In the winter of 2002, as Salt Lake City buzzed with the excitement of hosting the Winter Olympics, Travis and I found ourselves in Logan, Utah.

I was wrapping up my final year in the Landscape Architecture program at Utah State University, with graduation on the horizon and a promising job offer waiting for me in Salt Lake City. Meanwhile, Travis was deeply engrossed in his work, wiring up various Olympic venues, and had plans to transition to a new job in Brigham City come spring.

As we pondered our post-graduation plans, seeking a location halfway between Brigham City and Salt Lake City, fate seemed to intervene. One day, almost by chance, we stumbled upon a real estate brochure in Ogden – and there it was, the answer to our search.

It was an 1890 Queen-Anne Style Victorian, originally built for local 25th Street Drugstore Owner (and rumored liquor dealer) John W. McNutt, a 25th Street Drugstore Owner. Despite its storied past, the old home had weathered the years poorly, with dilapidated siding, peeling paint, and boarded-up windows hinting at its former glory.

When we shared our intention to purchase the home with our families, their disbelief was palpable – they questioned our sanity (a suspicion later confirmed).

Undeterred by their concerns, we saw beyond the neglect, envisioning the hidden potential within its worn walls. As lifelong fans of “This Old House,” the dream of restoring an old home had always held sway over us – a dream nurtured by the captivating historic residences of Logan that had long captured our admiration.

We closed on the house in February of 2002, and began work on the project right away – we were SO EXCITED! 

But our hopes were dashed when we received an ill-fated phone call.  One evening we were just settling in to watch a movie, when the phone rang.

It was the Ogden City Fire Department, and they told us our house was on fire! We immediately jumped in the car, and a tearful 50-minutes later arrived to see our future dream home completely engulfed in flames!  

We stood in shock and disbelief as the firefighters battled the blaze, gradually gaining control over the course of several hours.

The grim verdict was soon delivered: our dream was reduced to a smoldering shell of it’s former and future potential.

It was deemed a total loss.

We later learned that our tragedy was part of a larger pattern – a series of intentional arsons plaguing the neighborhood that winter.

The culprits? A group of unsupervised boys, barely into their preteen years, who were responsible for a string of arsons that same winter. Their spree of destruction came to an end when they were apprehended after igniting another neighboring house just a month later.

The morning following the devastating fire, we found ourselves amidst the smoldering ruins of our once-beautiful Victorian home.

In a surreal state of disbelief and disbelief, yet fueled by the boundless optimism (and perhaps a touch of youthful recklessness) inherent to those in their twenties, we made a pivotal decision that would reshape our lives forever.

Standing amidst the wreckage, gazing up through the remnants of what was once the attic floor and roof, against the backdrop of the clear blue sky, we entertained the audacious notion: perhaps, just maybe, there remained enough of the original structure intact to save and rebuild the house!  

From the moment we set foot in that charred Victorian, a new chapter in our lives began.

We devoted ourselves to its restoration, pouring heart and soul into every detail.

As the years passed, our endeavors expanded beyond that initial endeavor, we went on to completing more transformational projects, we started our companies, I went to grad-school for Architecture, and we started a family.

Ultimately, our shared vision materialized into Storied Design-Build—a culmination of our collective experiences and unwavering commitment to our craft.

Through Storied Design-Build, we endeavor to help our clients articulate their own narratives within the walls of their homes, buildings, and spaces.

You can see more photographs of the Larsen Victorian restoration in our portfolio.