A satisfied-looking bunny, painted on a tray, is the first thing in sight when you walk into Charles and Gene Dilks’ Chestnut Hill home. The bunny is perched on a high cabinet so it can greet visitors, a fixture in the place that remains Charles and Gene’s home even though they contemplated moving to a retirement community for a few years. Instead, they made some changes, finished this year, and will be staying in this 105-year-old dwelling. When Charles Dilks retired from his position as a financial consultant, he and wife Gene decided to search for a new address. “We looked at any number of places, and none of them were right. In addition, they were very expensive,” he says. “You not only had a monthly cost, but a fee to get in.” Their section of Chestnut Hill is leafy, and tree branches meet overhead in the center of the streets. The yards are filled with plants and colorful flower gardens.
A renovation done with an eye to future needs
