In Alberta, where new-builds and infills reign supreme, one couple has renovated their 1926-built home to honour its historic roots while adding touches reflecting their personal styles.

Administrative assistant Melanie (Travel and Tourism ’11) and ​b​rand designer Steve Bewick Krentz (Graphic Communications and Print Technology ’13) began remodelling their Rockyford home in 2020.

They knew they didn’t want ​​to follow current design trends, but soon realized the space itself was defying their attempts to re-create a Victorian-style house. Instead, they discovered, it was better suited to a mid-century modern (MCM) aesthetic with a touch of late-Victorian gothic decor. 

Today, their house is a curated design oasis in the heart of Wheatland County.

“It’s so rewarding to relax in a space where you know every inch intimately because you spent hours restoring the baseboards to the right colour,” Melanie says. 

The couple talked with LINK about renovating and respecting a century home. 

What home improvements have been made? 

Melanie: We’ve re-done all rooms except our boot room. Some family members helped us hang wallpaper, and plumbers relocated our bathroom sink and tub. Otherwise, we’ve done everything ourselves, from tiling the bathroom floor and walls, to stripping eight layers of wallpaper from every room, to adding wall trim and mouldings throughout.

Before photos showing the bathroom before renovations (left) and the living room in the midst of removing multiple layers of wallpaper (right).

After photos of the renovated bathroom featuring a vanity Melanie created from a dresser that once belonged to her mother (left) and Melanie and Steve joined by their cat Momo, relaxing in their living room, where they have added panelling and carefully chosen artwork to create a sophisticated but comfortable family space. 

What inspires your renovations?

Steve: We’re both artistic, so it comes down to taste and the gut feeling of knowing what looks right where. The styles that inspire each of us are so drastically different that we clash at times, but it gives the house more personality.

Melanie: What really inspires me is looking at Victorian and MCM houses to see what other people have accomplished. I’m also driven by the hope of finding hidden evidence of previous homeowners — like items lost in the walls. So far we’ve found an old toy, a paper doll and a package of Brylcreem hair-styling cream from the 1930s!

Pictured left: From a fragile paper doll, to fragments of vintage wallpaper, to the lone survivor from a set of toy jacks, the couple has discovered remnants from former owners as they've renovated room by room.

Pictured right: Flowing off the living room and lined along two sides with built-in bookshelves, the sunroom is a welcoming space.

What’s it like raising two small children in the midst of renovations?  

Melanie: The only challenge is the lack of time. What used to take us three months to do now takes us a year and a half. But our kids can grow up seeing their parents pour their time, energy and love into something they’re proud of, and I hope they’ll learn to think outside the box. 

What advice do you have for someone considering similar renovations?  

Steve: If you’re lucky enough to find a place with original features and fixtures, respect them. Traditional hardwood floors are made of harder, longer-lasting wood than the materials used today. Ripping them out and replacing them with modern materials is essentially a crime.

Melanie: If you have the drive and passion to restore an old house, do it! But do your research first. Sit with a few design ideas that work with — not against — your space before you get started. 

Five things they still can't explain

From mysterious knocking to footsteps in the night, Melanie and Steve say they’ve experienced some strange encounters since moving into their home. Here are five moments that have stayed with them.  

01 | The marked bedroom door 

Multiple knife marks scar the children’s bedroom door, as though some previous occupant has repeatedly stabbed it. Another relic is the oddly ambiguous message carved into the door frame: “Best room ever.”  

02 | The knocking neither could explain 

As Melanie was settling the children into bed one night and Steve was doing chores in another room, both heard loud knocking on the bedroom door. Each thought the other was making the noise. Years later, they still don’t know what caused it. 

03 | The shadow in the closet 

Melanie recalls seeing a man’s shadow moving in and out of the primary bedroom’s closet, sometimes blocking its light. The room suddenly felt much colder. Minutes later, the shadow vanished and the room warmed again. 

04 | The midnight footsteps 

Alone in the kitchen while her family slept, Melanie heard the dining room floor creak as though someone was approaching. She checked: no one else was awake, and she found no sign that anyone had entered the home. 

These before-and-after photos show the dining room in the midst of removing multiple layers of wallpaper (left) and the room today, with its rich colour, stylish dining room suite and touches of late-Victorian Gothic (right).

05 | The cats that aren’t there 

Sometimes, while Steve and their daughters are out, Melanie hears clanking from the cats’ food bowls. When she investigates, she usually finds the doors shut and the cats outside, climbing trees.