Homes offer timeless beauty
Butler's oldest homes hold a piece of the city's history.
That's why Michael Nanni and his wife, Jen, have taken so much pride in the restoration of their two North McKean Street homes.
“We did a period-type renovation,” Michael Nanni said. “We want it to look old, but be new.”
Right now the Nanni family lives at 501 N. McKean St. They moved there after spending a number of years down the block.
Nanni said he has been repairing the two homes since he moved back to Butler. “We've been constantly upgrading,” he said.
Home improvement isn't his day job, though; he's a pharmacist.
Nanni said a little bit of research and some trips to the library can help anyone not only restore a home but do so in a style that correlates with a particular period.
“There are a lot of resources available for people to keep up old houses,” he said.
Nanni said he strives to match the 1920s era in his work.
“We try to tie different renovations together to make it look like they were done at the same time,” he said.
Nanni is constantly on the lookout for cosmetic additions that will fit the home, ranging from furniture to paintings.
“If not an antique, then a reproduction of an antique,” he said.
But the real importance of maintaining an older house is in the walls.“Electric and plumbing are always the first thing to look at,” he said. “You've got to make sure they're in good shape before you worry about looks.”Nanni said he is redoing the wiring in his house, although it's not a task he takes on alone.He said he does what he can with the electrical components but added he calls for a professional electrician for a lot of the work for safety reasons.Another common problem with old houses is heating. Nanni said some simple things can cut heating costs, such as adding insulation to the walls.He installed a separate heater on the third floor, which is occupied by his teenage children.Nanni said in terms of renovating the rooms, he has started with the bathrooms.He said he gutted the bathrooms on the first and third floors, replacing many of the fixtures and redoing the tiles.He said the bathroom on the third floor was redone for about $2,500, while the more extensive work on the lower bathroom cost about $4,000.“Things can be done very cheaply on your own,” he said.Nanni said he would like to move on to the kitchen as his next project.While he sees a future full of work, he said the previous owner of the house did a great job maintaining its traditional aspects.“We inherited a great house,” he said.Things were a little different at the first house they renovated at 522 N. McKean St.“We converted it from a duplex back to a single family home,” he said. “We redid the insulation, added a new roof, remodeled three bathrooms and painted the exterior.”Nanni said many of the city's older homes have been converted into duplexes.“Too many people want to start in a duplex as a beginning home then move outside the city,” he said.He hopes many families will move into Butler and reverse the trend.Nanni said newer homes in developing communities don't have the same fixtures as older homes.“There are so many nice houses in Butler,” he said. “I think the city should do more to make sure people see these homes.”Nanni said he enjoys working on his homes and said it has a other benefits as well.“It's a good way to increase the value of your home,” he said.
