First of all – welcome to the new “the everyday home.”
I am so in love with the new look and hope you like it, too. 🙂
The reason I am sharing this home with you is that I have always been
fascinated with the idea of taking a historical structure – such as a church, barn, etc –
and giving it a new life by turning it into a home!
Such as what Chris and Beth Collier did to an old hospital in Washington, NC.
The town of Washington is one of NC’s prettier small, coastal towns.
Also know as “Little Washington,” it was founded in 1776 and was the first
American town to be named after General George Washington.
The town is known for its stately homes and lovely gardens.
{the pamlico house}
{revolutionary era homes}
Washington also boasts a quaint downtown area located right on the waterfront with shops and
a variety of restaurants.
The hospital in which the Collier’s converted was known as the Tayloe Hospital.
Chris’ great-grandfather worked there as a doctor, and after a new hospital was built and
the Tayloe Hospital was converted into a nursing home, Beth’s grandmother spent her final years there.
The hospital-turned-nursing home was sold in 2004, and that is when the Collier’s purchased it.
It was in a state of scary disrepair after being boarded up for over a decade.
Beth remembers the attic as being the scariest part once they took possession.
They went up with flashlights and there were “hundreds of dead pigeons.”
She said it was very “Alfred Hitchcock.”
But, the Colliers said they could see past the old, rusted hospital beds, falling
ceilings and decayed walls. They loved that the structure was in the historical district, and but they were
also enamored with the Georgian Architecture it boasted.
The renovations were extensive to say the least, but now it not only houses their home
but also Beth’s Art Studio on the third floor.
Welcome to the Collier’s Home…
This is the original ambulance entrance.
Now painted a beautiful Carolina Blue – urns and pots filled with ivy and ferns
flank each side of the double doors.
Once inside, you step into a vibrant red entryway.
The design leans towards the modern, and features clean lines of furniture and style.
I love the bits of whimsey, such as the cow skin chairs in the Living Room and the
extra long purple tapers in the wall sconces below.
The study has an exotic feel with a deep aubergine wall color.
Beth and Chris retained as many features of the original structure as possible.
The original elevator and doors are seen here in this hallway.
I absolutely love the rusted patina of the doors.
A former museum curator, Beth has filled their home with personal designs
with lots of unique character.
One of my favorite areas, this bathroom features a door leading to one of the original
fire escapes.
Beth busy in her third floor studio…
Thank you Chris and Beth for allowing us a peek into your amazing home.
For the full article about the Collier’s home, as featured in Garden and Gun, you can go here.
I hope you enjoyed this tour of a North Carolina home. I will be sharing more of these homes and
tours as part of a new series at the everyday home. See you on Thursday, where we are gonna
take a little vacation trip to England. Grab your passport. 🙂
Sandy Edgar says
This was an amazing tour…my husband and his brother were born at that hospital. My husband was born May, 1946 and his brother was born June, 1947. Their Mother was from Edenton and married a Louisiana Marine …both of these sons were born there. In fact, my mother in law worked there I believe for a short time…she was a registered nurse. Her maiden name was Sutton. I can hardly wait to show my husband this site….Thank you for posting and I love this house/hospital….
View CommentBarb says
Sandy that is amazing!!!! I am so happy you can show him this. What a wonderful thing that they saved something from decay and put so much love into it. I also love Edenton btw. I am from Swansboro (and also married a Marine) so I have a thing for small coastal NC towns. 🙂
View CommentPat@Back Porch Musings says
Love these kinds of stories, Barb!
The new look is wonderful, too!
View Commentkirby carespodi says
Love the new look! (And how appropriate to use Dickenson, who never left her house.) This is a great house…love it when they make commercial buildings into homes. We are on the lookout for one ourselves.
View CommentSoiledrotten says
So pretty! Loving that red! Thank you for sharing 🙂
View CommentAnna says
I grew up in Belhaven (a small town outside Washington). As a teenager we rode the waterfront in Washington on weekends and “hung out” with friends. I know the area well and remember the house well. I also remember the blue house in the pic of the area…it has a cannon ball in the side. There is a lot of history in Washington, Bath and Belhaven. Thanks for sharing this beautiful home transformation and taking me back to my childhood.
View CommentBeth collier says
thank you for sharing our hospital home story. Please come visit us when you’re in little Washington. Warmest regards, Beth
View CommentBarb says
Thanks Beth, I would love to see your beautiful home in person one day. Have a great weekend. 🙂 Barb
View Commentnanci says
Where did you get those cow skin chairs!!! My mother is crazy for them and I want to surprise her!! Thanks Nanci
View Comment