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Pastime passion Production designer and set director Rick Romer drove past a severely neglected 1927 Tudor Revival home in his Kalihi neighborhood daily.
A veteran of a marathon
First meeting
restoration starts a support group
for those similarly inclinedBy Tim Ryan
tryan@starbulletin.com"The house had such character," said Romer, a 30-year Hawaii resident. "I could see all its charm despite the sagging roof, cracked walls, rotting wood. I dreamed of restoring it."
Imagine Romer's surprise when on closer inspection he realized all he had seen were the top two floors. Two additional levels of the 3,600 square-foot house cantilevered down a slope, literally into a meandering stream.
"I had thought it was just a cute little cottage," he said.
The additional volume meant more damage. But Romer bought the home in 1984, even though the damage was so extensive the bank only would give him a property loan.
Home restorers have a different aesthetic, Romer said. "We see a sense of history, craftsmanship, non-conformity ... (but) we old house dwellers place an importance and pride in our unique homes in a way that most 'modern dwellers' do not," he said.
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It's tough making something old new again, but still look original. Restoring an old home is a labor of love not meant for a weak bank account, busy schedule, or a short temper, and Romer believes there are more like him out there."We just have to find one another," he said.
So Romer and fellow preservationist Lowell Angell are organizing a group called -- at least for now -- Historic Homes Hawaii to unite "the common interests and needs of the historic home owner in Hawaii."
The group's goals are:
>> Address the special needs of historic home owners in Hawaii;"This is not an exclusive group by any means," Romer says. "It's open to the person with a historic bungalow in Kaimuki and someone in a historic 40-room Manoa mansion.">> Provide a clearinghouse of information on sources and services available locally and nationally, relevant to historic houses;
>> Share in the expertise and experiences of other historic home owners, members, or appropriate industry professionals;
>> Discuss special needs, problems, or concerns of members regarding their property;
>> Foster learning and awareness in the preservation of historic homes in Hawaii;
>> Provide a social environment in which members can network.
Historic houses are loosely defined as those structures being 50 or more years old, Romer said. He prefers that members be "at least somewhat" do-it-yourselfers, directly involved with the restoration, renovation, adaptive reuse, decoration or maintenance of their historic residence.
"A lot of people buy an old house, but are intimated by what needs to be done," Romer said. "They want to make the right choices, but they don't know what to do. That's where someone in the group may be able to help."
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Romer grew up in Northern Minnesota, living in the former home of a lumber baron. The house was remodeled in the 1950s by his parents."I used to explore the house to try to find how it used to be; where the pocket doors were hidden, the stencil work along the ceilings, the moldings which my parents had not painted."
The renovation of Romer's 15-room home -- he asked that the location not be disclosed -- has cost him more than $100,000 in cash and thousands of hours in sweat equity. Just a few weeks after purchasing the house, he installed 22 house jacks for leveling, a process that took him two years.
Then the roof, which had three crumbling layers, had to be replaced. But because of its steep 57-degree pitch, a dozen companies turned down the job before one accepted for $32,000 in 1985 dollars.
The house reportedly was used as a bordello and for gambling at one time. It had been chopped into small apartments so Romer began the painstaking process of removing walls only to find massive amounts of termite damage to several load bearing beams on each floor, even several bee hives whose honey attracted cockroaches.
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"The house was designed to feed termites," Romer joked.Romer's ingenuity in obtaining period pieces, fixtures and furniture took on a life of its own, another reason he hopes HHH can work as a network so members have an easier time than he had.
Early on in his restoration, Romer purchased materials from now-defunct Eurasian Antiques. More recently, T-shirt magnate and antique collector Rick Ralston has been an invaluable source after the businessman was forced to sell his beloved objects when his business failed.
Romer's cast-iron eight-burner, four-oven stove belonged to Ralston. (It required six people to carry it into the kitchen.)
"There are no places in Hawaii to get these kinds of things," he said. "We don't have a Restoration Hardware store or even salvage yards. You have to scavenge from old homes you find out are going to be demolished."
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Thursday's meeting will be mostly unstructured except to fill out a questionnaire to determine people's interests and concerns."I think everyone who shows up will have their own ideas and dilemmas (about historic homes)," Romer said.
Living for years amidst the rubble of his own restoration was pleasure, not punishment, Romer said.
"I get to see everyday what I was accomplishing," he said. "And I feel like I'm preserving a heritage."
Where: Paki Hale (formerly the Winstedt house), 3840 Paki Ave. Historic Homes Hawaii's
first meeting
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Call: Rick Romer, 258-3848
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calendars and events.
