Couple restores historic home
The home was built in 1931 and the Murch’s are only the third owners of the residence.
Mike and Colleen Murch’s renovation of their Madison home located at 15 Arnett Street has been a labor of love.
The couple, who has a deep appreciation for historic architecture, decided to restore the home to its original California bungalow classic architecture.
The home was built in 1931 and the Murch’s are only the third owners of the residence. The restoration has included restorations inside and outside of the structure, however, their most recent project, was restoring the front porch which had been changed by the previous owner, Larry Stanley, who lived there from 1981 to 2002.
Stanley had closed in the porch and added 2 bay windows on the front. The Murch’s discovered (some of) the original windows from the home stored in the attic and (a great deal of) the original siding was preserved under a layer of pressboard. Much of the original woodwork is still in place and two salvaged stained glass entry doors from the period were discovered from a home in Historic Huntsville.
The original bead board ceiling remained intact and will remain as well.
“The porch (whole renovation taking 2.5 years-porch was a small part of that) project has taken two years and we are nearing completion,” Colleen said of the restoration.
The couple feels that living in Madison’s Historic District is a great place to live and raise a family. Their son Camden is five and just started Kindergarten at Madison Elementary School, also located in the Historic District. When the couple married in 2005, Colleen updated the Historic marker sign, reflecting the last name of the original owner, followed by the name of the current owner.
“We have enjoyed this entire restoration process and are happy to know that we are nearing its completion,” Murch said. (same quote above?)
The couple (Colleen owns Picket Fence Studio–Mike is a lead engineer for Simulation Technologies at Redstone for over 20 years) also owns Picket Fence studio, which is operated by Colleen, an artist and illustrator who specializes in illustrations for children’s spaces and whimsical art for homes. She is an (teaches kids art) art teacher at the Play Place in Madison. Her artistic inclinations have enhanced the homes restoration process and is reflected in the interior and exterior of the home’s decor.
