June 2019

Old House Journal

The Original Restoration Magazine for people who are passionate about old houses to repair, rehabilitate, update, and decorate their homes

Old House Journal2 min read
Joys & Mysteries of Color
The wrong color actually has made me ill! A pale, classical blue left an east-facing sunroom murky as a dirty aquarium; the association was vaguely nauseating. One July, I painted my bedroom an inky cobalt; by winter, amplifying the cold light over t
Old House Journal2 min read
Victorian Kitchen & Bath
Measuring 3 ¾" long, these deep-cup Lewis Dolin bin pulls are made of hand-poured glass with die-cast zinc mounts. They’re available in a choice of colors in plain, ribbed, transparent, and frosted finishes; $14.31 each. Van Dyke’s Restorers, (800) 2
Old House Journal1 min readArchitecture
Victorian Royalty
With a prominent round tower, this cross-gable 1897 Queen Anne is loaded with original details including a parquet floor and elaborate heart-pine staircase that has paneling in the foyer. Original and Victorianinspired cabinets in the dining room and
Old House Journal4 min read
My Nice Little Bung Alow
Through word-of-mouth, I finally found a small house in Burlington, Vermont—my Aqua Fit teacher had a friend who wanted to sell a fixer-upper bungalow. Built around 1920, it’s just about 1,000 square feet. I bought it in 2015 as a widow downsizing fr
Old House Journal1 min read
Miniature Pleasures
Have a little model of your home created by sculptural artist Lisa Elin, who carves a wax model, uses it to create a flexible mould, then casts the mini house in plaster. Painted and mounted, $4,200 and up. Archytexture, (514) 653-6804, archytexture.
Old House Journal3 min read
Inspirations For INTERIOR POLYCHROMY
Polychromy is the art of using many colors in decoration or architecture. It’s not new—the Parthenon, as you may know, was not always white, but was originally painted in many colors. Greek statues once were painted! And American Colonial interiors w
Old House Journal2 min read
Then Came ARTS & CRAFTS
The Arts & Crafts Movement (roughly 1860–1900 in England, 1890–1925 in the U.S.) was famously a reaction against Victorian excess—of clutter and even in pigments. The Craftsman palette was inspired by nature, softer and earthier, never too bright or
Old House Journal2 min read
A Polychromatic Tapestry
Historically used to cover all four walls, and often the ceiling, wallpaper often has the most powerful impact in the decoration of a room. The rug, upholstery, a stencil, and even drapery does not equal the volume of wallpaper in what the eye takes
Old House Journal1 min readGardening
Outside the Bungalow
Heirloom plants add special character to a Bungalow garden. Old House Gardens in Ann Arbor, Mich., propagates and sells heirloom bulbs through their information-rich website and catalog. Shown is the Caprice Iris dating to 1898. It smells like grapes
Old House Journal2 min read
A Surviving Victorian Bath
Surprisingly modern, this master bathroom survives in San Francisco’s Haas–Lilienthal House, a time capsule of Late Victorian opulence. A Queen Anne-style mansion with Stick (Eastlake) details, the house was designed by Peter R. Schmidt in 1886 for t
Old House Journal3 min read
SHAPING the HARDSCAPE
Like the farmer who bought flat stones from his neighbor, locally available materials, from natural stone to brick pavers and railroad ties, are often the best and most cost-effective resources for a hardscape project. Be sure to get detailed install
Old House Journal2 min read
Building A Flagstone Path
1. Lay out the path by placing wood stakes from the beginning to its natural terminus (from the driveway to a porch or deck, for instance). The approach should be wider from its source and narrow to a consistent width as it curves to its destination.
Old House Journal2 min readArchitecture
A Grand Path to Water
When the backyard slopes down to water, it’s a given that a path always led that way. When Jill Chase and Bill Ticineto eliminated an existing driveway in the backyard of their 1920s Connecticut home, they also developed a garden plan that created an
Old House Journal2 min read
Shoptour:
When Jerry Pratt and Johanna Andersen–Pratt bought land in in the Massachusetts Berkshires in the 1980s, they were surprised to learn that the property was loaded with a particularly dense form of 400-million-yearold schist. Schist is a layered metam
Old House Journal1 min readEconomics
Surface Remedies
Stabilize, reinforce, anchor, patch, and smooth over serious cracks in plaster with the Homeowners Pack. It includes three cartridges of adhesive, one spray bottle of conditioner, 25 plaster buttons with screws, a syringe, and a pair of disposable gl
Old House Journal4 min readEconomics
Buying Kitchen Cabinets
Decisions, decisions, and they’re all important. Kitchen cabinets set the tone for overall design, take a beating in use, and will affect resale value of the house. According to Consumer Reports, cabinets take 40% of the kitchen renovation budget. Wh
Old House Journal1 min readEconomics
Distilled
“Custom or semi-custom? I think Crown Select falls into a third category,” says Brian Stowell, the owner of Crown Point Cabinetry in Claremont, N.H., which recently introduced a more affordable option with a shorter delivery cycle. Semi-custom cabine
Old House Journal1 min readArchitecture
Stuff An Agent Screwed Up
On the advice of their real-estate agent, the previous owners of our ca. 1895 Shingle Style home painted over burlap walls and built-in cabinets that should have been left alone, in a misguided effort to make the Arts & Crafts rooms “light and bright
Old House Journal4 min readArchitecture
A Garden That Rocks
Making the best of a sloped yard—or adding interest to a flat one—rock gardens also require less maintenance than a lawn or flower border. Difficult areas become pretty or dramatic focal points, all while demanding less water and no mowing. Your firs
Old House Journal2 min read
Protecting the Wine
Steel doors used for security and fire safety date back to the 19th century. This one, bought as salvage, is in a spacious, 19th-century New York City apartment, formerly a warehouse. Tall ceilings and open space make it a challenge to find architect
Old House Journal2 min read
Ask Old House Journal
Q:I’m wondering about the color(s) of 1920s tile grout. I believe they used grey grout even with white tiles. I’m redoing baths in a 1926 Spanish Revival, with white dolomite hex tiles in one room and white-and-grey Carrara marble 3x6 tiles in anothe
Old House Journal4 min read
WITH FAITH restored
A passionate voice of the Great Awakening, the Rev. Joseph Bellamy was a larger-than-life character in 18th-century Bethlehem, a fledgling town in rural Litchfield County, Connecticut. Both his prestige and his imposing physical presence—he stood ove
Old House Journal1 min readReligion & Spirituality
Two Lives, One House
The lives of the Rev. Joseph Bellamy and the socialite Caroline Ferriday were separated by two centuries, but in this historic house in Bethlehem, Connecticut, their legacies are thoroughly entwined. A protégé of the famous theologian Jonathan Edward
Old House Journal3 min read
Georgian Style, 1710–1800
Our 18th-century originals are confined to the thirteen Colonies, but Georgian style flourished again, more widely, during the height of the Colonial Revival. Georgian design—symmetrical, well-proportioned, simple yet substantial and vigorously detai
Old House Journal3 min readArchitecture
A Fantasy Of GOTHIC REVIVAL
The playwright paul rudnick admits he’s had a lifelong penchant for the theatrical. He laughs as he recalls his mother’s first visit to his Greenwich Village penthouse: “Paul, why do you have the Pope’s furniture?” she asked, incredulous over the Got
Old House Journal3 min read
Reformed Gothic
Gothic Revival isn’t the easiest style to live with. The great neo-Gothicist Pugin himself humorously argued against the dangers of overdoing points and pinnacles in his True Principles: “Everything is crocketed with angular projections, innumerable
Old House Journal3 min read
The Farm at Miller’s Crossing
Amidst the rolling hills of the Hudson Valley, near the town of Claverack, is what’s known locally as the Farm at Miller’s Crossing. The nearly 200-year-old farmhouse is home to Meg and Jim Cashen and their extended family. The clapboarded house, bui
Old House Journal3 min read
Easy Distressed Finishes
It’s true that fine furniture makers, conservators, and decorative artists spend years practicing the art of distressing and antiquing finishes for cabinets and furniture. Those of us not needing to match museum pieces can, however, get good results
Old House Journal3 min read
WALLS & CEILINGS
Makers of authentic, woodblock-printed wallpapers and borders. Full line of documented patterns circa 1750-1850. 518-284-9066; www.adelphipaperhangings.com Tin ceilings, embossed metal tin ceiling panels, and cornices with custom antique finishes. Na
Old House Journal8 min read
Product Showcase
We manufacture Custom “Invisible” Storm Windows® for historic, residential and commercial buildings. Interior & exterior applications, custom colors, custom screens & special shapes, and special glazing are all routine – Energy Savings – approximatel
Old House Journal1 min read
Remuddling
Wouldn’t you just love to know the backstory here? “I’ve decided to paint the brick on my half” hardly covers it. Imagine an early conversation between two owners. “I want to eradicate the hedge and lawn, demolish my half of the porch, extend the faç

Old House Journal

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