A firm foundation Cosmetic changes were all this well-built home needed

When David Debter first saw the former home of the field commander at the 6th Cavalry Post in Fort Oglethorpe, he was impressed by the sturdy construction and quality materials that the military had used in its 1902 erection, he said. "It all was built with heart-pine virgin timber -- 2- by 10-foot rafters, 2- by 12/2-foot joists, floors, doors and trim," he said. "The foundation was granite and the load-bearing walls extended from the basement to the third floor.

"You don't get that (quality) today," he said. "Structurally, it was perfect. There had been no sags or movement."

The masonry contractor, 59, and his wife, Joyce, bought the 6,000-square-foot, two-and-ahalf story home 18 years ago when they relocated to the area. "We wanted an old house that would be a 'fixer-upper,' " Mr. Debter said.

Although the couple insulated and installed central heating and air conditioning, most of the home's restoration has been cosmetic, Mr. Debter said. He said they tackled it one story at a time, beginning on the first floor. "For a year and half (during its renovation), we came in and out through the back of the house," he said.

Stripping paint from the fireplace mantels, pocket doors, frames and staircase took hundreds of hours, he said.

But the tedious process revealed the details of some of the dwelling's finest features, such as intricately carved oak fireplace pilasters and a 9-foot-long oak hutch in the dining room. It boasts a bank of glass-front cabinets above beveled-mirror panels, one of which slides up for ease in removing or serving dishes from the adjoining butler's pantry.

Where wood elements weren't stripped of paint -- such as ceiling moldings, baseboards and picture rail -- the walls beneath were papered in deep jewel tones to provide a rich contrast with the trim work's pristine white color.

An earlier update had converted the home's lighting from gas to electric, and few original fixtures of either kind were still in place when the family moved in, according to Mr. Debter. He said the prior taxpayer-funded fixtures probably would have been plainer than the crystal chandeliers and other period pieces that the occupants have since installed.

But the century-old brass door plates, knobs and other hardware had survived previous makeovers. And the Debters' revamp left in place such nostalgic items as the dining room's foot-activated servant's buzzer and cast-iron steam radiator (plus bun warmer) unit.

The kitchen got a full update, with new appliances and cabinets of glossy white, which match a circa-1930s gas range that was a friend's gift. It doubles as a storage space and conversation piece when guests kibitz in the kitchen. An avid cook, Mr. Debter said that, in retrospect, he would have transformed the room into a vast cooking-andconversation center by tapping an adjoining bathroom's space and then making a powder room of the butler's pantry.

But if the kitchen gets crowded during the Debters' frequent dinner parties, guests generally head to the basement.

"It was a furnace room and storage. We put in a game room, wine cellar, sewing room and 'Taj Ma-laundry,' " he said, referring to a nearpalatial nexus of clothing care, with all manner of appliances and fabric-pampering accouterments.

In the game room are an antique Wurlitzer jukebox, a rosewood pool table with ivory inlays and a pink felt cover, a shuffleboard table, pinball machines, a '40s-era Coca-Cola machine and a retro Formica-and-chrome dinette set. Bold splashes of color, classic posters and funky artwork adorn its walls. Sound and light effects enliven the scene.

Mr. Debter built an arched, tunnel-like passageway to the wine cellar, using salvage material from other homes. A sizable seating area accommodates wine lovers who may view 270 vintages, hanging horizontally in honeycomblike clusters.

Now empty-nesters, Mr. and Mrs. Debter are reconfiguring their three children's former quarters on the second floor into a master bedroom, bath and office suite that they'll occupy at completion. Then, said Mr. Debter, he wants to turn the third floor, which houses their present bedroom, into a home-theater retreat.

Since their home-improvement projects have spanned almost two decades, he said it's hard to determine the exact investment entailed. But he said the property was purchased for $58,000; its most recent appraisal was $386,000. "It's still a work in progress," he said. "I don't know if it will ever be finished."