Interior Design Students Help Revitalize Historic Home

When working to find a new owner for the oldest home still in residential use in Raleigh, Preservation North Carolina turned to Meredith’s interior design program. The organization asked Meredith students to show potential buyers how the Crabtree Jones House could be used.

“The work done by this talented group of students helps folks see what great potential this beautiful, historic space has,” said Lauren Werner, Preservation N.C.’s director of education outreach.

The Crabtree Jones House is a Federal-style house dating from the late 18th or early 19th century. It was relocated to its current location in February 2014, and is available for sale by Preservation N.C.

Three teams of Meredith students in the spring 2014 sophomore studio class taught by Professor of Interior Design Ellen Goode created updated floor plans and design ideas for the house.

The student teams researched the home’s history and were mindful of maintaining its historical integrity while blending the kind of modern design elements desired by potential buyers. The Meredith students’ work is being used to help market the property. The student plans are included on Preservation N.C.’s website and will be displayed at events such as an open house.

“While the Crabtree Jones House is quite large at close to 3,500 square feet, it has had some additions over the years and may present a challenge to potential buyers as they try to envision using the space for their needs,” said Werner.

Preservation N.C. has previously worked on design projects with Meredith College, which has the only CIDA-accredited interior design program in the Triangle area.

“We turned to Meredith for help with this project because we have successfully partnered with Meredith in the past, and wanted to expose a group of young people with an interest in design to the world of historic preservation,” Werner said. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the result, and would love to work with Meredith College again in the future.”