When Dale Chambers looked at the old two-story farmhouse in the middle of a new Carroll County community of mostly half-million-dollar homes, he knew it could become the soul of a larger homestead.

He and his wife, Sue, never expected that the purchase and restoration of the 19th-century farmhouse would be Dale's last chance to build a dream.

For in the midst of renovations they learned that Dale had cancer. Ultimately, the project would become his lifeline and his therapy right until the time he died.

Dale and Sue always had enjoyed renovating homes.

In this farmhouse they could see beyond the corn cobs stuffed into the walls for insulation, the holes in the floors and the thousands of bugs that had claimed occupancy over the years.

"You had to squint to see the home's potential, but it was there," said Sue. "When my mother came in to see it, she got indigestion."

But Dale Chambers knew how to start with things that were little and build them big.

Years ago, he founded the Strouse Corp. in an abandoned warehouse. Today, based in the Air Business Park in Westminster, it is one of the fastest-growing manufacturers of adhesive products in the nation, with clients such as General Motors, IBM and General Electric.

Renovating homes became the Chamberses' way of sharing that passion for making something from nothing.

Situated in the middle of the quiet golf course community of River Downs, the two-story farmhouse was just what the Chamberses wanted in a renovation project. They started in January 1997.

Dale assumed the role of general contractor and hired Rodney Flater, a carpenter and contractor in Westminster. He also brought Bob Priest, principal architect with Studio 22 in Reisterstown, into the project. Priest had helped the Chamberses renovate their home in Nob Hill, just east of River Downs, and it was a successful partnership.

With each breathtaking improvement to the home, they gradually moved from giddy anticipation of their family's future there to the bittersweet preparation of Sue, their son Scott, 7, and their daughter Grace, 1, for life without Dale.

"When we move into the house," faded from conversations, replaced by, "When you and the children move in."

"Dale loved to go by and check on the progress of the house," said Sue.

"In fact, he gave orders until the day before he died, and he made all the contractors promise to finish and work well with me."

"We moved from sketches to the master plan and then the design phase," said Priest. "And from the beginning, Dale said, 'We are going to do this first class.' "

At one point during the project, Dale encouraged Priest to "step up the process."

Later, Priest remembers sitting with Dale at the project and hearing Dale utter phrases such as, "Things don't look good cancer ... only close relatives know. I want to make sure things get done."

Said Priest: "That house kept him going. He hung on to the bitter end -- even rode around in a golf cart with an oxygen tank to check on each day's progress."

Today, as Sue retraces their decision to move to River Downs and tackle a renovation that would eventually double the size and triple the appraised value of the home, she often adds, "Dale would have loved this."

Finding a new community with the warmth of her old one contributed to Sue's decision to continue the renovations after Dale died in June 1997, she said.

'Had it all'

"Dale and I wanted something old in a new community, with lots of land and lots of potential," Sue said. "This had it all."

Minutes from Interestate 795, River Downs is a 510-acre community that has ample open space. One hundred acres of woods along the Patapsco River are owned by Carroll County and the homeowners association and used for walking trails, wildlife habitats, a country club and soon a swim and tennis club.

As a golfer, Dale liked driving into a neighborhood where he could see the No. 3 green. Every home in the community is near the 18-hole championship course offering peaceful views of the fairways and greens.

River Downs would be the ideal new community to renovate an old house, they decided. Even two years before they bought the 1825-era home, Sue and Dale appreciated the potential of the 5-acre farm.

The main dwelling had 10-foot ceilings, big rooms, a large central staircase that stretched to the third floor and a standing-seam tin roof over wood shingles.

A carriage house, summer kitchen, large barn and stone-dry spring house also occupied the property.

When architects considered the buildings' historical value, they decided that they represented "a major effort to create a comfortable home place by a gentleman of some prosperity having conservative taste -- ample, sensible and altogether impressive but not extravagant."

This description is surprisingly appropriate for the Chamberses, who purchased the house and all the little buildings around it for $175,000.

Renovations had to keep the farmhouse feel and have the elegance and conveniences of today, they agreed.

"It was a real motivator, finishing someone else's vision and knowing there was confidence in me to get things done right," said Flater. "Dale was a great person to work for. He also had a lot of confidence in Sue."

He remembers Dale telling him, "She doesn't think she can do it, but she can. You don't have anything to worry about with her, just let her do her thing -- but without any big mistakes."

Dale also confided in Flater. "She can finish the house,"

Flater remembers Dale saying to him. "She can run the business. She's more qualified than me. I fly by the seat of my pants; I'm lucky to be successful."

The renovations

The Chamberses pictured their new home with wrap-around porches for panoramic views of the Patapsco River and the golf course. Additional rooms needed to be big so they could continue to entertain friends and family. Big, but comfortable and inviting.

There would be a grand driveway to sweep visitors into the estate and lots of white fencing, about 2,000 feet of white fencing, delineating the property.

The original 40-by-32-foot, three-story dwelling is now the soul of the Chambers homestead, which includes expansive additions on both sides. The left wing, which measures 26 feet by 31 feet, is the master bedroom suite. The right wing includes the kitchen and great room.

Lots of seating

In the kitchen is an island with large granite top, double ovens and lots of seating, offering a comfortable place for entertaining. Large trusses contribute to the great room's breezy informality -- the "farmhouse feel," Sue said.

With the help of "secondary decorating advice," Sue selected crisp, cheerful colors such as yellows and blues for the great room. Many other rooms in the house reflect her passion for green. The walls in the weight room, which was originally the farmhouse's kitchen, are celadon.

The master bedroom addition, also painted in a soft green, features French doors that glide open to a deck overlooking the golf course.

A coffee bar is within arm's reach of the bed, and nearby is a luxurious bathroom with marble floors, a sunken tub flanked by matching cherry vanities, and symmetrical curved glass block walls around the toilet and shower.

Huge windows behind the tub offer a view of the front lawn, where a tepee, a treehouse and a swing set are sweet reminders that Scott and Grace enjoy the home as much as their mother does.

Transom windows, circle-top windows, bay windows, skylights, French doors and sliding doors provide bountiful light throughout the home.

A grand staircase

Perhaps the best example of the Chamberses' respect for the home's history is the restored staircase with black walnut handrails and chestnut balusters cut from trees on the property. It is a grand staircase that wraps around three long flights of stairs.

For a fleeting moment, as Sue added up renovation costs, she considered using a stock staircase instead of restoring the handrail and replacing almost half the balusters.

"If you use stock, you get someone else to do the job," said Mark Moeller, manager of Gaylord Brooks Cabinetry and Millwork in Westminster. "It would take the character of the staircase away."

Sue agreed, and Moeller carefully carved three sections of the handrail, measuring 20 feet, 16 feet and 10 feet each. He used some balusters that Sue's uncle had collected and carved many others to complete the job.

Attic playroom

At the top of the staircase, overlooking the trees, is the attic, which Sue converted into a cheerful playroom. The children's bedrooms, a guest bedroom, a bathroom and a powder room are on the floor below.

Throughout the project's completion, Dale oversaw the work while battling cancer.

"The whole experience was heart-wrenching -- seeing him make videos in the house for the children to see, having him ask, 'This will go here, right?' and knowing eventually he wouldn't see what it would all look like," said Flater.

"Dale would be proud of the overall picture the home presents," said architect Bob Priest. "It respects the look and feel of the turn-of-the-century farmhouse with grandeur."

"At first, when I moved in here with the children, I wondered, 'What am I doing?' " Sue said.

But it was close to Thanksgiving, and she quickly reminded herself that the home was built for friends and family. So she surrounded herself with their company.

"I'm never alone," Sue said. "It is a comfortable, inviting home and people are always here."

Pub Date: 7/05/98