Commodious condo

You might say that Georgie Schuster is a purposeful woman.

Or, should we say, “repurposeful” woman. For nothing gives her greater joy in home decorating than taking something she's had - perhaps for decades - “and take it apart, then make it into something new that I just love,” she says, flashing her sparkling smile. “It's fun for me to reclaim something from one style and make it into something else. ... It's the creative process I love.”

In fact, give the attractive blonde a can of Rust-Oleum spray paint and she's in seventh heaven. Her mission: Take an old brass lamp and presto - here's a lamp with a new look to grace a living room table. And that mirror that's been stuck in time for years? Coat it with a dark Rust-Oleum, mist it later with a copper spray and - now it's 21st century chic, in dark brown with subtle flecks of copper and adorning a dining area wall.

She loves this technique so much that husband Larry Schuster even built her a “paint booth” in the garage.

And Georgie (she's named after her late dad) Schuster has plenty of space to reclaim and repurpose items in the commodious condominium she and her husband own. It's on Tiffany Drive NE in Crystal Estates, off 32nd Street NE. They've lived in the near 2,800 square-foot home for 18 years and to put it simply, “just love condo living.”

“The location is central to the city. We can live on one level if we want, it's so convenient. And there's no outside work,” Larry Schuster says. Chuckling, he adds, “I do tidy up after (the lawn people) at times!”

As for Georgie: “For the way we live, it's just perfect. We have everything and all the space we need.”

Larry Schuster owns Paul Revere's Pizza, with two stores in Cedar Rapids. He and a partner own a franchising company that includes 12 other locations. Georgie Schuster retired in July from Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, where she was a part-time teller for 11 years.

The condominium is deceiving. It may appear to a pedestrian as being somewhat ... well, petite. It's not. It runs largely from front to back and the lower level is also finished living space.

Body copy ragged right: A long winding walk leads up to the front door. Inside, the condo, with its open floor plan, ambles from oak-floored entry to living room, dining area, kitchen, master bedroom, office, sunroom and two full bathrooms.

On the lower level, there's a spacious family room, guest bedroom, bath - and ta-dum! - “Grandchildren's Hideaway” - where out-of-town grandchildren have a kids' delight when they visit: bunk beds with little stairs and their own artwork lovingly framed by Grandma. There's also Larry Schuster's workshop.

The couple have a blended family of two adult children each and six grandchildren. Those families live in Cedar Rapids, Robins, Johnston and Colorado.

In 1995, the couple, now both 68, selected the lot and modified the developer's basic floor plan. Then they chose interior upgrades. Through the years they've made additional improvements.

Amenities include two gas fireplaces, a kitchen with all stainless steel KitchenAid appliances, and a master bath with heated tile floor, his-and-her sinks with built-in vanity - and a 12-by-8 foot walk-in master closet. Each bedroom has a bathroom. The third bedroom the Schusters have furnished as an office.

Georgie Schuster puts the condo value “in the low $200,000s.” Condo fees at Crystal Estates are figured by square footage and since theirs is one of the larger units, the fees run $160 a month, covering grounds and exterior unit maintenance, plus snow removal.

Altogether, as Georgie puts it, “It's a home of comfort and joy. We wanted (it) to be comfortable, warm and welcoming. We are casual people who like to be able to put our feet up, curl up on the sofa with a good book or to watch a favorite TV show. There's nothing formal about us.

“We like to be surrounded by things that bring us joy - objects we have acquired on travels, things passed on to us by previous generations, and photos of our parents, kids and grandkids.”

Larry Schuster loves the living room and his workshop best: The 21-by-18 foot living room because “It's my escape from the business world, it's all comfort and has the TV there,” he says. And his workshop on the lower level because he's “Mr. Fix-It.” “I love to repair things. It's relaxing for me.”

Meanwhile, decorating is one of the chief enjoyments in Georgie Schuster's life. “Fall is probably my favorite season, décor-wise” she notes, “and it is always fun to transform the rooms from one season to the next. I purposely have kept the furniture, flooring and walls in warm neutral tones on the main level so I can add different touches of color in accents as the seasons change.”

Oatmeal-colored carpeting runs throughout the home on both levels. It adds an aura of warmth to the wood furniture and accessories.

Two of the most appealing “rooms” are the 17-by-11 foot kitchen and 14-by-13 foot dining areas. The couple updated the counters, appliances and backsplash two years ago. When one first spots the kitchen with its mottled brown and black countertops, one thinks, “Oh, what beautiful granite!” Wrong: The countertops are not granite. Astonishingly, they are Formica, or, to be totally accurate - Butterum Granite Etched Laminate by Formica. They're simply a dead ringer for the real thing.

“We looked at granite and quartz,” says Georgie Schuster, “and just didn't want to invest that much money into them. I know granite is so very popular right now, but it didn't matter enough to us to spend several thousand dollars more to have them.

“I have never regretted it,” she says.

The KitchenAid appliances are from the higher level Architect Series, and include a dual fuel slide-in range that has a four-burner gas-top and an electric convection/standard oven with a warming drawer, a convection microwave and a French door refrigerator. Most of the sinks in the house are the integrated seamless type for easy cleaning.

Kitchen cabinetry is the original Omega oak, and it has aged well, but new knobs in 2011 gave the cabinets new zing. The soft beige/oyster stylized backsplash in ceramic tile provided the finishing touch. The kitchen also features a handy “extension,” a “granite”-topped table extending from one end of the counter and seating three or four people.

Table settings is another arena in which Georgie Schuster shines. A visitor sees a fall table set for six guests, a chocolate brown tablecloth embellished with a beige burlap runner going down the center, with a wrought iron candle holder sporting five votive candles, all flickering through dark brown glass. Brown-rimmed Mikasa plates are set on gleaming gold chargers and topped with matching napkins in rust-colored napkin rings. Clear goblets balance the table.

The sunroom, 13-by-11 foot, is a sweet retreat when summer sweeps Iowa. It sports rattan furniture with soft green cushions and a colorful area rug. Three sides of Vinyl Tech windows allow fresh air in for two-season enjoyment.

In the guest bedroom are photos from Larry and Georgie Schuster's parental families, a gallery of memories to be drawn upon with every glance.

“I want the things in our home to have meaning to me and my family,” Georgie Schuster says. “I don't want to just buy something and stick it in my house. I like to have some stories to go with the things we look at and use every day.

“It makes a more interesting home. And when I can make it all look pretty - that's the best!”