Welcoming nature inside

For some homeowners, remodeling is a one-time thing. For John and Sandra Stouffer, their home's story has been one of transformation and evolution, with the aim of enhancing its beauty and efficiency.

Since buying it in 1970, the retired music teachers have continuously improved their rancher in the Rose Tree section of Upper Providence, Delaware County. To create a place uniquely suited to their love of the outdoors, John Stouffer has taken on projects large and small.

"I'm the type of person who needs to see some physical improvement every day, or I'm not happy," he says. "I'm not the type who can spend a day in front of a computer screen."

The Stouffers have brought nature indoors with the addition of a two-story atrium at the home's entrance that features flowing water, tray ceilings painted with skyscapes, and skylights.

In 2007, they completed an ambitious renovation - a 1,600-square-foot conservatory with a koi pond, two waterfalls and a garden railroad. A heated pool, a 10-person spa, and seating for 24 in two gazebos have made them a hit as hosts.

The $750,000 addition was inspired by a visit to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, which has nine acres of indoor water gardens.

To fill their tropical conservatory, the Stouffers had 200 tropical plants trucked up from Florida, which John managed to plant in a day with help from one of his sons. An automatic drip system provides each plant with the proper amount of water every week.

As they added plants to the house, the Stouffers also removed all but one of the 120 pine trees on the property. The 100-foot trees were originally part of the home's appeal, but they blocked the natural light and dropped so much yellow pollen that opening the windows in the spring was impossible.

The deciding factor was the danger the trees could pose.

"Storms are getting more intense, and pine trees that tall, their root system is very shallow," John says. "Anything with winds over 45 miles per hour could take one down."

The Stouffers had four of the tree trunks carved into sculptures of eagles and herons. John, who grew up on a dairy farm, has added 178 new trees, and 85 perennials, too.

"I'm pretty much a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to anything and everything," he says. "I've landscaped every inch of this property myself."

Making the house more efficient has been a longtime goal. During the energy crisis of the 1970s, the Stouffers dramatically reduced their oil consumption.

John installed two used solar hot-water heaters that supplied them during the spring, summer and fall, and he put in a large woodstove to help curtail heating costs and supply hot water in the winter with help from a forced-air system. Getting seven years' worth of fuel for the woodstove took almost a week.

"I got permission to cut down some dead trees myself and hauled them here in a station wagon," John says. "I rented a wood splitter and split all eight cords [about 1,000 cubic feet] in one day."

The stove needed to be filled with wood every four hours. Sandra Stouffer, a singer, added wood during the day, a job that took one of her friends aback.

"One day, I was all dressed up in my long skirt and my white frilly blouse when a friend came to pick me up for a show," she recalls. "I said, 'Wait, I have to go put wood in my stove.' She couldn't believe it, but there I was, shoveling wood in my finery."

For their seven years of wood and sun, the Stouffers went from using 1,900 gallons of oil a year to 164. They put their savings toward the purchase of two rental properties, adding properties every year for the next 10.

Today, the Stouffers' house and their nine rentals are run entirely on high-efficiency natural gas. They have considered other efficient energy sources, as well.

"I've looked into solar, but it's ridiculous," John says. "It would cost $75,000 to install panels on my roof and only cover a third of my electricity needs. The break-even point would be in 105 years."

Though the Stouffers have acquired lots of real estate, they never bought another house for themselves.

Adding a new master bathroom and bringing their washer and dryer up from the basement to the main floor has made this house a convenient spot for their retirement years.

"You can't beat this location - it's convenient to downtown, the airport and the parks," says John. "We like it here a lot."

And ultimately, their renovations, whether practical or aesthetic, have allowed them the comfort of staying in the home they love.

"We've come through quite a metamorphosis in this house," Sandra says. "Our plants are a big part of that, but mostly it's just trying to keep a house built in the 1950s up to date."

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