While many of the homes on the upcoming Washington Area Historic Foundation’s Spring Homes and Garden Tour will be filled with antique décor, tour participants can expect something a bit different when they visit the home of Michael and Catherine Tahaney.

Combining nautical themes and treasured family heirlooms, nearly every piece of furniture and décor in the Tahaney home has a fascinating story behind it. From the dining room set that has followed Catherine’s family from Ireland to Australia to Washington, to the musical instruments collected during Michael’s trips abroad with his music students, each piece holds a special significance to the couple.

An old writing desk purchased by Catherine’s mother for five dollars from an Australian convent sits in the guest room. Japanese woodblock paintings, collected by Michael’s parents, hang in the dining room, adding a uniquely Asian flavor.

The piano in the living room, purchased by Michael’s father for songwriting, has sounded countless notes over the years. Most recently, Michael and a friend have just copyrighted a new musical on the founding of the Conch Republic after many hours spent with the instrument.

“We’re not the biggest house on the tour, but we’ve got some quirky, interesting kind of artistic objects,” Catherine Tahaney said.

A BUTTERFLY FROM A CHRYSALIS

When the Tahaneys first moved into the home six years ago, Michael was working as a music professor at East Carolina University, and Catherine was working as a principal at a school in Carteret County. After getting a feel for the area, the couple settled on Washington due to the proximity to their respective jobs, as well as the coastal feel of the waterfront town.

“We really liked this house because of the front porch and the colonial-revival style that it has,” Tahaney said. “There was a lot that needed to be done to it, but we could tell that it had really good bones.”

Originally constructed by Adrian J. Bowen circa 1935, the house has been christened “Mariposa” by the couple, from the Spanish word for butterfly. The title reflects a significant transformation from the point of purchase to the home’s current state. During the past six years, the two have redone the floors, repainted both the exterior and most of the interior rooms, had the kitchen redone and repaired some of the home’s windows.

“We’ve done a lot to the back, too,” Tahaney said. “We’ve put up a high fence, some gravel and landscaping. It’s still fairly new, but that’s kind of a plan for us to turn that into a nice little garden in the back.“

With a permanent fire pit on the patio, standup heaters and a hammock strung in a corner of the yard, the back yard is an ideal place for outdoor hosting in all seasons. This is complemented on the front side by a comfortable front porch overlooking a yard enclosed by a traditional Beaufort-style wooden fence.

“I talked my husband into putting that in,” Cathrine said. “When you’re sitting up on the porch, it just gives you a feeling of privacy.”

 

ROOM TO BREATHE

Perhaps the most hospitable addition the Tahaneys have made, in 2015 the pair built a mother-in-law cottage for guests and family who visit for extended periods of time. Outfitted with all the amenities a long-term guest would need, from cookware to a washing machine, the one-room cottage is ideal for one or two people. Above the two-door garage, the property has an added bonus of a workshop ideal for shop work or crafting projects.

“Mariposa” can be seen on the self-guided Spring Homes and Gardens Tour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 14. Tickets for the event are available at the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce, the Coffee Caboose and Little Shoppes on West Main Street. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the tour.