In October 1999, the couple purchased the home with the idea of using it as an office for their real estate and mortgage business. They had been running the business out of their Los Gatos home, an 1893 Queen Anne Victorian that had sparked their interest in restoration.

But because the Campbell house was residential and in poor condition, they needed to begin an extensive, ground-up restoration to meet commercial codes—work that included pouring a new concrete foundation, doing electrical and plumbing repairs and fixing windows.

Cummings learned from the Campbell Historical Museum that the house had been given to Lena Swope French by her grandparents Benjamin and Mary Campbell, who gave each of their granddaughters a house. The Lena Swope French house, located on the corners of N. First Street and Civic Center Drive, was built during the Victorian era in a California Colonial cottage architectural style at around 1900. The architect was George Whitney, who built many other houses in Campbell in that time period.

"I want people to feel like they've stepped back 100 years when they walk inside," Cummings says.

To achieve this goal the couple has spent numerous hours searching the Internet and antique shops for authentic decorations from that era. Currently the roof, the fir subflooring, the doors and a claw foot bathtub are the only fixtures original to the house.

In order to make so many changes, Scott and Cummings needed approval from the city council. And so, for their meetings with the council, they brought samples of the exterior paint colors, stained glass and antique tiles from fireplaces from around the world, which they wanted to use for the two bathrooms. The final approval was granted in March of 2000, and the business moved in December of 2001.

In order to ensure the preservation of the house, they have applied for historic landmark status through Campbell's planning department. This is the highest level of historic recognition, according to Darcy Smith, city planner.

Campbell homeowners had the option to apply for the designation after the city completed a historic resources survey, which took inventory of all the properties that have some historic value. Scott's and Cummings' house has high historical value because it is an example of a particular architectural style and was once the property of settlers who had an impact on the development of the city.

"Jennifer and Roger are an example of the newer generation of preservationists who love staying up until midnight on eBay," Smith says.

According to City of Campbell Historic Preservation Board chairwoman Susan Blake, the home is a perfect candidate for historical designation because it is "a good example of that kind of architecture, is in a highly visible location and the owners took such care to enhance its features."

Contributed photograph Lena Swope French

Well, almost everything. One period lighting fixture in the conference room is from 1920, but Scott says that is fine, "because people would have done home improvements over the years."

A few custom touches have been added as well. All desks and file cabinets in the home were custom designed based on sketches of early 1900s drafting tables, and the stained glass windows were created from original designs by a local artist.

"My advice to people is to get a couple of good stained glass windows and wood floors to improve the look of a house drastically," Scott says.

The ceiling paper throughout the house is courtesy of Bradbury & Bradbury, a Benicia company specializing in designing wallpapers inspired by historic patterns. The pattern Scott and Cummings chose is one modeled after a wallpaper print from the early 1900s.

Though the more than 20 paint colors used in five rooms had the potential to look "heinous," says Cummings, the interior design expertise of Mary Jane Dyer from M.J. Interiors made for beautiful results. While Cummings and Scott oversaw the entire painting project, they were only physically involved in hand painting the ceiling medallions and some of the crown molding.

Despite its good looks, the house has quirks as a result of the construction being completed before some interior design decisions were considered. Several light switches, for example, are situated behind the desks that were custom built for the rooms.

But despite the mistakes, length and price of the project (in the end, the fix-up cost more than the price of the home), Cummings and Scott say that this is not their last restoration. They say they have learned lessons from this house. And they clearly take pride in maintaining the architectural heritage of Campbell.

Their improvements to the house have not gone unnoticed.

"A lot of people walk by and see the stained glass windows and don't know if it is a church or museum," Cummings says.

Even with all of the work they've accomplished, the two are still not finished decorating. They are searching for antique picture frames for Lena Swope French's photographs and pineapple finials for the desks.

"Jennifer feels like we're under-decorated," Cummings says. "Victorians liked stuff busy, with millions of things on the walls and furniture everywhere."