A reader named Joy wrote me about her historic Queen Anne Victorian known as the Brady House in Garrett Park, Maryland. It was built in the 1890s for the town’s mayor.
She and her husband bought it after it had been severely damaged by fire and took on the challenge of restoring it.
After seeing interior photos of blackened walls and ceilings, I was amazed by how far the house has come.
This side view of the house taken after the fire gives you an idea of what bad shape it was in:
The house sits on two lots and has a separate Carriage House with a 2-car garage, office space, and a full bath.
It was once featured on HGTV and Joy says that for years people
would come up to her and say they recognized her and her house from it.
She’s been inspired over the years by Mackenzie-Childs style, but “Believe it or not, the rooms aren’t quite as pastel as they used to be!”
There are 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths.
The street is lined with beautiful older houses.
The Montgomery Planning website mentions the house as one that’s architecturally significant in the town:
“The Brady House is an enthusiastic example of Queen Anne style architecture. A steeply roofed third story turret dominates the front facade that’s punctuated by paneled cornices, multi-pane Queen-Anne window sash, and latticework frieze and railing on the wraparound porch.”
I’m glad this great old house got a happy ending!
Check the listing for more photos and information.
Thanks to Joy for telling us about her home!
A fabulous restoration. It appears that it is now even lovelier than it was before the fire.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
i agree and was going to say the same thing. absolutely gorgeous, a perfect restoration.
Hubba hubba.
Everything’s wonderful, + I found myself very attracted to the darker gray walls.
They were kind of unexpected, especially in that house.
Insanely well done Joy!!! This house is stunning, inside and out! I believe there is a special place in heaven for people who “rescue” old houses and restore them to their former glory. The colors are absolutely divine. When can I buy it???
Agreed! I want to end up in the section of heaven with the house restorers. Their ambition, originality, and the care that they put into maintaining neighborhoods and historical masterpieces makes them my type of people.
Ditto!
Oh, it warms my heart to see this sort of respectful renovation. What a pile of love, money and elbow grease has gone into this wonderful project. I love the eclectic, whimsical and warm feeling of the interiors, and the exterior…well….just wow. Congratulations to the home owners on a job very, very well done.
Garrett Park is absolutely charming as is this house. I have driven by it many times and was so excited to see that it is just as delightful inside as it is outside!
They did an excellent job with their renovations, inside and out!
Beautiful. Simply beautiful!
I could so cook in that kitchen. It isn’t overly humongous and looks well planned. I’m not sure I like the pink on the outside though.
What a magnificent job they did! I especially like the soft colors she chose for the more formal rooms- the play of light must be really interesting throughout the day. What a wonderful rescue of a wounded home…
So lovely! Love the kitchen!!
Wow! What an awesome restoration. Exactly what I’ve always wanted to do in my life. Fantastic job. So beautiful.
Well, I found my dream home. What an exquisite renovation.
I love it when people throw caution to the wind when decorating. I’m too afraid!
I love it! They did a wonderful job of being true to the house without being a slave to it. Feels fresh and current and at the same time very authentic!
Nicely done.
Heaven! I’m in heaven…
I especially liked the garden – not too plain, but not an overwhelming jungle either. (I love boxwood, pond, and stone pathways kind of gardens!) So nice to see an old home get restored. It must have taken quite a bit of funds, time, and energy to give this old home new life. Well done inside and out!
Really love the back staircase!! Just a simply fabulous renovation. Thanks Julia!
Julia, I just saw your blog featured in the new Real Simple. Congrats!
Oh, wow! I haven’t seen it yet. Thanks, Julie! 🙂
Congrats Julia, you deserve to be appreciated and featured. It is always fun for me to come here.
That’s so nice — thanks! 🙂
Very beautiful, I love the back stairs, too fun!
Good morning Julia here I am sitting here with a (you guessed) cup of coffee trying to get motivated, and here is your beautiful blog. Wow this is one seriously beautiful home. Now if this doesn’t snap me out of it nothing will. I love MacKenzie Childs bought a few things from them but the postage charged brings a tear to the eye. Thank you for sharing beauty it’s the only way to start the day. Regards Esther from Sydney. Oh before I forget have a lovely weekend. PS I’ve been looking at MacKenzie C and Saks Christmas ornaments gorgeous.
What an amazing renovation; I don’t think I would have had the fortitude to tackle a project that big, let alone bring it back, bigger and better! Old Victorian homes, by nature, are some of the hardest to maintain, and yet Joy’s house is fresh and new! They invoke fancy because of all the detailed trims, and I love the eclectic vibe in her rooms and appreciate the fact that she kept, for the most part, the ‘period’ element in her furnishings (w/ a bit of whimsey, courtesy of one of her inspirations, Mackenzie Childs). Great job!
Maggy
Great dining table chairs in different colors. I love her style!
This house was almost a total loss in the fire. When Jon and Joy told me they bought it for $300,000, I thought they had gone crazy. Over time they turned this house into the beautiful state it is today. The house became a home to there family of six plus three dogs. It was lived in for many years and it is now ready for someone else to enjoy. They gave their considerable talents and their amazing sense if style to this great property. I spent many great weekends there, enjoying family. I hope someone grabs this property up soon! Joy’s sister-in-law Kathy O.
Old Vic with lovely youthful attitude done in playful good taste! So happy for such a great redo.
Great backyard pond done by Rowan Landscape and Pool Company, Inc.! The house is absolutely beautiful and one of a kind!
What a lovely home!
Wow! The transformation is unbelievable. Great job! I love knowing there are people in the world that will love an old house back to life- especially one that would scare off 99% of us! I can’t imagine the work that went into that. PS- The cheerful interiors make made me smile. I bet a happy family lives there!
I learned of your website and blog from the Real Simple magazine. I, too, am hooked on houses and could tour them or look at pictures of houses all day.
I especially loved the roomy wrap around porch and outdoor living spaces in this restored home. What a beautiful job!
Thanks, Kathy! Nice to see you here! 🙂
I love the pastel colors, and the porch is lovely. The rooms are pretty minimal in terms of design, and yet they feel nice and cozy. Nothing is overdone. It’s just beautiful.
How did they do the black and white check on the back stair risers??
Thanks for saving that old house!
It’s fantastic! Thanks for your blog!
Thought the house looked familiar, opened the link and was surprised to find that this house is only a few blocks from mine! Amazing restoration, it looks even better in person.