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Just Listed: Rebuilt Bungalow in Oaklyn

Two veteran rehabbers step out of their comfort zone and produce a gem.


house for sale oaklyn rebuilt bungalow exterior front

This charming bungalow was a labor of love for the couple who gave it an extreme makeover. Its redesign may be inspired by farmhouses, but it sits in the heart of suburbia at 307 Kendall Blvd., Oaklyn, NJ 08107 | After photos: Homejab; before photos: Emona Vitarelli; photos courtesy Laurel Construction

You could say that David and Emona Vitarelli channeled Oaklyn’s past when they took it upon themselves to make over this modest bungalow there.

After all, today’s leafy borough traces its origins to a settlement a group of Quakers purchased from the Lenape in 1682 — forested land that was soon cleared for farming. The farms have been replaced by houses, and enough of the trees have grown back to make this community a green and pleasant place to live.

And with this farmhouse-inspired rebuilt bungalow house for sale in Oaklyn, the Vitarellis have made it just a little more pleasant.

The Vitarellis specialize in finding rundown properties in distressed or underinvested neighborhoods and turning them into attractive, affordable housing. In pursuit of this, the couple run several related firms, all named Laurel. One does construction, another property management, and the third interior design.

Some of the properties they restore they hang onto, renting them to lower-income tenants in need of a decent place to live. They also renovate properties for outside clients. But this house isn’t a rental, and they didn’t make it over for a client. They remade this one because they thought it would be fun to do, and they did it for you.

One of the reasons why they did it: They wanted to do a total makeover, from top to bottom. “This was a whole-house rehab — it wasn’t just superficial,” says David. “I wanted to put our imprint on every single aspect of this house.”

Plus, it took them into new territory. “It was different from any other house we’d done before,” says Emona. “We were very familiar with the typical Philadelphia rowhouse layouts. I personally was looking for something a little bit different,” to which David adds in agreement, “You get sick and tired doing the same Philly rowhomes.”

The Vitarellis definitely put their imprint on this house. They replaced everything from the roof to the guts, inside and out. When they started work on this house, it looked like this:

front elevation, before

Exterior front before makeover

Compare that to the photo at the top of this article. Or compare this:

Main floor before makeover

Main floor before makeover

to this:

house for sale oaklyn rebuilt bungalow main floor

Main floor now

Their makeover totally reconfigured its main floor and turned the attic into usable space.

house for sale oaklyn rebuilt bungalow living room

Living room

In addition to completely opening up the main floor, one of the original three bedrooms got removed and turned into the dining room.

house for sale oaklyn rebuilt bungalow dining room

Dining room

A shiplap wall with display shelves serves as the gateway to this space.

kitchen before makeover

Kitchen before makeover

house for sale oaklyn rebuilt bungalow kitchen

Kitchen now

That, in turn, made the kitchen the hinge of the L-shaped main floor.  Complementing the shiplap wall across from it are colorful tile walls with open shelves. And it’s nicely equipped with high-end appliances, quartz countertops and a farmhouse sink.

Behind the main living area, what had been a family room:

family room, before

Family room before makeover

got transformed into the primary bedroom.

house for sale oaklyn rebuilt bungalow primary bedroom

Primary bedroom, now

Its sliding glass doors open onto a huge deck and equally spacious backyard.

shared bathroom and primary bathroom

Shared bathroom, left; primary bathroom, right

The new primary bathroom got a rustic vanity and a rain-head shower lined in herringbone tile, while the original one, now accessed by a barn door from the dining room, got a subway-tile tub/shower surround.

bonus room

Bonus room; bedroom in rear

The third bedroom got moved upstairs to the attic. You enter it through the bonus room at the top of the stairs. As seen here, it replaces that family room, but it could also serve as a playroom or home office.

rear deck

Rear deck

The makeover also paved and extended the house’s driveway to accommodate three to four cars. There’s also a concrete side patio next to the deck.

All this is situated just a few blocks from the White Horse Pike, which is lined with shops and restaurants as it passes through Oaklyn and neighboring Haddon Township. The Ritz Theatre Company presents live theater in a historic former movie house just a few blocks from here on the White Horse Pike. And you’re also not far from Newton Lake, Collingswood’s happening business district, and the PATCO Lindenwold Line for a quick trip into the city.

Everything the Vitarellis have learned from their years in the development and design business has been poured into this Oaklyn rebuilt bungalow house for sale. And you get the benefit of their knowledge and skill at a price within reach for most working families.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 3

BATHS: 2

SQUARE FEET: 1,400

SALE PRICE: $339,900

307 Kendall Blvd., Oaklyn, NJ 08107 [David Vitarelli | Houwzer]

Updated April 8th, 8 a.m., to correctly identify Emona Vitarelli; she was originally referred to as Laura in error.