felt like we are just stewards of a very important home that has been part of many past owners’ stories.” Stay tuned for the sequel.
DETAILS
- Homeowners: Jamie Durrence and Robby Perkins
- Neighborhood: Ardsley Park
- Year built: 1922
- Year purchased: 2015
- Interior design: Robby Perkins
- Number of bedrooms: 5
- Number of bathrooms: 5
- Square footage: 5,160
- Lighting: Visual Comfort & Co.
- Cabinetry: Old Mill Woodworks
- Range hood: Forsyth Metal Works
- Countertops: Surface Setters
- Faucets: Kingston Brass
- Antiques: Peridot Antiques; Everard Auctions and Appraisals
- Paint: Sherwin-Williams
- Appliances: KitchenAid
