They called Winterthur for help renovating their 1938 Alapocas home
Fifteen years ago, Cindy and Gerald Grunewald made a career move from Texas to Wilmington. An early stop on their house-hunting tour was Alapocas, a neighborhood of stately stone-and-brick homes located just outside the city limits.
“Our wonderful real estate agent Mary Laskaris asked if we could have any house we wanted, what would it be?” Gerald Grunewald recalls. “I looked up and pointed to 2 Alapocas Drive and said, ‘That’s what we want.’”
But the house was not for sale. The Grunewalds flew back to Texas and continued to look at listings online.
Meanwhile, their agent paid a call on the homeowners at 2 Alapocas Drive. As it turned out, they were contemplating a move to Centreville. A tour of the house was quickly arranged.
The Grunewalds were smitten by the home’s 9-foot ceilings, opulent moldings and millwork, oak floors and other architectural elements, such as six-over-nine divided-light windows set into foot-thick walls embellished with raised panel moldings. A grand staircase is stationed at the end of a room-size foyer.
Outside, the house boasts a façade of stone with flecks of sparkling mica and multitones of gray and black. The yard has views of the campus of Wilmington Friends School, the centerpiece of the neighborhood.
After some negotiations, the house was theirs. The Grunewalds immediately began an ambitious, meticulous and faithful restoration of the house, consulting with experts from Winterthur on authentic details and color selections.
In the kitchen, they retained the original stainless steel counter on the window wall. The rest of the counters are high-end granite. A Sub-Zero refrigerator is paneled to match custom raised-panel cabinets. The servant’s bells from the 1930s have been preserved, stationed above the door to the butler’s pantry.
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That attention to detail is reflected in the pantry, where the light switch is handpainted to match the pattern on the ceramic tile backsplash. Copper bin pulls are reflected in a hammered copper sink. Throughout the house, much of the original brass hardware on doors and cabinetry has been retained. Hardware that no longer functions was replaced with replica pieces.
A formal dining room is crowned with opulent moldings and a crystal chandelier. There’s a finely detailed built-in china cabinet, a chair rail and windows with a garden view.
“All the unique architecture and charm make it a home, not just a house,” Cindy Grunewald says.
Upstairs, there are four bedrooms. A private suite, accessed by the back staircase, was once the maid’s quarters. Now it’s a guest suite for family on extended visits.
The master bedroom is accessed through an anteroom that is currently used as a dressing room. Both bathrooms have been renovated while retaining their vintage style, in a combination of Carrara, Calacatta, Statuario and Thassos marbles. Radiant heated floors are a modern luxury.
On the third floor, there’s abundant storage, including a spacious cedar closet.
In the walk-out basement, the Grunewalds discovered an arched ceiling under acoustic tiles. Now restored, it’s a spacious family room with recessed lighting, full-height windows and a wood-burning fireplace.
After lots of hard work, they have been enjoying the house for the past few years. But they are on the move once more in their corporate lives, putting the house on the market when they were transferred to the Midwest.
Listing agent Maya Paveza agent says their dedication to detail shines through in such touches as the Edison lightbulb that illuminates the closet in a guest room.
“All through the house, the light bulbs have warmer colors rather than cooler colors to make it more welcoming,” she notes.
The Grunewalds will be taking fond memories with them. But much of the furnishings are available for sale, with the exception of the living room furniture and family pieces.SUPP
ORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Subscribe today“They have been wonderful stewards of the house,” Paveza says. “They did an exceptional job of taking it even beyond its original glory.”
NOTABLE FEATURES: The porcelain on the original cast iron tub has been restored in the renovated master bath and incorporated into the design. The oak floor in the first-floor powder room has been artfully painted to replicate ceramic tile. There’s a dual-heating system.
HER FAVORITE PLACE IN THE HOUSE: “I love sitting on the sun porch and reading.”
HIS FAVORITE PLACE: He enjoys watching sports with his sons in the lower-level man cave.
WHAT HE WILL MISS MOST ABOUT THE HOUSE: “All the wonderful memories we’ve had over the last 15 years, hosting parties with friends and family, decorating and updating our home, playing board games, learning to play pool and watching the Eagles win the Super Bowl.”
WHAT SHE WILL MISS MOST: “We will miss living in Alapocas and the home where we raised our boys. We will miss our wonderful neighbor, Joan Henke, who feels like a part of our family.”
Delaware Spaces
ADDRESS: 2 Alapocas Drive, near Wilmington
LISTING PRICE: $865,000
SIZE: 3,825 square feet, four bedrooms, four and a half baths
LOT: 0.35 acres
OUTDOOR FEATURES: English garden, new driveway, sunset views
BUILT: 1938
NOTEWORTHY: Hardwood floors throughout, Winterthur-inspired interior
CONTACT: Maya Paveza, Berkshire-Hathaway, (302) 709-1338
Eileen Smith Dallabrida is a writer and editor who makes her home in Wilmington. Reach her at esmith@smithreports.com