Written By Anne Blue

“This is great!” were Bob’s first words.

“No, this is not great, said Laura. “It will never be what we want.”

Bob saw a well-built structure with great potential. Laura saw the never-updated interior and extensive damage from water leaks.

But, for people who know the Buczkowski family of Carroll County, “Bob the Builder” takes on a new meaning. Bob spent more than two years renovating the 1960s era ranch house in the Winchester Park area of Westminster, living his dream of building a family home with his own two hands.

“Bob has vision and the creativity gene,” Laura said, giving him full credit for seeing beyond the cosmetic flaws.

Bob also has the expertise. Although he and Laura work as accountants now, Bob paid his way through college working in construction, and he has kept himself busy with home repairs and improvements ever since.

From the time they purchased the house in August of 2003, until they moved in on October 15 of 2005, Bob, with Laura as his consultant, worked evenings and weekends on his dream project. He took the original 2,100 square foot, three-bedroom, two and a half-bath house, gutted it, reconfigured the interior spaces, and added a great room and master suite. The home now encompasses 3,800 square feet.

The Buczkowskis hired an architect to engineer the two additions and an interior designer to help them change the interior space and create a pleasing flow of rooms. Bob also hired other contractors to do parts of the job, such as hanging the drywall, plumbing, and the masonry work.

But Bob did all of the demolition, framing, roofing, and finishing work, such as putting in doors and windows, hanging cabinets, and painting. He even went to the county and passed a test that allowed him to complete most of the interior electric work himself.

“Besides the shell of the original house,” said Bob, “everything is brand new.”

The new 30-by-30 foot family room is a favorite place to relax for all the Buczkowskis: Bob, Laura, and their two daughters, Emily, 12, and Sarah, 10. Transom-topped windows on three walls offer a pastoral view of the large back yard and invite the outside in. Soothing green walls and cherry woods enhance the relaxed feel. A stacked-stone fireplace stretches from floor to ceiling and dominates the room.

Although the stone is from a Baltimore area quarry, the hearth is Tennessee sandstone with a swirl of earth tone colors. The thick wooden mantle is one Bob found in a Baltimore warehouse full of building materials reclaimed from razed city homes.

Two large, comfortable sofas allow the family to enjoy the outside view, a 50-inch television, or a warming fire. A cozy burgundy chair in the corner is bathed in natural light from the windows and invites the girls to curl up and read. This elegant but inviting family room embodies Laura’s wish to have a “live-in,” not a show house.

Bob created an efficient and inviting kitchen. A super size, 14-by-4 foot island topped with Venetian gold granite anchors the room. The surrounding walls bear cherry wood cabinets with a honey mocha stain and sleek stainless steel appliances.

The kitchen, breakfast area and adjoining formal dining room flow graciously into the family room. The spaces are tied together by the earth tone painted walls, multiple windows that frame the backyard, and hardwood flooring throughout. The floors are a Brazilian chestnut with characteristic variations of warm brown tones.

“It is difficult to put a dollar value on the project,” said Laura. “All of Bob’s work saved us a lot of money in labor. But remember, time is money and even in saving lots of money, you lose something. We saved a lot of money, but it took a long, long, time.”

Although they are the only family in the neighborhood to have kept a dumpster in their driveway for two years, all of the couple’s planning and Bob’s hard work certainly paid off. He made many new friends in the process, and he and his family have their dream home ensconced in an older neighborhood they love. Laura says they will never move.

As for Bob “the Builder” Buczkowski, he is obviously delighted. “I just enjoy doing all of it,” he said.