Renovated by Guerilla:
1511 Park Avenue

Nestled between tree-lined streets and lush public parks sits a newly renovated row home that blends historic architecture and modern sensibilities.

This is 1511 Park Avenue in Bolton Hill, Baltimore, a project recently built completely in-house by Guerilla Construction. From the new deck to the cabinet work inside, Guerilla gave this home new life by working with the clients’ needs and honoring the home’s historic features.

Rebuilt to CHAP standards, 1511 Park Avenue is a beautiful example of how you can update a property while honoring its historic feel. Maintaining the historic features of this property was key for a neighborhood like Bolton Hill, which is known for its 19th century brick townhouses and old-world architecture.

Overlooking the property is the home’s oriel window, a feature found frequently in Baltimore row homes Oriel windows are common in contemporary Baltimore, but they originated in renaissance England, when they were built to bring in more light and air after the Black Death rolled through Europe. Building oriel windows also gave old-timey homeowners the added benefit of increasing the square footage of their homes without increasing their property taxes.

Today, in homes like these, oriel windows still bring in light and help make properties more spacious. In row homes, there are limited places to add windows, which is why they’re so common in Baltimore. 

The oriel window in this property now illuminates the kitchen’s new blue paint chosen by the clients. The blue color and clear top coat complements the careful work done to enhance the original flooring. Looking at the floors, you might be fooled into believing they’re the originals that came with the house. However, Guerilla Construction expertly matched new hardwood planks with the original, seamlessly blending past and present.

A key feature of the work done on this property is the exquisite woodwork, custom built in Guerilla’s millshop. The woodwork on the cabinets and floors clearly show off Guerilla’s expert craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Next, Guerilla Construction bridged the gap between the indoors and outdoors by building a deck. The deck connects to the rest of the house through a door leading off the kitchen, offering the homeowners a fluid transition from the heart of their home to their backyard. Previously, the home only had a single exit located in the basement.

The renovated Park Avenue property showcases the harmonization between historic architecture and contemporary sensibilities.