Built in 1938 for the Swango family, the house had only changed ownership twice before it became mine in September 1985. It wasn’t until 2002 that I decided to take the plunge and hire an architect to help me restore the original parts and reconfigure the 1970 addition (which I called the “tumor wing”), while maintaining the existing footprint. The only way I could realize my dream financially was to divide the construction process into phases, store most of my belongings, and continue to live and work there despite the chaos.