Jonathan Knight of ‘Farmhouse Fixer’ Reveals a Spooky (but Spectacular) Home Feature: The Demon Trap

HGTV
On “Farmhouse Fixer,” former New Kids on the Block singer Jonathan Knight and designer Kristina Crestin work on some very old houses. So it’s no surprise they stumble upon some creepy discoveries midrenovation.
In the Season 3 episode “Demon Trap Design,” they renovate a four-bedroom farmhouse built in 1710 in Essex, MA. The owners, Kate and Cameron, want to refresh the entire main floor and have $250,000 to spend.
Here’s how Knight and Crestin make what’s old new again and still retain the historic charm. You’re sure to get plenty of ideas for your own living space, old or new, from the tips below.
Not all basements can be saved

HGTV
The basement is damp and crumbling, and there are often varmints down there, according to Kate. For the safety of the home and its residents, the subterranean space will need to be sealed and insulated—at a cost of $25,000.
Despite this investment, the trap door in the floor that leads down to the basement must be sealed. As Knight explains, “You guys spent a lot of money under the floors, getting things put together. It’s all insulated under there, it looks really good now. But we had to seal the door for safety.”
Save the wood

HGTV
As Jonathan removes the wall between the living room and the kitchen, he notes the wood here is sturdy and should be upcycled elsewhere.
“This wood is really old and supercool,” he says. “I’m not sure if it’s original, but I think we should hold on to it in case we want to bring it back into the house somehow.”
Once the historian comes in, they find out why that was such a good idea. He explains that people wrote on the walls of very old houses. In this house, the historian finds wall markings that he identifies as something rather eerie.
“People would put these marks around their houses to keep the demons out,” Knight explains to Crestin. “They’re called demon traps.”
It’s a new one on Crestin.
“In all the old houses we’ve ever worked in, I’ve never seen that,” she says.
Knight jokes that maybe “back in the 16-1700s, demons were a big part of life, and you had to keep them away. They were scary. They were like the IRS of the 1700s.”
Crestin suggests using the wood to wrap the base of the island, so the demon trap would be preserved but not prominent.
Banquettes save space

HGTV
Crestin notes that the dining space is so narrow, there won’t be room for a 30-inch-wide table, chairs on each side, and walking space to access the room.
The solution?
“If we were to put a banquette along the whole length of one wall, then we can push the table toward it,” she says. “There will be a corridor on the other side, and maybe we can fit in more people.”
Knight is on the same page.
“Banquettes are such a space saver,” he agrees.
Strip down the beams

HGTV
If the beams look too new or shiny, that might mean the originals have been wrapped or covered in drywall, plaster, or paint.
“To add some character back into this house, we’re exposing the old ceiling beams in the living room,” says Knight.
He finds original, beautiful, sturdy old oak beneath strips of plywood. Cameron, especially, is delighted.
Darker color below, lighter color above makes a space feel bigger

HGTV
Space is limited in the kitchen, so Crestin pulls out some optical illusions to make the room look more expansive.
“In one of our past projects, we painted the bottom half of the room a darker color,” she recalls. “I almost feel like this space will feel taller and bigger if we were to weight the color down low and go lighter above.”
Knight agrees that it’s a great way to elevate the space.
The strategy worked in the pantry, too.
“I played with color a little bit,” says Crestin. “I liked the idea of painting it darker from chair rail down. It almost feels like there are custom cabinets below because of the color.”
When Kate and Cameron are ushered back into their “new” home for the first time, they are fully dazzled.
“It’s incredible,” says Kate. “I am so excited. It’s beautiful.”
Cameron heaps on even more praise: “It’s life changing,” he says. “Thank you!”
The post Jonathan Knight of ‘Farmhouse Fixer’ Reveals a Spooky (but Spectacular) Home Feature: The Demon Trap appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.